R.B. Campbell, a Pioneer of Westwood, Dies

Robert B. Campbell, who for half a century ran his landmark Campbell’s Bookstore--one of the West’s largest--across from the UCLA campus, died Monday. He was 87.

On May 10, 1924, Campbell and his wife, Blanche, opened their first bookstore at 858 N. Vermont Ave., opposite the original UCLA campus (now the site of Los Angeles City College).

When UCLA moved to Westwood Village in 1929, Campbell moved his bookstore to 10918 LeConte Ave., across from the new campus.

The store was the first in the then-open fields of Westwood Village.

Campbell and his wife ran their store for 50 years to the day, selling it on May 10, 1974. The store, however, continued to be known as Campbell’s for another 10 years.

Headed Book Sellers

In 1948 Campbell became the first West Coast president of the American Book Sellers Assn. He also served as president of the Southern California Book Sellers Assn., was twice president of the Westwood Village Chamber of Commerce and was chairman of the West District of the Red Cross for several years.

He was known to thousands of UCLA students and alumni over the years. Ralph Bunche, winner of the 1950 Nobel Peace Prize and a founding diplomat of the United Nations, helped pay his way through UCLA working at Campbell’s, as did hundreds of other students.

Campbell was one of the founders of Sportsmen of the South at UCLA and the UCLA Chancellor’s Associates. For 37 years the annual Robert B.

Campbell is survived by his wife, two daughters, Dorothy Tolstad and Clarice Olcott, three grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.

Services will be conducted at Westwood United Methodist Church at 1 p.m. Friday. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations to the UCLA Gold Shield Faculty Prize.