Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 04.djvu/298

 GIBBS

GIBSON

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at Delaware college, Newark, Del., 1848; profes- sor of chemistry and physics at the New York free academy (afterward the College of the city of New York) 1849-63; Riunford professor and lecturer on the application of" science to the use- ful arts. Harvard university, 18(i3-87, and was made professor emer- itus in 1887. He was a member of the ex- ecutive committee of the U.S. sanitary commission in New Y'ork during the civil war, and a foimder of the Union League club that grew out of that organization in 1863. He was a U.S. commissioner to the Vienna exposition of 1873. He was elected an lionorary mem- ber of the American chemical society, of the German chemical society, of the London chemi- cal society and of the Royal academy of sciences of Berlin. He was a charter member of the Na- tional academy of sciences, and served as its for- eign secretary and vice-president, and later as its president. He was elected vice-president of the American association for the advancement of science in 1866, and president in 1896. He re- ceived the honorary degree of LL.D. from Columbia in 1873 and from Harvard in 1888. His contributions to the American Jimrnal of Science, the American Chemical Jonrnal a,T\d the Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in- clude papers on various subjects, both in chemis- try and physics.

GIBBS, William Channing, governor of Rhode I.sland, was born in Newport, R.I., Feb. 10, 1789; son of George and Mary (Channing) Gibbs, and younger brother of George Gibbs, mineralogist (1776-1833). He represented Newport in the gen- eral assembly of Rhode Island, 1816-20, and was governor of the state, 1821-24. He also served in the militia of the state and rose to the rank of major-general. He was married in 1823 to Maiy, daughter of Elias Kane of Albany, N.Y., and died in Newport, R.I., Feb. 21, 1871.

QIBNEV, Virgil Pendleton, surgeon, was born in Jessamine comity, Ky.. Sept. 29, 1847; son of Robert A. and Amanda (Weagley) Gibney. He was graduated from Kentucky university, Lex- ington, A.B., 1833, A.M., 1872, and received his JI.D. degree from the Belle vue Hospital medical college. New York citj', in 1871. He was con- nected with the Hospital for ruptured and crip- pled. New York city, as resident junior assistant for a few months of 1871; as house surgeon, 1871-

83; as assistant surgeon from January to May, 1884, and as surgeon-in-chief from 1887. He was one of the founders of the New York polyclinic in 1882 and occupied its chair of orthopedic sur- gery, 1882-95, resigning to accept the tirst chair of orthopedic surgery in the medical depaitment of Columbia university (College of physicians and surgeons, N.Y.) He became consulting or- thopedic surgeon to the Nursery and Child's hos- pital. New York city, in 1884; was president of the New York orthopedic society, 1S8.5, and first president of the American orthopedic associa- tion, 1887. In 1876 he was elected a fellow of the New York academy of medicine and was chair- man of the orthopedic section in 1886. He was made a member of several other medical societies, local and national. He published Tlte Hip and its Diseases (1883); besides many contributions to medical periodicals.

GIBSON, Charles Bell, surgeon, was born in Baltimore, Md., Nov. 12. 181.5; son of William and Sarah Charlotte (Holliugsworth) Gibson, and grandson of John Gibson of Rose Hill, Md. He was graduated M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1835, and spent the years 1835-37 in the hospitals in Paris, France, returning home Jan. 2, 1838, to be married to Ellen, daughter of Manuel Eyre of Philadelphia. He held the chair of surgery in the Washington medical college, Baltimore, Md., 1843^6, and a similar chair in the Medical college of Virginia, Richmond, 1846- 65. At the opening of the civil war he was ap- pointed surgeon general of the army of Virginia, and to the close of the struggle was the chief con- sulting surgeon and ojjerator in Richmond. His labor during the war was heroic and induced a weakness of the heart which forced him at times to sit before the table with an assistant on eitlier side supporting his arms while he with his hands performed the operation. He contributed to med- ical periodicals and published several pamphlets which were widely circulated, notably State- ment of Facts in a Case of Dislocation of the Femur ( 18.55). He died in Richmond, Va., April 23, 1865.

GIBSON, Charles Dana, artist, was born m Roxbury, Mass., Sept. 14, 18G7; son of Charles DeWolf and Josephine Elizabeth (Lovett) Gib- son; grandson of Charles Dana and Abbey (DeWolf) Gibson, and of Charles Warley and Jo.sephine (De Wolf) Lovett, and a lineal descend- ant of Isaac Gibson, who settled in Plymouth in 1630, and of Gov. William Bradford. Charles re- moved with his parents to Flushing, L.I., in his early youth and was educated at the Flushing high school. He studied drawing at the Art Students' league, 1884-85, and began illustrating for the periodicals in 1886, giving his attention chiefly to pen-and ink dra%vings. His diawings represent the bright and beautiful side of life.