NANCY DUFF CAMPBELL
Nancy Duff Campbell has a rich history with Washington Township, growing up on the west side and attending Crooked Creek and Westlane before graduating from the original North Central in 1961.
During her time at North Central, Nancy was active in a variety of activities including:
- Student Council Vice President
- Jr. Prom Queen Candidate
- National Honor Society
- Jr. Spectacular Student Coordinator
- Northern Lights News Editor
- Quill & Scroll
- National Thespians Society
- Good Citizen Award
But, out of all of these, Nancy’s favorite NC memories are being elected Student Council Vice President and appointed Jr. Spectacular Student Coordinator. Overall, she believes the strong academic preparation and leadership opportunities North Central provided served her well in college and beyond.
After leaving North Central, Nancy attended Barnard College of Columbia University, then New York University School of Law, where she earned her J.D. in 1968. As a student and throughout her legal career, Nancy participated in the civil rights, women’s rights, and anti-poverty movements. During this time, she also co-founded the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), an organization fighting for the issues that are central to the lives of women and which just celebrated its 50th anniversary.
It is her work at the NWLC that Nancy is most proud of, helping to improve the lives of women and their families, especially those with low incomes – expanding women’s opportunities in education, employment, public benefits, and health and reproductive rights. Nancy said, “When I was 12 years old, I told a teacher that I wanted to be a lawyer. The teacher was shocked that a girl would have such a goal in 1955. I was right not to let her response dissuade me.”
Today, Nancy continues to volunteer her time for these causes that she cares for so deeply, acknowledging the continuing challenges that women, especially those with children, face today, as evidenced by their high poverty rates. She believes the expansion of the child tax credit a few years ago was an important improvement that had significant success in reducing poverty, but unfortunately, Congress let it expire.
In 2019 she succeeded in getting the U.S. Department of Interior to rename a mountain in New York’s Adirondacks for the suffragist Inez Milholland. Nancy shared, “Women’s contributions to history have been too long overlooked, and recognition of these contributions is important to understanding our history and the history of the world.”
Nancy retired in 2018 and currently lives in Washington, DC, where she spends her days volunteering and enjoying time with her children and grandchildren. She is a proud member of the North Central Hall of Fame and continues to exude the Panther spirit in all she does.
To learn more about Nancy and her work, visit www.nwlc.org.
________
Looking for ways you can support North Central and Washington Township Schools? Donate today and help our foundation support programs to enhance the educational experience for our students and provide resources for MSDWT teachers and staff.