Howard Campen served as County Executive for Santa Clara County from 1957 until 1976, overseeing a period of tremendous change and development in the county.
Born in San Jose in 1914, Campen graduated from Stanford University in 1937 and received his law degree from Stanford University School of Law in 1940. After service in the Navy during World War II, Campen began work for the county in the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office in 1946. In 1948, he was appointed to the newly created position of County Counsel, in which he remained until 1955, when he resigned to enter private law practice. In 1957, the county selected him as County Executive, a position he retained until his retirement in 1976. During his tenure, the county underwent significant development, with county government undertaking major capital investments, especially in the county freeway system. Campen withdrew from county affairs after his retirement. He died in 2005.
From the description of Howard W. Campen collection, 1946-1996. (Santa Clara County Archives). WorldCat record id: 503009011
