[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 20]
[Senate]
[Page 29741]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO ROBERT GIBSON

 Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, today I rise to pay tribute to an 
extraordinary Vermonter, a gifted parliamentarian, and a true friend, 
Robert Gibson. Bob Gibson served the Vermont Legislature for over 35 
years, first as Assistant Secretary of the Senate, and then as 
Secretary of the Senate. In these positions, he provided invaluable 
advice and counsel to every Senator who has served Vermont, from 1963, 
until his death in October.
  Bob Gibson was born in Brattleboro in 1931, into one of Vermont's 
most distinguished families, a family dedicated to serving the public 
good. Bob's grandfather, Ernest Gibson, was president of the state 
Senate in 1908, a U.S. Congressman and a U.S. Senator. His father, 
Ernest Gibson, Jr., was an appointed U.S. Senator, Governor of Vermont, 
a U.S. District Court judge, a decorated war hero and a close friend of 
my father. And both of Bob's brothers are exceptional citizens and 
public servants. His brother, Ernest III, is a former Vermont Supreme 
Court Justice and his other brother, David, is a former state's 
attorney for Windham County.
  Both Bob Gibson and his father helped me immeasurably in my early 
years as a lawyer and a legislator. I clerked for Bob's father after 
law school, and was impressed by his vast knowledge of and respect for 
our laws, and his dedication to making Vermont a better place. And when 
I was elected to my first public office in 1967, as a Senator from 
Rutland County, it was Bob who steered me through the legislative 
process and set a standard of bipartisanship that has guided me 
throughout my career.
  With a rare sense of fairness and a vast knowledge of the Vermont 
Legislature, Bob extended the same helping hand to every Senator that 
served in the Chamber during his tenure. Current Vermont State Senator 
from Caledonia County, Robert Ide, recently stated, ``Bob Gibson's 
reputation for fairness and honesty was above reproach from any member 
of the Senate. His guidance and respect from the leadership of both 
parties was unparalleled in the Vermont statehouse. He was a true 
friend and mentor for everyone who served in his classroom, and he will 
be sorely missed.''
  Bob Gibson was a positive force in the Senate, who kept lawmakers 
moving forward in an orderly fashion. He was a positive force in his 
native Brattleboro, serving the community in a variety of ways before 
moving to Montpelier and becoming Assistant Secretary. He was a 
positive force in his family, dedicated to his wife, daughters, parents 
and brothers. And he was a positive force to all those who had the 
privilege of calling him a friend.
  I pay tribute today to a man who paid tribute every day, to the 
values that Vermont holds dear--hard work, honesty and fairness. We 
have lost a Vermont institution, but Bob Gibson's legacy lives on in 
the laws he helped to enact and the lives that he touched.

                          ____________________