Archives West Finding Aid

Harold J. Gibson was an important leader in the history of the International Association of Machinists, and an influential figure in labor politics, both in the Pacific Northwest and nationally. Born in Idaho in 1913, he moved to Washington State as a child, eventually graduating from Lake Washington High School in Kirkland, WA in 1931. After graduation, Gibson joined the Army for a time before beginning work at Boeing in 1936. In 1941, he was elected a Business Representative of his local District Lodge 751, and in 1943, a short two years later, he was elected District President, a position he would hold for the next 13 years. During World War II, Gibson reenlisted, taking a leave of absence from his post to serve as a sergeant in Patton’s Third Army. In his tenure after the war, he led a successful strike in 1948, ended government freezes on aircraft workers’ wages, helped the district win its first all-inclusive health and welfare plan, and significantly increased union membership. In 1956, Gibson was elected to nationwide office as a General Vice President of the International Association of Machinists, and held the position through the mid-1960s. Gibson was influential not only as a labor leader, but as a political figure as well. He was well connected with longtime state Senators Warren Magnuson and Henry "Scoop" Jackson, Governor Al Rosellini, and Bill Boeing. He was an active participant in the Democratic Party, and sat on many committees and commissions. Harold Gibson passed away in 1984 at the age of 71.