Triple Buckeye shares his connection to Ohio State and why he’s leaving a legacy through an estate gift.
Bob Campbell BA ’71 MS ‘79 PhD ’90 has a long history with The Ohio State University. As a three-time Buckeye, Campbell’s journey began as an undergrad and continued through decades of professional and personal engagement. During his career as an epidemiologist, he frequently collaborated with faculty and students from the College of Public Health, fostering a deep connection with the institution. Alongside his wife, Campbell has been a steadfast supporter of the university, contributing to various programs for an impressive 45 years. Several years ago, the Campbell’s established an estate gift, that will ensure a lasting legacy and benefit future generations of Public Health Buckeyes.
Question and Answers
Can you share a bit about your background and your connection with The Ohio State University?
I started at Ohio State in 1967 as a biology major and graduated in 1971. I began working at the university in what would eventually become the James but was called the College of Medicine’s Department of Hematology and Oncology at the time. As I was looking to further my education, I came across courses in epidemiology at the Department of Preventive Medicine and I was really interested in the idea of treating a population rather than the individual patient. This led me to pursue a master’s degree in 1979 and later a PhD. My career in epidemiology kept me closely connected with Ohio State, so despite working for the health department I always felt connected to Ohio State.
Can you share an experience from your time at Ohio State that has stayed with you?
Marty Keller (former faculty) was just a grand mentor for me. He had worked with the Center for Disease Control and had done all kinds of other things, and I loved his lectures! He told the best stories and made me feel like this was what I wanted to do. He was so inspiring to me. He gave me the passion for going out there early on. And at the beginning of my career, I did a lot of infectious disease outbreak investigations. I was out there interviewing people and dealing with crazy stuff, but I felt inspired and prepared. He was really important in my life and a great guy.
What inspired you to make an estate gift?
I have made annual gifts to the university for many years and had an estate gift in the back of my mind as something I’d do eventually. We were advised by our attorney to fund a charitable remainder trust (CRT). It ended up being a great option. It allowed us to sell some stock within the CRT without experiencing immediate capital gains tax, receive an income tax charitable deduction and receive income from it. It was a nice tax deduction and reduced our financial vulnerability while at the same time making a gift I had been thinking about.
What impact do you hope your estate gift will have on the college and its students?
I hope it provides opportunities for young people to enter the field of public health, especially those who might not have had the chance otherwise. Public health is a great profession and is so diverse in that there are so many different things you can do. It does make you feel good, knowing your dollars are going to support future public health students.
What does leaving a legacy through this gift mean to you and your wife?
You hear it all the time, that it is the right thing to do and we feel very fortune that we are financially able to do so. But it really does feel like the right thing to do, to support the institution that got you where you are and to give opportunities to students to come in and continue. Our children know we are doing this, and I think they are proud to know some of the money is going to support this type of education.
Do you have any advice for other alumni considering making an estate gift?
Think about where you’d be without the support of the college or university. If you’re in a position to give back, it’s a meaningful way to show gratitude and to support future generations. There are different ways to make an estate gift. We went the CRT route and set it up with our attorney and let the university know about it, but I think setting it up directly with the university could also be an option.
For more information about giving options and providing opportunities for future Ohio State students through your own legacy, visit the Office of Estate and Gift Planning website.
