William Bowen Campbell was born in Sumner County, Tennessee on February 1, 1807. A Whig lawyer, he represented Smith County, Tennessee in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1837 to 1843, and again from 1866 to 1867. He also served as the Governor of Tennessee from 1851 to 1853. He died in Wilson County, Tennessee on August 19, 1867.