Warmoth T. Gibbs Sr.

Warmoth Gibbs was presi-dent of N.C. A&T during the sit-ins and was considered by many to be instrumental in the success of the protest. When pressed to keep his students on campus, Gibbs responded: “We teach our students how to think, not what to think.”

A native of Baldwin, La., and a Harvard graduate, Gibbs was one of the first black commis-sioned officers in World War I. He came to A&T in 1926 as dean of men and instructor of military science. He became dean of the School of Education and Science in 1929.

When A&T president F.D. Bluford died in 1955, Gibbs took over. He was president from 1956 to 1960, and during his tenure, A&T became accredited by the Southern Association of Schools and Colleges. In 1966, he published the first history of A&T. Gibbs died April 19, 1993, at age 101.

Audio (MP3)

Why the sit-ins were significant to A&T(1:04)
How Gibbs handled the sit-ins(2:16)
Gibbs says police handled sit-ins well (:28)
Earlier A&T racial movements (1:04)
Greensboro businessmen helped in the movement (1:30)