Athlete, energy leader, team player
John Gibson, EMgt’74, remembers the phone call that changed his life, a call his basketball coach in Kansas City placed to University of Missouri-Rolla head basketball coach Billy Key in 1972.
“My coach, Walt Shublom, knew I wanted an engineering degree, but my athletic scholarship offers were from schools that didn’t have engineering programs,” says Gibson, who earned his associate’s degree at Kansas City Kansas Community College.
“Coach Shublom called Coach Key, who came to Kansas City to watch me play and then offered me a scholarship. If I didn’t have those two men in my life, I’m not sure where I’d be today.”
Gibson remembers the discipline required to balance academics and athletics. “When the team got on the bus after an away game, the lights came on and the books came out,” he says.
Between the demands of classroom and court, Gibson’s student days also brought him the most important person in his life, Kristie (Capps) Gibson, EMgt’74, whose business career paralleled his for many years.
“Kristie and I both lived in Thomas Jefferson Hall,” says Gibson, who remembers seeing her in the dorm cafeteria every day. “One night after a game, I went to a party, and she was there.”
The Gibsons married before they graduated in 1974 and went to work as refinery engineers for Exxon in Baytown, Texas.
Gibson credits Kristie with landing both of their jobs. “As I recall, Exxon didn’t interview candidates unless your GPA was a 3.5 or higher,” he says. “I had a 3.0 but Kristie’s GPA was close to a 4.0. Exxon wanted to hire Kristie, so they took me too. Turns out, for many reasons, I chose the right person to marry.”
“Coach Shublom called Coach Key, who came to Kansas City to watch me play and then offered me a scholarship. If I didn’t have those two men in my life, I’m not sure where I’d be today.”
The Gibsons’ next career move took them to Phillips Petroleum Co., where John spent 18 years in engineering and commercial leadership positions, while Kristie worked as an engineer, natural gas buyer and manager until retiring to raise their daughter, Katie.
Gibson went on to become executive vice president of Houston-based Koch Energy before he joined ONEOK, a $50 billion Fortune 500 company based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as president of energy. He served as chair, president, and CEO of ONEOK and ONEOK Partners until his retirement in 2014 and continued as chair until fully retiring in May 2022.
Looking back, Gibson says his proudest moments were his toughest ones. “What’s most important to me isn’t anything I’m recognized for,” he says. “My greatest achievements have been about recovering from mistakes.”
The Gibsons are long-time donors to Miner Athletics who have supported scholarships, team travel and much more. Their major gift funded the 2018 renovation of the Gibson Arena in the Gale Bullman Building, including new flooring, nets, hoops and backboards, and updated public address and acoustics systems.
A former member of the S&T Board of Trustees, member of the Academy of Miner Athletics, and a recipient of the Miner Alumni Association’s Alumni Achievement Award in 2011, Gibson has continued to give back as an adviser and advocate. The Great Lakes Valley Conference honored him in 2015 with the Dr. Charles Bertram Alumni Award of Distinction, presented to a former student-athlete for exceptional service to an alma mater. The Gibsons are members of the Order of the Golden Shillelagh.
“I treasured my time as a Miner,” says Gibson. “I was very lucky to have people in my court. Kristie and I both benefited from the generosity of others, so we know firsthand how important it is to give back.”