Paul Gibson Jr., Trustee Emeritus, Dies At Age 86
Paul Gibson Jr., New York City’s first black deputy mayor and a longtime Niagara University trustee, died Friday, July 11, after a long illness. He was 86.
Gibson commenced his tenure as an NU trustee in 1973 while serving as vice president of American Airlines, one of the highest positions an African-American had achieved at any airline.
In 1974, Gibson was appointed as the first black deputy mayor of New York by Mayor Abe Beame. Gibson held the position until 1977, when he resigned to resume his career as a senior executive with American Airlines. He worked for American Airlines for seven more years, and then began a 20-year affiliation with Davidoff Malito and Hutcher, a law and lobbying firm.
Gibson brought vast experience to his 20 years of service toNU’s Board of Trustees. But more than that, he served as an example of a person committed to the Vincentian ideal of service to others.