On Sunday, December 5, 2021, members of the Brother Martin High School community gathered at the Audubon Tea Room for the 2021 Alumnus of the Year Ceremony honoring Larry Gibbs ’65 CJ...
The Alumnus of the Year award is presented annually by the Board of Directors of Brother Martin High School to an alumnus selected for contributions to his profession and for his religious, civic, business, educational, and community involvement.
Larry and his wife Marian have supported the Brothers of the Sacred Heart and Brother Martin High School in many ways over the years. They have provided students opportunities through scholarships and have assisted in advancing our institution through generous gifts to our capital campaigns since the mid-1990s. Larry has shared his time at Career Day and with the Crimson & Gold Network, and most recently, he made a significant gift toward the dedication of Cor Jesu Hall. Larry served as CEO and president of Gibbs Construction for 43 years, until retiring in 2019. Larry’s career at Gibbs Construction was productive, wonderful, beautiful in every measurable and non-measurable way. Larry has served on numerous boards, both professional and philanthropic, and he is a respected leader in our community.
Larry’s wife Marian, Gibbs family members, and Cor Jesu classmates were in attendance. Special guests included John Devlin, Director of Schools for the Brothers of the Sacred Heart and his wife Dr. Jan Lancaster; Greg Rando ’77, Brother Martin President and his wife Bonnie; and Ryan Gallagher ’00, Brother Martin Principal. Also in attendance were previous Alumnus of the Year Award recipients as well as members of the Brother Martin Board of Directors, The St. Aloysius Century Foundation Board of Directors, and The Alumni Board of Directors.
During his introduction of Larry, Greg Rando used the metaphor of “building” to describe Larry’s life and stated, “..Larry is a role model for our students.” Greg Rando along with Brother Martin Board Chairman David Gallo ’77 presented the award. Larry then shared experiences with the Brothers of the Sacred Heart, told stories from his professional and personal life, and thanked everyone.
After, photos were taken with past recipients, family, and members of the Brother Martin community.
Larry was born in Columbus, OH where his father was attending Ohio State University on the G.I. Bill after World War II. His family moved back to New Orleans when Larry was two years of age. After graduating from Cor Jesu, he earned a BS in Civil Engineering from LSU. Larry then worked for several engineering and construction companies in Houston and the Greater New Orleans area. Larry founded Gibbs Construction on July 4, 1976, with a $3,000 bonus check received from his employer.
Larry is past chapter president and statewide president of the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) and served for many years on the ABC National Board of Directors. He is past vice president of the Construction Industry Legislative Council and is actively involved in lobbying for free enterprise and merit shop principles in the construction industry. Larry has twice received the Associated Builders & Contractors Member of the Year Award, in 1982 and 1992. His success was recognized in the business community with his election to the Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame in 1994, and he was honored with the 1997 Louisiana Entrepreneur of the Year Award for construction. In 2000, he also received the Mayor’s Award for Commercial Contractor of the Year.
Larry’s community service includes the Board of Trustees and the Building Committee of St. Martin’s Episcopal School, member of the Loyola University Business School Visiting Committee, the board of directors of the New Orleans Job Initiative and the East Jefferson General Hospital’s Business and Professional Committee for Development. He is past education chairman and past chairman of the Louisiana chapter of the Young Presidents’ Organization, past member of the Jefferson Business Council, and a past member of the board of the New Orleans chapter of the ACE Mentor Program. He is an active member of the Chief Executive Organization. Larry presently serves on the Foundation Board for the New Orleans Recreation Department and the Louisiana Workforce Investment Council. In addition, he proudly serves as President of Eastbank Little League program for youth in the New Orleans Metropolitan Area, whose 12-year-old baseball team earned the National and International Little League Championship in Williamsport, PA in 2019.
Larry ran the 26.2 mile New York Marathon five times in five separate decades; including his 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s, and he intends to complete his third-to-last New York City Marathon in his early 80s.
Larry and his wife Marian enjoy baseball, new adventures, general travel, and family life. Marian is an essential partner and a loving mother to their children; she keeps the family moving in a positive direction and significantly contributes to much of Larry’s personal success and the success of their family. Marian is involved in numerous educational institutions from pre-kindergarten to high school as well as numerous charitable and civic organizations and activities. They live in River Ridge and have eight children, who are all doing well. The Gibbs Family is grateful and feels that they are truly blessed.
