George W. Gibbs Jr.
George W. Gibbs Jr. | |
---|---|
Birth name | George Washington Gibbs Jr. |
Born | Chief Petty Officer | 7 November 1916
Battles/wars | World War II |
Awards | United States Antarctic Expedition Medal |
Other work | IBM personnel department Employment agency owner NAACP chapter president |
George Washington Gibbs Jr. (November 7, 1916 – November 7, 2000), a sailor in the
George Gibbs was a civil rights leader who integrated the
Gibbs Point on the Antarctic Peninsula was named for George W. Gibbs Jr. on September 2, 2009.[1][2][5][6][7]
The Rochester, Minnesota school board named a new elementary school, dedicated on October 11, 2009, the George W. Gibbs Jr. Elementary School.[1][2]
Early life
George W. Gibbs Jr. was born in
After brief work in the Civilian Conservation Corps,[5] Gibbs enlisted in the U.S. Navy from Macon, Georgia in 1935.[3] He re-enlisted when his four-year period of enlistment expired.[1]
During his time in the Navy, Gibbs married Joyce Powell on September 26, 1953, in Portsmouth, Virginia.[5] The Gibbs's had a daughter, Leilani R. (Gibbs) Henry and a son, E. Anthony "Tony."[5]
Polar expedition
Gibbs was encouraged to apply for an assignment with the
Despite the long work days, Gibbs kept a journal during the expedition.[4][10] It had been misplaced behind a dresser and only was found by his wife soon after his death in 2000.[1][4] Gibbs noted the unfriendly attitude of two of the officers on the U.S.S. Bear but praised the captain and the spirit of co-operation among most of the Navy and civilian members of the expedition.[1][4]
On January 14, 1940, the U.S.S. Bear anchored in the Bay of Whales. Gibbs wrote in his journal:
I was the first man aboard the ship to set foot in Little America and help tie her lines deep into the snow. I met Admiral Byrd; he shook my hand and welcomed me to Little America and for being the first Negro to set foot in Little America.[1][2][3][4]
Gibbs helped to establish West Base (Little America III), near the Bay of Whales, and East Base on
During the expedition, Gibbs helped catch
The captain of the Bear, Lieutenant Commander Richard H. Cruzen, commended Gibbs twice: first, "at meritorious mast for his zeal, initiative, and untiring industry, entailing much personal sacrifice," during the preparation period for the Antarctic duty and second, at the end of the expedition, "for his outstanding zeal and energy, and for the unusual spirit of loyalty and cooperation which he has invariably displayed under trying conditions encountered during the assignment of this vessel to duty with the U.S. Antarctic Service."[3]
World War II
During World War II, Gibbs served in combat in the Pacific.[1] He was a gunner on the U.S.S. Atlanta.[1] During the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal on November 13, 1942, the Atlanta was sunk by enemy fire from the Japanese battleship Hiei and a torpedo from the Japanese destroyer Akatsuki, killing about a third of the 3,000 member crew.[1][3] After a night in shark-infested waters, Gibbs and the other survivors were rescued.[1]
Post-war
Gibbs remained in the U.S. Navy until 1959 when he retired as a chief petty officer.
Later career
After Gibbs retired from the Navy, he moved to
Civil rights and civic leadership
Gibbs became a civil rights leader and helped organize the Rochester, Minnesota Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).[2][5][9] He worked for civil rights in Rochester and on a national basis.[5] Later, the Rochester, Minnesota branch of the NAACP presented Gibbs with the George Gibbs Humanitarianism Award.[5] Gibbs's daughter, who plans to publish a book about her father, has said that he was very persuasive, noting that only about 50 of the 350 members of the local NAACP chapter were black.[4] Gibbs also worked with the Minnesota-North Dakota NAACP Conference.[5]
Gibbs was president of the Rochester Kiwanis and the Rochester chapter of the University of Minnesota Alumni Association.[5] Gibbs was a chairman of Boy Scout Troop 21 and the United Negro College Fund for southeast Minnesota.[5] He was a member of Christ United Methodist Church.[5]
In 1974, Gibbs was denied membership in the Rochester Elks Club, which made headlines and eventually led to breaking the color barrier at that club, an accomplishment also made by Gibbs at service clubs in Rochester.[5]
George W. Gibbs Jr. died on his 84th birthday, November 7, 2000.[3][5]
Memorials
Gibbs Point
Others
Rochester Minnesota's West Soldiers Field Drive was renamed in honor of Gibbs in 2002.[2]
On August 5, 2008, the Rochester, Minnesota school board named a new elementary school the George W. Gibbs Jr. Elementary School.[2][3] The formal dedication was October 11, 2009.[1][2] A scholarship also was named for Gibbs.[1]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Rejcek, Peter. Making history: Gibbs first person of African descent to set foot on Antarctic continent. In The Antarctic Sun. Posted October 1, 2010. United States Antarctic Program web site. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Geens, Stefan. "Double Honors for African-American Antarctic Explorer George W. Gibbs Jr." International Polar Year, 2007-2008 web site Archived 2011-12-02 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Stein, Glenn. "School Named after Black American Antarctic Explorer George W. Gibbs Jr." International Polar Year, 2007-2008 web site Archived 2011-11-28 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j O'Connor, Colleen. Daughter of first black man in Antarctica writing book on his adventure. In The Denver Post, February 6, 2012. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Smith, Adam Christian. Black Past.org "Gibbs Jr., George W. (1916-2000)". Retrieved August 1, 2012.
- ^ Legacy.com obituary for George W. Gibbs Jr. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-4329-4172-7. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
- ^ Smith, Adam Christian says 2,000 applicants; Stein says "hundreds."
- ^ ISBN 1-57859-142-2. Retrieved August 1, 2012. p. 483.
- ^ Dougherty, Mike. George Gibbs' daughter, Leilani Henry, passes along spirit of explorer. In The Post-Bulletin, Rochester MN, April 19, 2012. Retrieved August 1, 2012.