Evening star., 1940-06-20
EVENING WASHINGTON G, THURSDAY,

Dy nedn DISedSe
Vermont Republican
Long an Advocate
Of D. c. Suffrage
Senator Ernest Willard Gibson Of
Vermont died this morning at Doc
tors Hospital, at the age Of ST.
Stricken . week ago with . heart
attack, the veteran Republican legis-
lator later developed pneumonia,
and had been sinking several days.
The nag at the, Capitol imme-
d1ately was half H-staffed.
Senator Gibson was the second
member Of the Senate to die this
year. Senator Borah Of Idaho died
in January.
Funeral to Be Saturday.
Members of the Gibson family
said the Senator's body would be
sent this afternoon to Brattleboro,
Vt. his home and that funeral serv-
ices would be conducted Saturday
at 5 pm. In st. Michael's Episcopal
Church. Senate and House mem-
bers will leave tomorrow to attend
the rites.
Ernest Willard Gibson came to the
Capital nearly II years ago in the
kty-eighth Congress, and for a long
time took an active part In local
Affairs as a member Of the House
District Committee service that
eventually convinced him the Dis
trict should have national represen-
tation that its interests might be
properly cared for.
Reporting n an investigation into
police affairs in 1890, he told the
District Committee from which he
had recently resigned:
AT one time, was opposed to
giving the District q representative
IN Congress, but have rather
changed my mind as a direct result
OF the need I found for someone to
listen to the appeals Of the residents
OF Washington. While was on the
committee, people were coming to me
at al times, and I just had to get
on Of the committee or suffer nv
health to be ruined. I believe it
would be . good idea to give the city
q Representative in Congress who
could devote his time to the city,s
affairs"
Affected RefoRma
The police inquiry was part of q
general municipal study conducted
by q House group that came to be
known Is the Gibson Subcommit-
tee. Summarizing the activities
OF the probers, Mr.. Gibson told his
associates in retiring that the COM
mtttee had forced the resignation
Of two District Commissioners and
trafhc director and had pointed
the way to savings Of 81 ,000, 600 In
municipal administrative costs.
A veteran of the World War, Sen
ator Gibson was q native of Lon
donderry. vt. The son of William
L. and Saville Stowell Gibson, he
was educated in the common schools
and Norwich University and started
his public career as deputy clerk OF
the United States courts.
He served In both Houses Of the
Vermont Legislature and was presd-
dent pro tenn. Of the State Senate.
He also was a municipal judge and
United States district attorney.
Daughter Survives.
Long identified with the National
Guard, Senator Gibson had retired
with the rank of colonel in 1908, but
re-entered service in 1915 as a cap
tain; was on the Mexican border
with his outfit, and then overseas
From 1921 to 1923 he was colonel OF
the It'd Infantry.
In the House from 1923 to 1888
Mr.. Gibson was appointed to the
Senate in November Of the latter
year when Senator Porter H. Dale
died; was later elected for the un-
expired term, and reelected in 1898
Although Senator Gibson had
served al his years in Congress q
. Republican, he liked to relate to
friends that he was once read out
Of the party" IN Vermont because
Of his vote to override President
Coohdgeis veto Of the soldier bonus
In 1912 he left the old line Re-
publican organization temporarily to
join Theodore Roosevelt's Bull
Moose" party.
Senator Gibson was . member of
the Naval Committee, one Of the
key legislative groups at work on
national defense legislation. He was
also on Civil Service, Commerce,
Library and Territories Committees.
Senator Gibson was q widower.
He is survived by q daughter, Miss
Doris Gibson, and two sons, Ernest
w. Gibson, jr., secretary Of the
Vermont State Senate, and Preston
F. Gibson, . municipal judge.