Professor Larry S. Gibson has played a leadership role in the campaigns of many Maryland and national politicians beginning with his first effort organizing the campaign of Joseph Howard for Judge on the Supreme Bench of Baltimore City in 1968. Success in the Howard campaign was followed by work on the local campaigns of Milton Allen, William H. Murphy, Paul Chester, Wayne Curry and Kurt Schmoke. At the national level he has worked on the presidential campaigns of George McGovern, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. Internationally, Gibson's organizational talents have been employed by candidates as far away as Liberia and Madagascar.
This collection of material illustrates the development of political campaigns in Maryland with particular focus on the experience of African American candidates.
More about Larry Gibson:
Couple of wild and crazy freelancers. Baltimore Sun, Wednesday, February 06, 2008. P.2b
Designing History: Larry Gibson. by Laura Wexler. JD- University of Maryland School of Law Alumni Magazine, (fall 2006).
Shapiro Sher Guinot & Sandler: Larry S. Gibson. The Daily Record's Leadership in the Law. 2006.
Amity and Irony [Larry Gibson and Ron Shapiro]. by Michael Anft. Baltimore Magazine, (August, 2004).
Gibson, Larry S. Short Circuit: The Overselling of Television in Politics, (1996). All Faculty Publications. Paper 732. - DigitalCommons@UMLaw
Kingmaker - Larry Gibson drives Baltimore's Politicial Machine. by Tom Nugent. Baltimore Messenger, volume 18, no. 41 (June 30, 1993).
"No More Rubber Duckies" (How Kurt Schmoke's City Hall Works). by John Alden. Baltimore Magazine, volume 81, no. 10 (November, 1988).
The Gibson Story: A Profile of the Man Behind Kurt Schmoke. by Bill Swisher. City Paper, volume 11, no. 12 (March 20-26, 1987).
Gibson Dynamo Powers Schmoke's Bid. by Michael Ollove. Baltimore Sun, Sunday, August 9, 1987. P.B1
Larry Gibson: Rowing Hard for Racial Justice. by Eric Siegel. Baltimore Sun, Sunday, July 17, 1983. P. E1
On the Joe Howard campaign of 1968
"Voting alone, however, does not make for equality. Real equality requires participating in every aspect of the political process - effectively. Certainly, as effectively as anyone else, and more effectively if possible. My friends and I [Randy Carroll, David Allen, Dan Henson, Roberta Gill - the Young Crusaders] were going to out-think, out-organize and out-campaign everyone else in Baltimore. Our objective was to create in the African American community more political power than it had ever had before. Public policy was going to respond for the first time to black people's needs and demands." - Larry Gibson
Campaign Images [via DigitalCommons@UMLaw. This will open a separate window]
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Larry Gibson's trials scrapbook | Friends of Kurt Schmoke fund raising letter, 1986 (above)| Vanita Enterprises, Inc. to Larry Gibson, 1986 | Larry Gibson to Carter Campaign, 1980 | Clinton - Gore Campaign - "Election Day Sound Equipment," 1992 |
Joesph Howard, 1968 | Kurt Schmoke, 1997 | Wayne Curry, 1994
"I was urged to use television, and we could have afforded to do so - at least in limited quantities. We did not. We used bumper stickers and lots of posters. We had a large number of volunteers It was an overwhelming victory. Kurt Schmoke received over 110,000 votes, the most ever for a State's Attorney, and more than many winning mayors .Black turnout in Baltimore for the first time exceeded white turnout - and there was no TV!" - Larry Gibson
The Shadow Larry Gibson Knows. The Baltimore Sun, 1994 (left) | No Room on the Bus. Baltimore 'Rooster,' 1994
Background: In 2004 the Thurgood Marshall Law Library began working with Professor Larry Gibson to acquire his personal collection of campaign and legal materials. Although processing is still underway for much of the collection a sampling of materials have been made available here for scholars interested in the changing role and influence of local African American political leadership. Project staff included Kevin Docherty (2008/09) and Bill Sleeman, Assistant Director for Technical Services. Jenny Rensler and Teresa Pucciarella provided web support. Will Siegel and Arthur Cook provided media and AV Support.
Collection Arrangement: Original materials are arranged by binder and year using a system employed by the donor.
Access: Because much of the collection remains closed, access to the full collection is by appointment only. Contact the Library at 410-706-6502.
Attorney/Client privilege: Materials included on this web site are not protected by the Attorney/Client privilege.
Copies: Photocopying of non-fragile material is available. Tax documents, voting records, voter lists, polling data and legal case files and individual financial statements may not be photocopied.
Reproduction: Permission to reproduce or quote from the collection generally in published research in any format may be requested in writing from the Thurgood Marshall Law Library, University of Maryland School of Law, Special Collections, 501 West Fayette Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21201.
Cite as: Crafting Victories: Campaign Materials from the Larry Gibson Collection. African Americans in the Law Special Collections. Thurgood Marshall Law Library, the University of Maryland School of Law.
Resources on Maryland Politics:Maryland politics and political communication, 1950-2005. Theodore F. Sheckels. JK3816.S44 2006 The great game of Maryland politics. Barry Rascovar. JK3816.R37 1998 My unexpected journey : the autobiography of Governor Harry Roe Hughes. Harry Roe Hughes with John W. Frece. F186.35.H84 A3 2006 William Donald Schaefer : a political biography. C. Fraser Smith. F186.35.S33 S55 1999 Maryland & America, 1940 to 1980. George H. Callcott. F186 .C34 1985 Reasons to be proud : the major accomplishments of Kurt L. Schmoke as mayor of Baltimore City. The Kurt Schmoke Re-Election Committee. F189.B145 R43 1995 The content of their character : [racism and Baltimores 1999 mayoral election]. Gerard Shields. JS571.A2 B35 2004 Thimbleriggers : the law v. Governor Marvin Mandel. by Bradford Jacobs. F186.35.M36 J33 1984 "Party Hardy: Baltimore's Republicans Soldier On, Despite the Odds." Baltimore City Paper, 6, 19, 2002. "Engaged Leadership." JD- University of Maryland School of Law Alumni Magazine. Fall 2006. "In the Arena: Law, Politics and Public Policy." JD- University of Maryland School of Law Alumni Magazine. Fall 2006. "Women's club broke the lock of white power; Politics: A group in Baltimore has dedicated 50 years to trying to get African-Americans in elective offices. by William F. Zorzi Jr :[FINAL Edition]." The Sun, December 30, 1996.
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