title
A resolution honoring Berdelle Campbell for her contributions to historic preservation, environmentalism, and civic causes in Nashville and Davidson County.
body
WHEREAS, Berdelle Campbell was born on June 15, 1927, in Jones County, Mississippi; and
WHEREAS, when she was only 19 years old, she graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi. She later graduated from the University of North Carolina School of Public Health; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Campbell moved to Nashville in 1963 when her husband Ernest accepted a position at Vanderbilt University; and
WHEREAS, she and her husband raised their four children to be involved citizens. They became a federal judge, a dedicated environmentalist and Qigong teacher, a minister, and an attorney; and
WHEREAS, after her husband retired, the Campbells moved from Belle Meade to the historic neighborhood of Germantown in 1979. They spent the next two years restoring the old Ratterman House and turning the dilapidated lot next door into a beautiful garden; and
WHEREAS, after their move, Ms. Campbell immediately got involved in bringing the Germantown neighborhood back to life, assisting with the purchase of the historic Elliott School Building to save it from demolition, fighting to solve the odor problem from the nearby rendering plant, and even getting arrested for standing in front of a bulldozer to stop the building of an emissions testing facility on the 1200 block of 5th Avenue; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Campbell helped found the Historic Germantown Neighborhood Association and continues to lend her wise counsel and knowledge of neighborhood history as the neighborhood faces the challenges of rapid growth; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Campbell’s civic involvement includes membership in the League of Women Voters for two decades and serving on the board for ten years. She was nominated by the League of Women Voters for an Athena Award for her work in community involvement, conservation, and historic preservation; and
WHEREAS, she also served as president of Planned Parenthood Association of Nashville, as a regional representative for the Southeast, and was a delegate to the International Planned Parenthood meeting in Amsterdam; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Campbell has promoted tree planting throughout Germantown, resulting in 92 varieties of trees in the neighborhood today and worked to secure designation as a neighborhood arboretum. Her quarter acre garden is in the Tennessee Land Trust and has been designated as a tree sanctuary by the Tennessee Department of Forestry and Arboretums; and
WHEREAS, she is a founding member of the Cumberland River Compact and served on the board for 24 years. She continues to be involved by advocating for conservation and protection of the Cumberland River; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Campbell continues to be an active member of the Nashville community. For many years, she attended almost every Metropolitan Council meeting to become knowledgeable about issues facing Nashville and Davidson County and to make informed decisions about which legislation and projects to support; and
WHEREAS, it is fitting and proper that the Metropolitan Council recognize Berdelle Campbell for her tremendous contributions to Nashville and Davidson County.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT OF NASHVILLE AND DAVIDSON COUNTY:
Section 1. That the Metropolitan County Council hereby goes on record as honoring Berdelle Campbell for her contributions to historic preservation, environmentalism, and civic causes in Nashville and Davidson County.
Section 2. That this Resolution shall take effect from and after its adoption, the welfare of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County requiring it.