Oral history interview with Warmoth T. Gibbs by Eugene Pfaff

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In this transcript of May 17, 1977, oral history interview conducted by Eugene Pfaff with Warmoth T. Gibbs, Gibbs primarily discusses the history of North Carolina A&T State University. Specific topics and events include the effects of the Great Depression and World War II on the school, a post-war building boom in 1955, and receiving accreditation in 1959. Gibbs also discusses the sit-ins and demonstrations of the early 1960s, especially his handling of A&T students' participation. The interview also describes the history of and Gibbs' participation in organizations such as the National Association of Collegiate Deans and Registrars in Negro Colleges and the Association of Negro Colleges and Secondary Schools.

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Title: Oral history interview with Warmoth T. Gibbs by Eugene Pfaff
Who's responsible?: Gibbs, Warmoth T. (Interviewee)
Pfaff, Eugene E., Jr., 1948- (Interviewer)
Original creation or publication date: 1977-05-17
Place: Greensboro (N.C.)
Decade: 1970-1979
Type of item: text
Original format: interviews
Subject headings: Greensboro Sit-ins, Greensboro, N.C., 1960
Greensboro (N.C.) -- Race relations
Protest movements -- United States
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
Topics: North Carolina
African-American History
Business
Schools and Colleges
Additional tags: Business desegregation, protests, and marches, 1963
Business desegregation and sit-ins, 1960
NC A&T State University
Copyright information: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
IN COPYRIGHT. This item is subject to copyright. Contact the contributing institution for permission to reuse.
Contributing Institution: Greensboro Public Library
Collection: Greensboro Public Library Oral History Program
Civil Rights Greensboro
Funding source: Digitzation funded by a grant from the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro.
Contributor's identifier: GPL_OH0001.040
Gateway identifier: gpl:7347
Item note: Warmoth Thomas Gibbs was born in Baldwin, Louisiana, on April 5, 1892. He earned the AB degree from Wiley College in Marshall, Texas, and AB and EdM degrees from Harvard University. During World War I, Gibbs served as a second lieutenant in the United States Army, where his unit, the predominantly black 92nd Division Expeditionary Force, saw battle in France in 1917 and 1918 before returning to the states in 1919. In 1926, Gibbs moved to Greensboro to serve as head of the military service unit and dean of men at North Carolina A&T College. In 1928, Dr. Gibbs became the dean of the Department of General Services, now the Department of Arts and Sciences. In 1955, he was appointed acting head of A&T, and Dr. Gibbs was officially inaugurated as president of A&T on November 9, 1956. Under Gibbsâ€™ leadership, the college acquired land to extend the main campus and was admitted to the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. The guidance center became a separate department, a placement office was established, and athletics flourished under reorganized coaching staffs. The most notable event during Gibbsâ€™ tenure, however, was the initiation of the sit-in movement by four A&T freshmen on February 1, 1960. As an increasing number of A&T students began to participate in subsequent sit-ins and civil rights demonstrations, Gibbs was involved in numerous discussions with city and state officials, leaders in the African American community, and representatives from organizations promoting civil rights on the local and nation level. In 1960, Gibbs resigned and was designated President Emeritus. Six years later he authored History of The North Carolina Agricultural and Technical College. Dr. Gibbs died at the age of 101 on April 19, 1993.
OCLC number: 884367956

Oral history interview with Warmoth T. Gibbs by Eugene Pfaff

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