Ben Nighthorse Campbell
Ben Nighthorse Campbell (born April 13, 1933) is an American politician. He has been a U.S. Senator from Colorado since 1993 and is the only Native American presently serving in the U.S. Congress. Campbell was a U.S. Representative from 1987 to 1993, when he was sworn into office as a Senator following his election on November 3, 1992.
Originally a member of the Democratic Party, Campbell switched to the Republican Party in 1995 after the Republicans gained control of Congress. Reelected in 1998, Campbell announced in March 2004 that he would not run for reelection to a third term in November of that year.
Biography
Campbell was born in Auburn, California in 1933. His parents were Mary Vierra, an Portuguese immigrant, and Albert Campbell, a Northern Cheyenne Indian. In 1951, Campbell joined the U.S. Air Force and was stationed in Korea during the Korean War; when he left the Air Force in 1953, Campbell held the rank of Airman Second Class.
After returning to the United States, Campbell attended San Jose State University, where he joined the judo team, winning three national championships and becoming the captain of the U.S. 1964 Summer Olympic judo team. He recieved a bachelor's degree in physical education and fine arts in 1957. He later studied at the University of Tokyo as a special research student in 1960.
Campbell later became a self-employed jewelry designer, as well as a rancher and horse trainer.