IL HR0615

Illinois House of Representatives memorial resolution honoring the life of Ernest Earl Gibson, Ph.D., born August 16, 1928 in Dania, Florida, who served in the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict

Operated the A.G. Gaston Motel and Restaurant in Birmingham, Alabama beginning in 1963, which served as a Green Book location and headquarters for the Birmingham civil rights crusade, hosting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rev. Andrew Young, Rev. Ralph Abernathy, and other leaders planning demonstrations including the March on Washington

Served as the first Black administrator at College of DuPage starting in 1966, retiring after 30 years as Executive Director of Auxiliary and Business Services and adjunct professor; previously instrumental in hosting Dr. King for a rally in Joliet in June 1965

Held leadership positions including first president of Alpha Phi Alpha's Mu Mu Lambda Graduate Chapter in DuPage County (1976), president of the DuPage County NAACP, and served as a governor appointee on the committee to make Dr. King's birthday a federal holiday

Survived by daughters Stephanie Gibson Branton and Dorothy Gibson Capers, six grandchildren, and extended family