John Timberlake Gibson papers
Collection
0089-MDHC
John T. Gibson was a writer, founder of Modern Design Incorporated, and owner and breeder of race horses. His papers consist primarily of financial, licensing, and registration records relating to Gibson's career as horse breeder and owner. The collection also include some magazine articles and manuscripts from Gibson's days as a freelance writer.
This collection is open for research.
Photocopies of original materials may be provided for a fee and at the discretion of the curator. Please see our Duplication of Materials policy for more information. Queries regarding publication rights and copyright status of materials within this collection should be directed to the appropriate curator.
2.00 Linear Feet
John T. Gibson was a writer, founder of Modern Design Incorporated, and owner and breeder of race horses. His papers consist primarily of financial, licensing, and registration records relating to Gibson's career as horse breeder and owner. The collection also include some magazine articles and manuscripts from Gibson's days as a freelance writer.
John Timberlake Gibson was born in Middletown, Ohio, in 1912 and graduated from Williams College in 1935. As a copywriter and radio commercial writer, Mr. Gibson worked in New York from 1936-1942. He was in the U. S. Naval Reserve from 1942-1945 and was a member of President Truman’s Executive Office staff. Mrs. Gibson was the founder of Modern Designs, Inc. As a writer, he has contributed to Holiday, Sports Illustrated, Smithsonian Magazine, National Observer, Town and Country, and Washingtonian Magazine. Mr. Gibson bought his first horse in 1946, Rough Ordy. In 1964, Jackie Dare won the Maryland Futurity at Laurel Race Course. Some of the trainers of Mr. Gibson’s horses have been John H. C. Forbe, Henry Clark, and Beverly Hacker. The John T. Gibson Collection covers the period from 1955 to 1974.
The papers of John T. Gibson were deposited with the University of Maryland Archives in 1980 by Mr. Gibson.
The photographs in the collection were removed between 1972 and 1983, dry mounted on cardboard, and filed in the Biographical Print Files Photographic Collections. In June 2011, the Gibson photographs in the Biographical files were removed and reunited with the collection. Though much of the information from the backs of the photographs was copied onto the cardboard backing, it may be incomplete. The photographs depict many of Gibson’s horses, including Rough Ordy, as well as their racing statistics. .
Part of the Special Collections and University Archives