Mifflin Wistar Gibbs was born in Philadelphia and came to San Francisco during the Gold Rush Era. Not striking gold, he shined shoes in San Francisco and established several successful businesses. In 1855, he published a newspaper—The Mirror of Our Times.

Later he moved to British Columbia and was elected to the Common Council of Victoria. He continued there for a number of years, then earned a Law degree from Oberlin College and was admitted to the Arkansas State Bar. From there he became the first African American elected as a city judge, and later in life received various presidential appointments—Registrar of US Land Office, Receiver of Public Monies. He retired from his life’s work as US Consul to Madagascar.

Mifflin W.Gibbs left a legacy of hard work, philanthropic achievements, self-reliance, and self-respect. His example shows that one can achieve regardless of the odds against him/her, when there is a will to achieve. The Gibbs Foundation is established to foster those notions in others through its support of agencies, organizations, and individuals who have similar beliefs and demonstrate similar goals.