The Lester Gibson papers date from 1947 to 2022, with the bulk of the materials reflecting his tenure as the McLennan County Commissioner for Precinct #2 (1990-2018). McLennan County's Precinct #2 is comprised of sections of downtown Waco, East Waco, and the Bellmead area with significant African American populations as well as rural areas east of Waco including Axtell, Mart, and Riesel. Most of the collection pertains to Gibson’s responsibilities in this role. Topics such as education, race relations, criminal justice, economic development, and basic county infrastructure (i.e. roads and bridges) feature prominently.
The collection has been arranged into four series based on relationships to events, organizations, individuals or subjects. Series II. Organizations is by far the largest series in the collection. Commissioner Gibson’s involvement in the creation and administration of the Texas Organization of Black County Commissioners as well as his service with the local chapter of United Way is evident. The collection also contains references to Waco and its history through materials on Waco Independent School District, the Branch Davidian siege, and Interstate 35.
During Gibson’s 28-year tenure as a county commissioner, he interacted with several political leaders on the state and local level including US Representative Chet Edwards, Texas Representative Jim Dunnam, and Justice Bob Thomas. The materials vary throughout the collection and include Commissioner Court agendas and reports, correspondence, and legal documents, as well as Gibson’s personal research on various issues.
The collection also contains several issues of the newspapers Gibson edited prior to his time as a county commissioner. Full and partial issues of Grass Roots can be found in Series IV. Subject Files within the physical collection. The family also loaned issues of The Bottom Line and Grass Roots that have been digitized by the Riley Digitization Center at Baylor University. These digital files are available on request. Please note neither the physical nor digital copies comprise a full run of either publication.
The Lester Gibson papers date from 1947 to 2022, with the bulk of the materials reflecting his tenure as the McLennan County Commissioner for Precinct #2 (1990-2018). McLennan County's Precinct #2 is comprised of sections of downtown Waco, East Waco, and the Bellmead area with significant African American populations as well as rural areas east of Waco including Axtell, Mart, and Riesel. Most of the collection pertains to Gibson’s responsibilities in this role. Topics such as education, race relations, criminal justice, economic development, and basic county infrastructure (i.e. roads and bridges) feature prominently.
The collection has been arranged into four series based on relationships to events, organizations, individuals or subjects. Series II. Organizations is by far the largest series in the collection. Commissioner Gibson’s involvement in the creation and administration of the Texas Organization of Black County Commissioners as well as his service with the local chapter of United Way is evident. The collection also contains references to Waco and its history through materials on Waco Independent School District, the Branch Davidian siege, and Interstate 35.
During Gibson’s 28-year tenure as a county commissioner, he interacted with several political leaders on the state and local level including US Representative Chet Edwards, Texas Representative Jim Dunnam, and Justice Bob Thomas. The materials vary throughout the collection and include Commissioner Court agendas and reports, correspondence, and legal documents, as well as Gibson’s personal research on various issues.
The collection also contains several issues of the newspapers Gibson edited prior to his time as a county commissioner. Full and partial issues of Grass Roots can be found in Series IV. Subject Files within the physical collection. The family also loaned issues of The Bottom Line and Grass Roots that have been digitized by the Riley Digitization Center at Baylor University. These digital files are available on request. Please note neither the physical nor digital copies comprise a full run of either publication.
About Lester Gibson :
About Lester Gibson :
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Lester Leon Gibson, the son of Olester and Blossie Marie Gibson, was born May 28, 1949, in Teague, Texas. The family moved to Waco where, in 1967, Gibson graduated from A.J. Moore High School. On December 24, 1969, Gibson married Coque Johnson with whom he had four children: Travis, Umoja, Izegbe, and Ajamu.
Gibson served in the US Navy during the Vietnam War. Upon his return to Waco, he graduated from Baylor University in 1974 with a bachelor’s degree in sociology. During the late 1970s and 1980s, Gibson edited two newspapers, The Bottom Line and Grass Roots. The taglines of these newspapers – “Conscience of the Community” and “To educate the pure; And de-educate the contaminated” respectively – reflect Gibson’s convictions and efforts to shed light on inequality in the Waco area. |
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| In 1988, Gibson entered local politics, winning the city council seat for District #1 in Waco. In 1990, he was elected to the McLennan County Commissioners Court, representing Precinct #2. Gibson’s election was significant – he was only the third African American to serve on the McLennan County Commissioners Court, the first since Reconstruction, and the first African American to be elected to the role. Gibson served the people of McLennan County as commissioner for 28 years (1990-2018). During that time, Gibson focused much of his efforts on the area’s youth, economic development, and issues of equity and inclusion. He co-founded the Texas Organization of Black County Commissioners, serving as president (1998-2001 and 2011-2013) as well as vice president (2001-2011). He also served on the board of the local United Way chapter from 1993 to 2000. Gibson was involved in a wide array of community service organizations including the local Little League, YMCA, and Habitat for Humanity. On December 31, 2018, Commissioner Gibson retired as the longest-serving commissioner in county history. He died on June 17, 2022. In February 2023, the City of Waco honored Commissioner Gibson by renaming a section of Washington Avenue, from University Parks Drive to North 6th Street, as Lester Gibson Way. |
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Lester Leon Gibson, the son of Olester and Blossie Marie Gibson, was born May 28, 1949, in Teague, Texas. The family moved to Waco where, in 1967, Gibson graduated from A.J. Moore High School. On December 24, 1969, Gibson married Coque Johnson with whom he had four children: Travis, Umoja, Izegbe, and Ajamu.
Gibson served in the US Navy during the Vietnam War. Upon his return to Waco, he graduated from Baylor University in 1974 with a bachelor’s degree in sociology. During the late 1970s and 1980s, Gibson edited two newspapers, The Bottom Line and Grass Roots. The taglines of these newspapers – “Conscience of the Community” and “To educate the pure; And de-educate the contaminated” respectively – reflect Gibson’s convictions and efforts to shed light on inequality in the Waco area. |
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| In 1988, Gibson entered local politics, winning the city council seat for District #1 in Waco. In 1990, he was elected to the McLennan County Commissioners Court, representing Precinct #2. Gibson’s election was significant – he was only the third African American to serve on the McLennan County Commissioners Court, the first since Reconstruction, and the first African American to be elected to the role. Gibson served the people of McLennan County as commissioner for 28 years (1990-2018). During that time, Gibson focused much of his efforts on the area’s youth, economic development, and issues of equity and inclusion. He co-founded the Texas Organization of Black County Commissioners, serving as president (1998-2001 and 2011-2013) as well as vice president (2001-2011). He also served on the board of the local United Way chapter from 1993 to 2000. Gibson was involved in a wide array of community service organizations including the local Little League, YMCA, and Habitat for Humanity. On December 31, 2018, Commissioner Gibson retired as the longest-serving commissioner in county history. He died on June 17, 2022. In February 2023, the City of Waco honored Commissioner Gibson by renaming a section of Washington Avenue, from University Parks Drive to North 6th Street, as Lester Gibson Way. |
User Notes :
User Notes :
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Using This Resource In Your Research?
If you're a researcher or scholar and you've found a use for our materials in your work, email us at
digitalcollectionsinfo@baylor.edu and tell us about it! We may feature your work on our Digital Collections blog or work with you to promote your work via our other social media outlets.