Ernest Willard Gibson (December 29, 1872June 20, 1940) was an American politician and lawyer from

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

. A

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

, he served in both the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

(1923-1933) and

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

(1933-1940). A native of

Londonderry, Vermont Londonderry is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States. It is bounded on the north by Landgrove and Weston, on the east by Windham, on the south by Jamaica and on the west by Winhall and Landgrove. The population was 1,919 in the 2020 ce ...

, Gibson graduated from

Black River Academy The Black River Academy is a historic school building on High Street in the village of Ludlow, Vermont. Chartered in 1835, the school served as the town high school until 1938. The present building, a Richardsonian Romanesque structure built in ...

(1891) and

Norwich University Norwich University – The Military College of Vermont is a private senior military college in Northfield, Vermont. It is the oldest private and senior military college in the United States and offers bachelor's and master's degrees on-campus ...

(BS, 1894, MA, 1896). From 1894 to 1898, Gibson was principal of the high school in

Chester, Vermont Chester is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 3,005 at the 2020 census. History The town was originally chartered by New Hampshire Governor Benning Wentworth as Flamstead in 1754. The terms of the charter were n ...

. While working as a principal, Gibson studied law with Eleazer L. Waterman and James Loren Martin attended the

University of Michigan Law School The University of Michigan Law School (Michigan Law) is the law school of the University of Michigan, a Public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Founded in 1859, the school offers Master of Laws (LLM), Master of C ...

. He was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1899 and began to practice in

Brattleboro Brattleboro (), originally Brattleborough, is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States. The most populous municipality abutting Vermont's eastern border with New Hampshire, which is the Connecticut River, Brattleboro is located about no ...

. Gibson gained his initial political experience as a Chester Village Trustee (1895 to 1898). While practicing law, he served as Windham County Register of

Probate Probate is the judicial process whereby a will is "proved" in a court of law and accepted as a valid public document that is the true last testament of the deceased, or whereby the estate is settled according to the laws of intestacy in the sta ...

and Deputy Clerk of Vermont's

United States District Court The United States district courts are the trial courts of the United States federal judiciary, U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each United States federal judicial district, federal judicial district, which each cover o ...

. He subsequently won terms in the

Vermont House of Representatives The Vermont House of Representatives is the lower house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The House comprises 150 members, with each member representing around 4,100 citizens. Representatives ar ...

(1906) and

Vermont Senate The Vermont Senate is the upper house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The senate consists of 30 members. Senate districting divides the 30 members into three single-member districts, six two-m ...

(1908). During his State Senate term, Gibson was the body's

President pro tempore A president pro tempore or speaker pro tempore is a constitutionally recognized officer of a legislative body who presides over the chamber in the absence of the normal presiding officer. The phrase ''pro tempore'' is Latin "for the time being". ...

. Gibson served as judge of Brattleboro's Municipal Court from 1906 to 1910. From 1899 to 1908 Gibson served in the

Vermont National Guard The Vermont National Guard is composed of the Vermont Army National Guard and the Vermont Air National Guard. Together, they are collectively known as the Green Mountain Boys. Both units use the original Revolutionary War-era Flag of the Green Mo ...

. Enlisting as a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

, he received his commission as an officer in 1901. From 1906 to 1908 he served on the staff of Governor Fletcher D. Proctor with the rank of

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

. He served again from 1915 to 1923, and took part in the

Pancho Villa Expedition The Pancho Villa Expedition—now known officially in the United States as the Mexican Expedition, but originally referred to as the "Punitive Expedition, U.S. Army"—was a military operation conducted by the United States Army against the p ...

after Joining the 1st Vermont Infantry Regiment as a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, Gibson was commander of

Company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of people, whether Natural person, natural, Legal person, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common p ...

I, 1st Vermont Infantry, which was later federalized as the 57th Pioneer Infantry

Regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

. Gibson remained in the National Guard after the war, and retired as a colonel after he won a seat in the U.S. House. In 1912, Gibson became a leader of the Progressive movement in Vermont, but remained loyal to the Republican Party, which enabled him to serve as a bridge between the two groups. He served as Windham County

State's Attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a loc ...

from 1919 until 1921 and was Secretary of Civil and Military Affairs (chief assistant) at the start of Governor

James Hartness James Hartness (September 3, 1861 – February 2, 1934) was an American inventor, mechanical engineer, entrepreneur, amateur astronomer, and politician who served as the 58th governor of Vermont from 1921 to 1923. Early life and education Hartn ...

's term in 1921. In November 1923, Gibson was elected to the United States House of Representatives from Vermont's 2nd district. he continued to win reelection until 1932, when the 2nd District was eliminated and Vermont became one at-large district, Gibson was elected to represent it. After the 1933 death of Senator Porter H. Dale, Gibson was appointed to fill the vacancy. He was elected in 1934 to complete Dale's term, and in 1938 won election to a full six-year term. Gibson served in the Senate until his death. Gibson was buried at Morningside Cemetery in Brattleboro.

Early life

Ernest W. Gibson was born in

, on December 29, 1872, the son of Saville (Stowell) and William L. Gibson. He attended local schools, and was a graduate of

, where his classmates included

Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; ; July 4, 1872January 5, 1933) was the 30th president of the United States from 1923 to 1929. Born in Vermont, Coolidge was a History of the Republican Party (United States), Republican lawyer ...

. He graduated from

with a

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...

degree in 1894, and was a member of the

Theta Chi Theta Chi () is an international college fraternity. It was founded on April 10, 1856 at Norwich University then-located in Norwich, Vermont, and has initiated more than 200,000 members and currently has over 8,700 collegiate members across Nort ...

fraternity. He received his

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

degree from Norwich in 1896. He studied law with Eleazer L. Waterman and James Loren Martin, attended the

, and was

in 1899.

Early career

Gibson was a high school principal in

Chester Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...

from 1894 until 1898. He served as a Chester Village Trustee from 1895 to 1898. He was a trustee of

from 1899 to 1909 and again from 1919 to 1935, and served as vice president of the board of trustees. Gibson received an honorary

LL.D. Legum Doctor (Latin: “teacher of the laws”) (LL.D.) or, in English, Doctor of Laws, is a doctorate-level academic degree in law or an honorary degree, depending on the jurisdiction. The double “L” in the abbreviation refers to the early ...

from Norwich in 1926. A

, after becoming an attorney he practiced in

, where he also served as the Windham County Register of

and Deputy Clerk of Vermont's

. From 1904 to 1911 he was a lecturer on constitutional law at Norwich University. In 1906 he was elected to the

. In 1908 he was elected to the

Vermont State Senate The Vermont Senate is the upper house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The senate consists of 30 members. Senate districting divides the 30 members into three single-member districts, six two-m ...

, and served as

. From 1906 to 1910 Gibson served as Brattleboro's Municipal Court

Judge A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...

. In 1910 he ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for

lieutenant governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

. Gibson became a leader of the Progressive movement in Vermont, which ultimately led to creation of a recognized faction within the

Vermont Republican Party The Vermont Republican Party is the affiliate of the Republican Party in Vermont and has been active since its foundation in the 1860s. The party is the second largest in the state behind the Vermont Democratic Party, but ahead of the Vermont ...

, the Aiken-Gibson Wing. The Aiken-Gibson Wing was more liberal than the party establishment, which had been led for years by conservative business interests including the Smith family of

St. Albans St Albans () is a cathedral city in Hertfordshire, England, east of Hemel Hempstead and west of Hatfield, north-west of London, south-west of Welwyn Garden City and south-east of Luton. St Albans was the first major town on the old Roman r ...

, the Fairbanks family of St. Johnsbury, and the Proctor family of

Proctor Proctor (a variant of ''procurator'') is a person who takes charge of, or acts for, another. The title is used in England and some other English-speaking countries in three principal contexts: * In law, a proctor is a historical class of lawye ...

. Despite his Progressive views, Gibson remained loyal to the Republicans and worked to keep Vermonters with similar views in the party. To that end, in 1912 he was a delegate to the

Republican National Convention The Republican National Convention (RNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1856 by the United States Republican Party. They are administered by the Republican National Committee. The goal of the Repu ...

. Gibson served as Windham County

from 1919 until 1921, and was Secretary of Civil and Military Affairs (chief assistant) to Governor

in 1921.

Military service

From 1899 to 1908 Gibson served in the

. Enlisting as a

, he was commissioned in 1901. From 1906 to 1908 he served on the staff of Governor Fletcher D. Proctor as a

. He served again from 1915 to 1923. Joining the 1st Vermont Infantry Regiment as a

, he served in the

in 1915 and 1916. Gibson also served in

. As captain and commander of

I, 1st Vermont Infantry (later federalized as the 57th Pioneer Infantry

), Gibson served at Camp Bartlett,

Camp Greene Camp Greene was a United States Army facility in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States during the early 20th century. In 1917, both the 3rd Infantry Division and the 4th Infantry Divisions were first organized and assembled at this camp. His ...

, and

Camp Wadsworth Camp Wadsworth was a World War I-era training facility for the United States Army. Located near Spartanburg, South Carolina, the post was in operation from its opening in July 1917 until it was inactivated in March 1919, following the Armistice ...

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

before departing for

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

in September, 1918. The 57th Pioneer Infantry provided replacement troops for the 83rd Division, with Gibson and a handful of soldiers left to reorganize the regiment and prepare it for a scheduled for deployment to the front lines. The

Armistice An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from the La ...

occurred before the unit moved, and Gibson returned to the United States. At the end of the war he was stationed at

Camp Devens Fort Devens is a United States Army Reserve military installation in the towns of Ayer and Shirley, in Middlesex County and Harvard in Worcester County in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. Due to extensive environmental contamination it was l ...

, where he received his discharge in March, 1919. Gibson remained in the National Guard, and retired as a colonel upon winning election to Congress.

United States Representative

In November 1923, Gibson was elected to the United States House of Representatives (

Sixty-eighth United States Congress The 68th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1923, ...

), filling the vacancy caused when Porter H. Dale resigned Vermont's 2nd district seat to become a United States Senator. He was reelected to the Sixty-ninth, and the four succeeding Congresses, serving from November 6, 1923, until his resignation on October 19, 1933. Vermont lost a House district as a result of the 1930 census, and in 1932 Gibson was elected as Vermont's at-large Congressman, defeating

Loren R. Pierce Loren R. Pierce (December 26, 1878 – June 24, 1961) was a Vermont attorney and politician who had a long career in the Vermont General Assembly. In addition to serving multiple terms in the Vermont House of Representatives and Vermont Senat ...

in the primary, and going on to win the general election. Governor

John E. Weeks John Eliakim Weeks (June 14, 1853 – September 10, 1949) was an American politician from Vermont. He served as the List of Governors of Vermont, 61st governor of Vermont from 1927 to 1931. Early life Weeks was born in Salisbury, Vermont, on Jun ...

had run for the 1st district seat in 1930, and indicated that if elected it would be the capstone of his career and he would not run in 1932, thus avoiding the possibility that two incumbents would run against each other for the at-large seat. During his House tenure, Gibson was chairman of the Committee on Expenditures in the Department of the Treasury (Sixty-ninth Congress) and the Committee on Territories (Seventy-first Congress).

United States Senate

In November 1933, Gibson was appointed to the United States Senate, filling the vacancy created by the death of Porter H. Dale. He was elected in 1934 to complete Dale's term, and elected to a full term in 1938. Gibson served in the Senate from November 21, 1933, until his death on June 20, 1940. He died in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, and was interred at Morningside Cemetery in Brattleboro.

Family

Gibson married Grace Fullerton Hadley on November 25, 1896. They had four children, Frank Hadley Gibson (1899–1922), Ernest William Gibson Jr. (1901–1969), Doris Gibson (1903–1947) and Preston Fullerton Gibson (1908–1955). Preston F. Gibson was a lawyer who was active in Republican politics and served as judge of Brattleboro's municipal court. Ernest W. Gibson Jr. succeeded his father temporarily in the Senate and later served as

Governor of Vermont The governor of Vermont is the head of government of Vermont. The officeholder is elected in even-numbered years by direct voting for a term of 2 years. Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold gubernatorial elections every ...

and

of the

United States District Court for the District of Vermont The United States District Court for the District of Vermont (in case citations, D. Vt.) is the federal district court whose jurisdiction is the federal district of Vermont. The court has locations in Brattleboro, Burlington, and Rutland. The ...

. The younger Ernest Gibson's children included Ernest W. Gibson III, an associate justice of the

Vermont Supreme Court The Vermont Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority of the U.S. state of Vermont. Unlike most other states, the Vermont Supreme Court hears appeals directly from the trial courts, as Vermont has no intermediate appeals court. The Court ...

References

External links

Biographical Directory of the United States Congress: GIBSON, Ernest Willard, (1872 - 1940)

Govtrack.us: Sen. Ernest Gibson
* * (Gibson gave the dedicatory address; he can be seen at the 49 second mark seated third from the left in the foreground.) {{DEFAULTSORT:Gibson, Ernest W. 1872 births 1940 deaths People from Londonderry, Vermont American people of English descent Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Vermont Republican Party United States senators from Vermont Republican Party members of the Vermont House of Representatives Republican Party Vermont state senators Presidents pro tempore of the Vermont Senate Vermont state court judges State's attorneys in Vermont Vermont lawyers Norwich University alumni University of Michigan Law School alumni National Guard (United States) officers United States Army officers Military personnel from Vermont Vermont National Guard personnel United States Army personnel of World War I Burials in Vermont