Gibson was born in Grant City, Missouri, on November 28, 1888.[1] He was the son of William Jesse and Mollie (Huntsman) Gibson. He attended the University of Missouri, graduating in 1912 with an A.B. and in 1914 with a LL.B.[2][3][4] During college, he served as the secretary to the school's athletic director, Chester Brewer.[5]
In 1922, Gibson moved to Los Angeles, establishing a practice, teaching at Southwestern Law School, and becoming active in Democratic politics. He served as a campaign advisor to Culbert Olson in 1938, and in December of that year the governor rewarded him with the position of Director of Finance.[12][13] Then, in August 1939, Olson appointed Gibson as an associate justice to the Supreme Court of California to fill the vacant seat of William Langdon.[14][15] Among Gibson's notable cases as an associate justice was his dissent from a contempt citation for commenting on judicial proceedings. On January 31, 1940, in a 5-2 decision by Jesse W. Curtis Sr., the court upheld the contempt ruling against the Los Angeles Times, rejecting the argument that it had a First Amendment right to criticize the court.[16] Gibson dissented, joined by Douglas L. Edmonds.[17] Upon appeal, in a 5-4 opinion by Justice Hugo Black, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed in Bridges v. California.[18]
In June 1940, Chief Justice William H. Waste died in office, and Governor Olson appointed Gibson to the position.[19][20] Gibson served as chief justice from June 19, 1940, to August 30, 1964, the second longest term in that office, behind only William H. Beatty who served 25 years.[4] At the time of Gibson's appointment, he was the second youngest Chief Justice in the court's history.[21] In November 1940, Gibson ran successfully for re-election to a full 12-year term.[22][23] Again in November 1952, he was re-elected for another 12 years.
When Gibson retired on August 31, 1964, Governor Pat Brown elevated Roger J. Traynor from Associate Justice to the position of Chief Justice, and Stanley Mosk filled the empty seat as associate justice.[27]
Gibson's lengthy tenure was notable for his efforts to modernize the administration of the courts, to set up a mechanism to remove unfit judges, and to supply the Supreme Court with a staff of research attorneys.[28][29] Gibson's court was highly respected nationally, both for Gibson's opinions and for those of Traynor.[30][31][32]
On June 3, 1922, Gibson married Jessie Lee Parkhurst in Chicago, Illinois.[36] After her death on September 8, 1951, he remarried to Victoria Gibson.[37][1] Phil Gibson's son, Blaine, shares his name with Gibson's younger brother, and is a self-professed adventurer and explorer who has discovered much of the debris from Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.[38][5][39][40]
Referencesedit
^ ab"In Memoriam, 37 Cal. Rpts. 3rd 955" (PDF). California Supreme Court Historical Society. 1986. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
^"Campus Notes". University Missourian. Library of Congress Historic Newspapers. November 11, 1915. p. 5. Retrieved August 25, 2017. Gibson was graduated from the School of Law in 1914.
^ ab"City and Campus". University Missourian. Library of Congress Historic Newspapers. May 24, 1916. p. 6. Retrieved August 24, 2017. Phil S. Gibson, LL.B. '14, prosecuting attorney of Worth County
^ abJohnson, J. Edward (1966). History of Supreme Court, Vol 2, Justices, 1900-1950(PDF). San Francisco, CA: Bancroft-Whitney Co. pp. 170–180. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 25, 2017. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
^ ab"Blaine Gibson to Edit Paper". The Daily Missourian. Library of Congress Historic Newspapers. December 12, 1916. p. 5. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
^"Phil S. Gibson". Mexico Missouri Message. Library of Congress Historic Newspapers. June 18, 1914. p. 5. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
^"M.U. Alumnus Prosecutor". University Missourian. Library of Congress Historic Newspapers. November 5, 1914. p. 3. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
^"National Guard, Miscellaneous". The Sun. Library of Congress Historic Newspaper. April 19, 1918. p. 9. Retrieved August 25, 2017. Following appointments to grade of Second Lieutenant announced:...Phil S. Gibson
^"Sport, Lieutenant Phil S. Gibson". The Evening Missourian. Library of Congress Historic Newspapers. December 17, 1918. p. 4. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
^"M.U. Meeting in Liverpool". The Evening Missourian. Library of Congress Historic Newspapers. April 3, 1919. p. 2. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
^Douglas, William O. (1965). "Phil S. Gibson". Law Transition Q. 2: 129. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
^"Olson Toying With Gibson Appointment". San Bernardino Sun. No. 45. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 13 December 1938. p. 1. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
^"Phil S. Gibson, Beverly Hills Attorney, Awarded $10,000 Key State Post". San Bernardino Sun. No. 45. California Digital Newspaper Collection. Associated Press. 29 December 1938. p. 2. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
^"Late News Bulletins, Named Justice". Madera Tribune. No. 91. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 16 August 1939. p. 1. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
^"Gibson Chosen Landon Place". Madera Tribune. No. 91. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 16 August 1939. p. 1. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
^Keck, Thomas M. (2018). "The Judicial Protection of Anti-Judicial Speech". American University International Law Review. 33 (4): 693–769. SSRN 2783491.
^"Backs Press". Madera Tribune. No. 86. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 13 February 1940. p. 3. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
^"Bridges v. California, 314 US 252 (1941)". Oyez. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
^"Final Tribute is Paid Waste". Madera Tribune. No. 33. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 8 June 1940. p. 33. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
^Dunlap, Jack (20 June 1940). "Politically Speaking". Healdsburg Tribune, Enterprise and Scimitar. No. 75. California Digital Newspaper Collection. United Press International. p. 6. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
^"New Chief Justice Takes Oath". Madera Tribune. No. 46. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 20 June 1940. p. 2. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
^"Favor Gibson Re-Election". Palos Verdes Peninsula News. No. 2. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 1 November 1940. p. 3. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
^"Record Vote Held Likely on President". San Bernardino Sun. No. 46. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 5 November 1940. p. 5. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
^Sei Fujii v. California, 242 P.2d 617 (Cal. 1952)
^"State's Alien Land Law Pronounced Unconstitutional". Madera Tribune. No. 66. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 18 April 1952. p. 2. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
^"No Attempt Set To 'Reanimate' Alien Land Law". Madera Tribune. No. 86. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 12 May 1952. p. 2. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
^"Brown May Tap Mosk For Court". Madera Tribune. No. 64. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 11 August 1964. p. 2. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
^"Justice Asks For Reforms". Madera Tribune. No. 157. California Digital Newspaper Collection. United Press. 15 November 1956. p. 1. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
^"Gibson Says Improve Courts By Raising Judges' Standards". Madera Tribune. No. 46. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 16 July 1958. p. 8. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
^The Yale Biographical Dictionary of American Law, Roger K. Newman, ed., 2009, pp. 219-220. ISBN 9780300113006
^Blum, Bill (January 1991). "Toward a Radical Middle, Has a Great Court Become Mediocre?". ABA Journal: 52. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
^"Editorial: Phil Gibson's Efforts Forged Modern, Efficient Court System". San Bernardino Sun. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 1 May 1984. p. 12. Retrieved October 3, 2017.
^"Phil Gibson Dies; Ex-Coast Justice". New York Times. Associated Press. April 29, 1984. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
^"Gibson Considered". San Bernardino Sun. No. 52. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 12 May 1946. p. 1. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
^"Honorary Degrees, 1869-2017". University of Missouri Archives. Retrieved August 27, 2017. Entry for 1955, Gibson, Phil Sheridan, Doctor of Laws, UMC conferred 1955.
^"Justice's Wife Dies". San Bernardino Sun. Vol. 5, no. 22. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 9 September 1951. p. 7. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
^"Lawyers' Wives Attending Luncheon During Convention". San Bernardino Sun. No. 63. San Bernardino Sun. 21 September 1956. p. 41. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
^Le, Phuong (March 4, 2016). "Adventurer who found plane part drawn to mysteries". Business Insider. Associated Press. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
^Perry, Juliet (June 21, 2016). "MH370 debris hunter Blaine Gibson: 'We have to solve this mystery'". Retrieved February 18, 2021.
^Langewiesche, William (June 17, 2019). "What Really Happened to Malaysia's Missing Airplane". Retrieved February 18, 2021.
Further readingedit
Shain, I.J. Cy (1984). "Phil S. Gibson Remembered". Cal. L. Rev. 72 (4): 510–513. doi:10.15779/Z38316X. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
Burke, Louis H. (1984). "Chief Justice Phil S. Gibson". Cal. L. Rev. 72 (4): 496–498. doi:10.15779/Z38M15P. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
Douglas, William O. (1965). "Phil S. Gibson". Law Transition Q. 2: 129. Retrieved August 27, 2017. Hein paid subscription. Address at a dinner in honor of Phil Gibson by ACLU in Los Angeles.
External linksedit
Phil S. Gibson. California Supreme Court Historical Society.
Phil S. Gibson profile. Robert Crown Library, Stanford Law School.
Opinions authored by Phil S. Gibson. Courtlistener.com
Past & Present Justices. California State Courts. Retrieved July 19, 2017.