Roger Campbell, former U.S figure skater and ice dancer, had
been a young man with big dreams of skating in the 1961 World Championships. He
had skated with and been coached by some of the country’s finest ice skating
professionals. Prior to earning the privilege to be a part of the 1961 U.S.
Figure Skating team, Roger had won many American figure skating titles. Sadly, the
life and skating career of this talented, 19-year old ice skater ended in tragedy.
Campbell's Roots
Campbell’s mother Ann had been one of the most supportive fans
of his skating ambitions. Born in Sturgis in 1907, Ann had grown up in
Providence. Following the death of her mother in 1925, Ann and her father moved
to Oregon. It was there that Ann met and later married Alexander Hunter
Campbell.
While living in Portland, Oregon, Ann gave birth to Roger in
1942. He was an only child. In his early teen years, Ann and Alexander moved to
California, seeking greater opportunities for their son. It was there, at the age
of 13, that Roger joined the Los Angeles Figure Skating Club.
Aspirations and Awards
With natural talent and ambition, Roger excelled in figure skating
with the help of professional coaches, such as Bill Kipp and Mabel Fairbanks. Along
with partner Diane Sherbloom, Roger won the junior silver medal at the 1959
U.S. Championships in the state of New York. In 1960, he and his partner, Yvonne Littlefield, won the bronze medal at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Seattle.
Campbell partnered with Dona Lee Carrier in September 1960. The two won championships in Colorado Springs and Philadelphia in January 1961. Campbell and Carrier were both part of the 1961 U.S. Figure
Skating Team.
Tragedy Strikes
On February 15, 1961, the U.S. Figure Skating Team’s flight
left New York City, headed to the U.S. World Figure Skating Championships in
Prague, Czechoslovakia. On approach to the Brussels, Belgium, airport (the
first leg of the flight), the plane had, what is still considered to this day, an
unexplained malfunction.
Roger Campbell, his mother Ann and the entire 1961 U.S.
Figure Skating Team were killed in an unprecedented Belgium plane crash. Roger’s
mother was the only non-coach parent on the trip. Due to the tragedy, the entire
championship event was cancelled that year.
A Champion's Resting Place
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| Big Hill Cemetery in Providence |
In a bizarre turn of events, Campbell’s sudden death led to
burial arrangements for both he and his mother in Webster County, perhaps his
first and only trip to his mother’s home place. There, in the family plot, he joined
the grandparents he’d never met, and his mother, Ann, reunited with her beloved
parents, Robert and Minnie Brooks, former long-time residents of Providence.
Other interesting facts and references
- Patricia Shelley Bushman, is the author of a book about the tragic crash, Indelible Tracings.
- The U.S. Figure Skating Organization used the life and death experiences of the 1961 team to inspire other American figure skaters. A memorial fund was established for future skaters in honor of the team. In 2011, the Nancy Stern-Winters film Rise, which included celebrity figure skating champion Peggy Fleming and Dakota Fanning, told the story about the team, the crash and the remaking of a sport after the country’s greatest figure skaters had perished.
- Eight of the team’s skaters were former club members of the Broadmoor Skating Club in Colorado Springs. A memorial bench was placed near the front entrance of the former World Arena. Their names are engraved on the bench, as well as the crash date and the words “In Memoriam.” (See 2012 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships Program Brochure - then, locate page 21)