More about Addison Gibson
(Excerpted from an article written by W.A. White in 1962, which appeared in "The Pittsburgh Press")

"(Mr. Gibson) was born in 1861 at Elderton, Armstrong County, just after "oil fever" had gripped virtually all of Western Pennsylvania because of Drake's strike at Titusville.

The nation was in the Civil War then and though the search for oil was somewhat curtailed because of the war, the Gibson boy grew up in the excitement of the oil fields. He worked in his father's store and while still in his youth started "scouting" leases, which was his beginning in the oil business.

In this way he became acquainted with J.N. Pew, who later employed him. Still later he was associated with Mr. Pew when the Sun Oil Company was organized.

Starting out on his own, he soon went broke in Illinois and drifted into Mexico, where he and his partners -- on borrowed money -- brought in a record well near Tampico on which they reportedly made a million dollars. Later he became head of a number of oil companies in Oklahoma and Texas.

A widower with only a few relatives at his death in 1936 -- his wife had died 20 years before -- Mr. Gibson's residence for a number of years was in Pittsburgh at the home of Attorney Earl F. Reed, a personal friend and legal counsellor.

Mr. Gibson knew that Attorney Reed had been able to complete his law course only because a friend loaned him money when he was at the point of being forced to drop out of college. This is believed to have prompted Mr. Gibson to set up a fund to help others in similar circumstances.

In his will Mr. Gibson stipulated that the income from one-half the fund go toward medical assistance to those in need, the other half to college student loans. He emphasized that he preferred helping individuals over institutions."

Mr. Gibson died in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on April 18, 1936.

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