George Gibbs (January 7, 1776 – August 6, 1833) was an American

mineralogist Mineralogy is a subject of geology specializing in the scientific study of the chemistry, crystal structure, and physical (including optical) properties of minerals and mineralized artifacts. Specific studies within mineralogy include the proces ...

and

mineral collector Mineral collecting is the hobby of systematically collecting, identifying and displaying mineral specimens. Mineral collecting can also be a part of the profession of mineralogy and allied geologic specialties. Individual collectors often sp ...

. The mineral

gibbsite Gibbsite, Al(OH)3, is one of the mineral forms of aluminium hydroxide. It is often designated as γ-Al(OH)3 (but sometimes as α-Al(OH)3.). It is also sometimes called hydrargillite (or hydrargyllite). Gibbsite is an important ore of aluminiu ...

is named after him.

Early life

George Gibbs was born in

Newport, Rhode Island Newport is an American seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, ...

, the son of wealthy merchant George Gibbs and Mary (

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

Channing) Gibbs.

Career

In 1796, Gibbs was sent by his father to study the mercantile business in Canton,

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

. During his travels, Gibbs studied in Europe and went to Lausanne and Paris. In Paris, he studied mineralogy with Heinrich von Struve. Gibbs was fascinated by minerals and became friends with prominent leading European mineralogists: Francois Gillet de Laumont, Jean-François d'Aubuisson de Voisins, and

Jacques Louis, Comte de Bournon Jacques-Louis, Comte de Bournon FRS, FGS (21 January 1751 – 24 August 1825) was a French soldier and mineralogist who came to England after the French Revolution. He gained prominence in the scientific community, being elected a fellow o ...

. He spent several years as a young man traveling abroad, and devoted much of his time and wealth to the collection of minerals. On his return to Rhode Island, he brought with him the most extensive and valuable collection ever seen in the United States up to that time. It consisted of the collection of Jean Gigot d'Orcy (1733–1793), containing 4,000 specimens, and that of Gregoire de Razumowsky, containing 6,000 specimens. These, with the results of his own gathering, formed a cabinet of more than 20,000 minerals. The collection was first exhibited in Newport. In 1805, Gibbs' collection grew too large and he stored it in a house near his Newport mansion. The same year, the Governor of Rhode Island appointed Gibbs as " Aide de Camp" and given the title of Colonel. In 1807, Gibbs became friends with

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

Professor

Benjamin Silliman Benjamin Silliman (August 8, 1779 – November 24, 1864) was an early American chemist and science educator. He was one of the first American professors of science, at Yale College, the first person to use the process of fractional distillat ...

and together they put an exhibit of Gibbs collection at Yale in 1811. He was elected a Fellow of the

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and ...

in 1813. In 1825, Gibbs sold his entire twenty-thousand specimen collection for $20,000 to Yale. The funds were raised through the influence of Silliman. Gibbs continued his interest in mineralogy, making extensive journeys and developing new mineral localities. In 1822 he was elected vice-president of the

New York Lyceum of Natural History The New York Academy of Sciences (originally the Lyceum of Natural History) was founded in January 1817 as the Lyceum of Natural History. It is the fourth oldest scientific society in the United States. An independent, nonprofit organization wit ...

, He published articles both in the ''American Mineralogical Journal'' and the ''

American Journal of Science The ''American Journal of Science'' (''AJS'') is the United States of America's longest-running scientific journal, having been published continuously since its conception in 1818 by Professor Benjamin Silliman, who edited and financed it himself ...

''. Gibbs may have been responsible for the first path to the summit of

Mount Washington, New Hampshire Mount Washington is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States at and the most topographically prominent mountain east of the Mississippi River. The mountain is notorious for its erratic weather. On the afternoon of April 12, 1934, ...

, predating the path created by

Abel Crawford The Crawford family of the White Mountains were a family who moved to New Hampshire's White Mountains in the 1790s from Guildhall, Vermont, and were pioneers in establishing a tourist industry in that area. Abel Crawford and his father-in-la ...

and his son, Ethan. This was probably commissioned by Gibbs in 1809 on the eastern slopes but is now lost.

Personal life

He married Laura Wolcott on December 27, 1810. She was the daughter of Oliver Wolcott Jr. and a student at Sarah Pierce's

Litchfield Female Academy The Litchfield Female Academy in Litchfield, Connecticut, founded in 1792 by Sarah Pierce, was one of the most important institutions of female education in the United States. During the 30 years after its opening the school enrolled more than 2,0 ...

. They had four sons and three daughters including

George George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Presiden ...

Oliver Wolcott Oliver Wolcott Sr. (November 20, 1726 December 1, 1797) was an American Founding Father and politician. He was a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation as a representative of Connecticut, and t ...

(who became a notable professor of chemistry at Harvard University), and

Alfred Alfred may refer to: Arts and entertainment *''Alfred J. Kwak'', Dutch-German-Japanese anime television series * ''Alfred'' (Arne opera), a 1740 masque by Thomas Arne * ''Alfred'' (Dvořák), an 1870 opera by Antonín Dvořák *"Alfred (Interlu ...

. Gibbs died on August 6, 1834 at Sunswick, Long Island.

References

1776 births 1833 deaths American mineralogists Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences People from Newport, Rhode Island {{US-scientist-stub