George Sabin Gibbs

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Chief Signal Officer, U.S. Army

George Sabin Gibbs
Portrait of George S. Gibbs, Major General, U.S. Army.jpg
Born(1875-12-14)December 14, 1875
Harlan, Iowa
DiedJanuary 7, 1947(1947-01-07) (aged 71)
Coral Gables, Florida
Buried
Arlington National Cemetery
AllegianceUnited States United States
Service/branchUnited States Army seal United States Army
RankUS-O8 insignia.svg Major General
Service number0-746
Commands heldU.S. Signal Corps
Battles/warsSpanish–American War
Philippine Insurrection
World War I
AwardsDistinguished Service Medal
Legion of Honour
Order of St Michael and St George
Order of the Crown (Belgium)
Order of the Crown of Italy
Spouse(s)Ruth Hobby[1]
Children5[1]

George Sabin Gibbs (December 14, 1875 – January 7, 1947) was a United States Army officer. After serving as a brigadier general during World War I, he was promoted to major general and served as Chief Signal Officer for the Signal Corps.

Early life[]

Gibbs was born in Harlan, Iowa, in 1875. He graduated from Harlan High School in 1892, from the State University of Iowa in 1897, and by 1901 had earned a master's degree in engineering.[1]

Early military career[]

In 1898, Gibbs enlisted in the Iowa Volunteer Infantry as a private. During the Spanish–American War and Philippine Insurrection, Gibbs served in the volunteer forces, mainly on Signal Corps duty, in ranks from private to first lieutenant. While a sergeant, Gibbs was cited for gallantry in action against the Spanish forces at Manila.[1]

After being commissioned a first lieutenant in the Signal Corps, Regular Army, Gibbs' various duties included numerous surveys and construction of telegraph lines in Alaska[2] and as chief Army signal officer of the Cuban Pacification.[3]

Later military career[]

During World War I, Gibbs was the assistant Chief Signal Officer of the American Expeditionary Forces.[1][3] He was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for his participation in the Aisne-Marne and Meuse-Argonne offenses. He also received several foreign awards,[1] including the Legion of Honour, Order of St Michael and St George, Order of the Crown of Belgium, and the Order of the Crown of Italy.[3]

His post World War I assignments included duty on the War Department General Staff and Executive Officer to the Assistant Secretary of War. In 1924, he supervised the completion of the new Washington–Alaska cable.[3]

Promoted to Major General, Gibbs became Chief Signal Officer on January 19, 1928.[4] He held this position until his retirement on June 30, 1931.[1]

Civilian career[]

After retirement, Gibbs was Vice President of the International Telephone and Telegraph Company[5] and in October 1931 President of the .[6] Later, in 1934, he served as Vice Chairman of the board and a director of the Federal Telephone and Radio Corporation.[3]

Death and legacy[]

Gibbs died on January 7, 1947 at Coral Gables, Florida. He was buried with full military honors in Section 3 of Arlington National Cemetery.[1] His son David Parker Gibbs was a career army officer who attained the rank of major general and also served as head of the signal corps.[1]

Gibbs' papers are at the Library of Congress.[7]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i Davis, Jr., Henry Blaine (1998). Generals in Khaki. Pentland Press, Inc. pp. 142–143. ISBN 1571970886. OCLC 40298151.
  2. ^ Gibbs, George S (February 1906). "Transportation Methods in Alaska". National Geographic. XVII (2).
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Marquis Who's Who 1975, p. 200.
  4. ^ "Former "Buck Private" Wins His Star". Oelwin Daily Register. March 20, 1928.
  5. ^ "Business: Personnel: Jul. 13, 1931". Time Magazine. July 13, 1931. Archived from the original on December 15, 2008.
  6. ^ "Business: Personnel: Oct. 26, 1931". Time Magazine. October 26, 1931. Archived from the original on January 6, 2008.
  7. ^ Kerwin, Patrick. "George Sabin Gibbs Papers" (PDF).

Bibliography[]

External links[]

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