About Everett D. Gibson
EVERETT D. GIBSON was born in Heflin, Louisiana, and is a 1951 cum laude mathematics graduate of Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He is a U.S. Air Force and Korean Veteran, obtaining the rank of captain. He received his M.S. degree from the University of Southern California (USC) and his A.M. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana. His early teaching career began in Bienville and Webster Parishes and concluded at Southern University as Professor Emeritus and football historian. Presently, he is a commissioner and was recently inducted into the Southern University Sports Hall of Fame. He is a recipient of the MLK Drum Major Service and Lifetime Achievements Awards. He is the co-author of one mathematics textbook and several articles in professional journals. He has twice received graduate chapters Omega Psi Phi Man-of-the-Year Awards.
While teaching at Webster High School in Minden, Louisiana, he served as the school's special sports reporter to the Shreveport Journal and Jet Magazine. Dr. Gibson had a short but exemplary military career, receiving a direct commission in meteorology with the rank of second lieutenant, and the rank of captain was obtained through the U.S. Air Force Reserves. He also completed special training in budget and management analysis, finance, and statistics. His teaching career was an exemplary one. Among the many awards he received were (1) 1967 4th District (Bossier, Bienville, Caddo, Claiborne, DeSoto, Red River, and Webster Parishes) of the Louisiana Education Association (LEA) High School Teacher-of-the-Year Award; (2) 1967 Webster Parish Educator of the Year; (3) 1969 Southern University Mathematics Department Teacher-of-the-Year Award (first year); and, (4) 1980 Southern University Teacher of Excellence Award. Several of his students have gone on to receive Ph.D. degrees from schools like MIT, Stanford, and LSU. In 1965-66, Dr. Gibson was a National Science Academic Fellow in mathematics, and in 1972-74 he was a Graduate College Fellow at the University of Illinois. In his quest for excellence in teaching mathematics, he created the Gibson Method of Teaching Mathematics, a student-centered method that aids students-especially disadvantaged students-in learning advanced mathematics.
Dr. Gibson is considered an expert not only on Southern University football, but also on the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), Black College Football, and the Bayou Classic. During the last sixty years, he has been an eyewitness to many of these historic games.
