Dorothy Campbell
She conquered three nations' top amateur golf titles, becoming the first woman to claim a transatlantic triple crown of championships.
1883–1945 (age 62)·Scottish golfer·Birthday: March 24·The Lost Generation
Biography
Dorothy Campbell emerged from the Scottish links as a force of precision and competitive fire. Born in 1883, she honed her game on the demanding courses of her homeland before embarking on a remarkable run of dominance on both sides of the Atlantic. Her legacy was forged not in a single victory, but in a historic trifecta: she captured the British Ladies Amateur in 1909, then sailed to North America and added the U.S. Women's Amateur and the Canadian Women's Amateur to her collection. This unprecedented triple made her the first golfer, man or woman, to hold national amateur titles in three countries simultaneously, a feat that announced the arrival of international competition in women's golf. Campbell later moved to the United States, where she continued to compete and influence the game until her death in 1945, remembered as a trailblazer who redrew the map of women's golf.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Dorothy was born in 1883, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Dorothy Was Born
The biggest hits of 1883
Dorothy's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1883Born
President: Chester A. Arthur
1888Started school
President: Grover Cleveland
1896Became a teenager
First modern Olympic Games held in Athens
President: Grover Cleveland
1899Could drive
President: William McKinley
1901Could vote
Queen Victoria dies, ending the Victorian era
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1904Turned 21
New York City opens its first subway line
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1913Turned 30
The Federal Reserve is established
President: Woodrow Wilson
1923Turned 40
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1933Turned 50
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1943Turned 60
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1945Died at 62
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
Key Achievements
- First woman to win the U.S., British, and Canadian Women's Amateur golf championships.
- Captured the British Ladies Amateur title in 1909 at Royal County Down.
- Won the U.S. Women's Amateur in 1909 and again in 1910.
- Secured the Canadian Women's Amateur championship in 1910 and 1911.
Did You Know?
She was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2018, over 70 years after her death.
Campbell was known for her distinctive, upright putting stance.
She became a naturalized United States citizen in the 1920s.
“The wind is my only opponent on these ancient links.”
