John C. & Dr. Mary L. Campbell Scholarship

This scholarship is provided in honor of Dr. Mary L. Campbell. The Scholarship Committee awards this scholarship to on-campus or online-learning freshmen majoring in Education or Intercultural Studies programs with a minimum 3.0 GPA. Graduate students in Education may also apply.

John (J.C.) graduated from Nelson University in 1959 and became involved with The Lighthouse (formerly Gospel Lighthouse Church) in Dallas. It was in the prayer room that he met Mary. After a short engagement, they married and went on to pastor in Lake Charles, LA, followed by a season of evangelism. They returned to Dallas, where Mary focused on her education, earning her doctoral degree. In the meantime, J.C. started various businesses.

Dr. Mary was hired by The Lighthouse to be their Christian Education director. She eventually started their school, Lighthouse Christian Academy, where she was their first principal administrator. By the late 90’s, Mary was hired by Nelson University, where she served as the head of the Education Department and teacher certification. During her tenure of just over ten years, she grew the department from about 50 students to around 500!

J.C. recalls his time as a student, saying that he had to work the night shift and attend classes during the day to pay for his education. When asked why they decided to fund the endowment, J.C. gave two reasons: to honor his wife’s legacy at Nelson and to lighten a student’s financial load.

Dr. Mary Campbell went home into the presence of her Savior on November 17, 2022.