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Jim Gibbons (sportscaster)

James Leo Gibbons (1914–2001) was an American sportscaster who called Washington Redskins games from 1943 to 1967.

Early life[edit]

Gibbons was born on June 3, 1914, in Greeley Center, Nebraska.^[1] He attended Creighton University and the University of Omaha. In 1940 he moved to Washington D.C. to work as a comptometer operator at the Social Security Administration. He also took classes at George Washington University and at a radio school.^[2][3]

Broadcasting career[edit]

Gibbons began his radio career in 1942 as a part-time employee of WWDC. He joined WMAL in 1943, where he read commercials and provided color commentary for Redskins games.^[2][3] In 1946 he took over WMAL’s morning show, Town Clock.^[4] He also hosted WMAL’s Country Store, an annual Christmas drive that collected money and gifts for underprivileged children, called Maryland Terrapins football games, and hosted a weekly golf show on WMAL-TV.^[2][3][5] In 1953, Gibbons became the Redskins’ play-by-play announcer, calling games on a simulcast for radio and television.^[4] In 1955, the simulcasts ended and Gibbons called the TV broadcasts on CBS.^[2] In 1957, Gibbons left WMAL for WRC-TV and WOL.^[6] From 1960 to 1965, he called college football on ABC Radio.^[2]

Later life[edit]

During the 1960s, Gibbons began purchasing radio stations. He eventually owned four, WFMD and WFREinFrederick, Maryland and WPVR-FM and WFIRinRoanoke, Virginia. They were sold in 1999.^[3] In 1994, Gibbons was inducted into the Washington Hall of StarsatRFK Stadium.^[4] Gibbons died of congestive heart failure on February 13, 2001, at his home in Bethesda, Maryland.^[2]

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