George Sabin Gibbs
Major General, U.S. Army

George Sabin Gibbs was born on 14 December 1875 in Harlan, IA.

A graduate of the University of Iowa with a degree in Engineering, he enlisted with the Iowa Volunteer Infantry and served in the enlisted ranks during the Spanish-American War and the Philippine Insurrection. Afterwards, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and returned to Cuba in 1906 as the Chief Signal Officer during the Cuban Pacification.

Gibbs was the Assistant Chief Signal Officer of the American Expeditionary Forces and was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal. Additionally, he was decorated by England (Order of St. Michael and St. George); France, (Legion of Honor); and Belgium and Italy (both Order of the Crown). He was responsible for the purchase and subsequent lying of 1,806 miles of cable connecting Seattle, WA, to the Alaskan Territory. He established radio stations in St. Michael and Nome, the first stations to handle commercial message traffic in Alaska.

He was promoted as the Army's Chief Signal Officer in January 1928, serving until his retirement from active duty in June 1931.

In Retirement

Gibbs was Vice President of the International Telephone and Telegraph Company; President of the Postal Telegraph Cable Company, and; in 1934, the Director of the Federal Telephone and Radio Corporation.

Death and Burial

Major General George Sabin Gibbs died on 8 January 1947 in Coral Gables, FL. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA.