ABOUT
About Thomas Campbell
Geologist, Mineralogist, Researcher, and Exploration Specialist
Thomas Campbell's enduring interest in geology and mineralogy was inspired by his father, Donald Campbell; his mentor, Willard (Bill) Roberts; and other colleagues and friends. Tom received his M.S. in geology from the University of Akron and his graduate degrees at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, specializing in mineralogy and economic geology.
While researching pegmatites in the Black Hills of South Dakota, especially for his M.S. thesis on the Tip Top Pegmatite near Custer, he discovered three new minerals—tiptopite, fransoletite, and pahasapaite—and helped characterize eight additional pegmatite species. Tom also attended and participated in the GAC-MAC short course on Granitic Pegmatites in Science and Industry in 1982, chaired by pegmatite expert Petr Cerny at the University of Manitoba. At the 2024 Tucson Gem and Mineral Show Tom won the prestigious Desautels award for his case that featured all granite pegmatite minerals and then the Lidstrom trophy for the best of mineral species for is beryllonite on hydroxylherderite from Pakistan. In 2025 he was honored with the distinction of having a new mineral named after him, tomcampbellite, discovered by his long-time friend Tom Loomis.
He also performed rare element pegmatite exploration in the Black Hills for Inspiration Development Corporation (Phelps Dodge). In addition to his research in South Dakota, he conducted work on rare element pegmatites in Minas Gerais, Brazil and visited mining and exploration efforts at the famous Cruzeiro, Pederneira, Golconda, and Itatiaia mines while he was there. Tom also maintains a systematic fine mineral collection specializing in rare element (lithium-cesium-tantalum – LCT-type) granite pegmatites.
He is also co-author of the second edition of the Encyclopedia of Minerals with Bill Roberts, along with George Rapp Jr., and was also co-author of numerous mineralogy-related articles. Willard “Bill” Roberts was his mentor and like a second father to him and they co-authored many scientific papers together. Others that were influential in Tom’s career and his avocation for collecting minerals included his dear friend Alvaro Lucio of Brazil, Dr. Petr Cerny of the University of Manitoba, Dr. Jack Redden of South Dakota School of Mines and Geology, his father Donald Campbell and his friend Dr. Robert Lavinsky.
Much of Tom’s professional career, however, was focused on orogenic-type gold deposits, and he spent nearly 20 years employed by Homestake Mining Company at the Homestake Gold Mine as Chief Exploration Geologist and Senior Production Geologist. USGS Bulletin 1857-J titled The Homestake Gold Mine, An Early Proterozoic Iron-Formation-Hosted Gold Deposit was a product of some of his work at the mine and research he performed on the deposit along with his co-authors.
During his tenure at the Homestake Gold Mine, Tom led a team that advanced the understanding of the deposit and identified several new ore bodies. He also spent four years at the Hemlo Gold Camp, where he served as Exploration Manager/Geology Superintendent, where his work resulted in improved exploration strategies that significantly extended the mine's productive life.
Tom then transitioned into various iron ore deposit types while working for Cliffs Natural Resources, that included banded iron formations (BIF) and their iron ores, specializing in Lake Superior-type iron ore deposits in Minnesota and Michigan.
Publications Archive
A collection of published works, articles, and featured materials highlighting key insights, research, and contributions across our projects and clients.
Campbell, T. J., 2026, Mineralogy of the Double Rainbow Mine, Galena, South Dakota. Mineralogical Record, in prep.
Campbell, T. J. and Kerrich, R. R., 2026, Trace Element Systematics and Tectonic Implications for Volcanic Rocks in the Paleoproterozoic Homestake Basin Sequence, Northern Black Hills, South Dakota. This website.
Campbell, T. J., 2026, Lithostratigraphy, Facies Analysis, and Revised Nomenclature of Paleoproterozoic Rocks in the Homestake Basin,
Black Hills, South Dakota. This website.
Campbell, T. J., 2026, Iron Formation Geochemistry of the Paleoproterozoic Homestake Basin, Northern Black Hills, South Dakota: Origin and Depositional Model for Algoma-type Iron Formation. This website.
Campbell, T. J., 2020, English Editor of Mineral Collections of Brazil by Cornejo, C. and Bartorelli, A., Solaris Cultural Publications, São Paulo.
Ojakangas, R. W., Severson, M. J., and Campbell, T. J., 2009, Geology and Metamorphism of the Eastern Mesabi Range, in Institute on Lake Superior Geology, Proc. Vol. 55: Part 2 – Field Trip Guidebook, 55th Ann. Mtg, Ely, MN, pp. 117–155.
Campbell, T. J., Fox, J. E., and Campbell, M. M., 2004, Paleoenvironment and Paleotectonics of the Early Proterozoic Homestake Basin, Northern Black Hills, South Dakota. Geological Society of America Programs with Abstracts, 36(4).
Campbell, M. M. and Campbell, T. J., 2003, Layered Mafic Intrusive Complexes: Possible Terrestrial Analogues of Venusian Coronae. Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, 34, Abstract 1852.
Loomis, T. A. and Campbell, T. J., 2002, The Tip Top Pegmatite: A Historical Review and Mineralogical Update. Matrix, 10(3), 138–146.
Zeitner, J. C. and Campbell, T. J., 2002, Willard Lincoln Roberts – The Man in the Bow Tie. Matrix, 10(3), 147–152.
Caddey, S. W., Bachman, R. L., Campbell, T. J., Reid, R. R., and Otto, R. P., 1991, The Homestake Gold Mine, An Early Proterozoic Iron-Formation-Hosted Gold Deposit, Lawrence County, South Dakota. U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1857-J.
Roberts, W. L., Rapp, G. R., and Campbell, T. J., 1990, Encyclopedia of Minerals, 2nd ed., Van Nostrand-Reinhold, New York, 1009 pp.
Campbell, T. J., Sneyd, D. S., and Marlowe, K. E., 1990, Early Proterozoic Mineral Alteration, Homestake Gold Mine, Lead, South Dakota. Geological Association of Canada/Mineralogical Association of Canada Program with Abstracts, 15, A20.
Bachman, R. L. and Campbell, T. J., 1990, Early Proterozoic Tectonism, Metamorphism, and Mineralization in the Black Hills, South Dakota: A Plate Tectonic Model. GAC/MAC Program with Abstracts, 15, A5.
Groen, J. C., Bodnar, R. J., and Campbell, T. J., 1989, Fluid Inclusions in the Homestake Iron-Formation of the Northern Black Hills of South Dakota and Their Relationship to Metamorphism. PACROFI II, 2, 27.
ouse, R. C., Peacor, D. R., Dunn, P. J., Campbell, T. J., Roberts, W. L., Wicks, F. J., and Newbury, D., 1987, Pahasapaite, a Beryllophosphate Zeolite Related to Synthetic Zeolite Rho, from the Tip Top Pegmatite, South Dakota. Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie Monatshefte, 1987(10), 433–440.
Campbell, T. J., Campbell, D. R., and Roberts, W. L., 1987, Famous Mineral Localities: Elk Creek, South Dakota. Mineralogical Record, 18, 125–130.
Caddey, S. W., Nelson, G., Bachman, R. L., Reid, R. R., Otto, R. P., and Campbell, T. J., 1986, The Homestake Gold Mine: An Early Proterozoic Ironstone-Hosted Gold Deposit, South Dakota, USA. IBRAM Conference, Brazil, Extended Abstract.
Campbell, T. J. and Triscori, K. L., 1986, Type Locality Minerals of the Black Hills, South Dakota. Mineralogical Record, 17, 297–302.
Campbell, T. J. and Roberts, W. L., 1986, Phosphate Minerals from the Tip Top Mine, Black Hills, South Dakota. Mineralogical Record, 17, 237–254.
Campbell, T. J. and Roberts, W. L., 1986, Whewellite from South Dakota and a Review of Other North American Localities. Mineralogical Record, 17, 131–133.
Peacor, D. R., Dunn, P. J., Ramik, R. A., Campbell, T. J., and Roberts, W. L., 1985, A Wicksite-like Mineral from the Bull Moose Mine, South Dakota. Canadian Mineralogist, 23, 247–249.
Grice, J. D., Peacor, D. R., Robinson, G. W., Van Velthuizen, J., Roberts, W. L., Campbell, T. J., and Dunn, P. J., 1985, Tiptopite, a New Mineral Species from the Black Hills, South Dakota. Canadian Mineralogist, 23, 43–46.
Campbell, T. J. and Roberts, W. L., 1985, Mineral Localities in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Rocks & Minerals, 60(3), 109–118.
Dunn, P. J., Peacor, D. R., Roberts, W. L., Campbell, T. J., and Ramik, R. A., 1984, Walentaite, a New Calcium Iron Arsenate Phosphate from the White Elephant Mine, South Dakota. Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie, 1984(4), 169–174.
Peacor, D. R., Dunn, P. J., Roberts, W. L., Campbell, T. J., and Simmons, W. B., 1984, Sinkankasite, a New Phosphate from the Barker Pegmatite, South Dakota. American Mineralogist, 69, 380–382.
Dunn, P. J., Rouse, R. C., Campbell, T. J., and Roberts, W. L., 1984, Tinsleyite, the Aluminum Analogue of Leucophosphite, from the Tip Top Pegmatite, South Dakota. American Mineralogist, 69, 374–376.
Campbell, T. J., 1984, Phosphate Mineralogy of the Tip Top Pegmatite, Custer, South Dakota. M.Sc. Thesis, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, 172 pp.
Peacor, D. R., Dunn, P. J., Roberts, W. L., Campbell, T. J., and Newbury, D., 1983, Fransoletite, a New Calcium Beryllium Phosphate from the Tip Top Pegmatite, South Dakota. Bulletin de Minéralogie, 106, 449–503.
Dunn, P. J., Roberts, W. L., Campbell, T. J., and Leavens, P. B., 1983, Red Montgomeryite and Associated Minerals from the Tip Top Pegmatite. Mineralogical Record, 14, 195–197.
Roberts, W. L., Campbell, T. J., McLeod, R. J., and French, G. M., 1982, The Tip Top Pegmatite. GAC/MAC Field Trip Guidebook, Trip 12, 14–16.
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