The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-07.
Campbell, Donald Malcolm
1921–67, British automobile and boat racer. The son of Sir Malcolm Campbell, from whom he inherited his passion for assaulting speed records and his mechanical inclinations, he helped to design a hull that would not disintegrate at speeds over 200 mi (322 km) per hr on water. His work attracted the attention of numerous British engineering firms and government departments. Campbell was killed in his jet-powered boat Bluebird as he tried to reach a speed of 300 mi (483 km) per hr. At the time of his death he held the world’s speed record on water, 276.33 mi (444.89 km) per hr and had driven at an average speed of 403.1 mph (648.9 kph) on land.
