Byron E. Gibson

Byron Gibson was inducted into the inaugural College of Applied Human Sciences Hall of Fame in 2025. He was previously inducted into the College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences Hall of Fame in 1989.

A native of Clarksburg, W.Va., Gibson was a multi-sport athlete and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Salem College. He was named to the West Virginia All-Conference Basketball Team in 1955 and 1956 and won the West Virginia Collegiate Tennis Championship in 1956. Following graduation, he served as a recreation instructor and coach at Salem College.

After entering the U.S. Army in 1957, Gibson played for and coached all-star athletic teams, including the U.S. Armed Forces Basketball Team, which won first place at the international games in Brussels, Belgium, in 1959. He was named to the U.S. Army Europe coaching clinic staff in Nuremberg, Germany, in 1958. Upon completing his active duty, Gibson enrolled at West Virginia University, where he earned a Master of Science degree in physical education in 1960. During his time at WVU, he served as assistant director of intramurals.

Gibson spent much of his career as a civil servant with the U.S. military, holding assignments at West Point, Belgium, San Francisco, Germany, and Virginia. In 1963, he received a direct commission as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve. In 1988, he became Deputy Director of Community and Family Activities at Fort Monroe, Virginia, where he oversaw morale, welfare, and recreation operations across 17 Army training installations. He retired in 1993 after more than 35 years of distinguished military and civilian service.

His accomplishments as an athlete and coach continued to earn recognition after his playing days. He was named to the WVIAC All-Time Basketball Team in 1974 and inducted into the Salem College Hall of Fame in 1987. In 1986, Gibson received the Distinguished Fellow Award from the National Recreation and Park Association—the highest honor presented by the Armed Forces Recreation Society. His additional honors include selection to the 1966 edition of Outstanding Young Men of America and a 1968 citation from the Vice President of the United States for his contributions to the President’s Youth Opportunity Program.

Gibson passed away on February 5, 2014. He was survived by his wife, Jane, and their two children, Teri and Mark.