STEPHEN PIERRE GIBERT

STEPHEN PIERRE GIBERT, Ph.D. Stephen P. Gibert of McLean, Virginia died peacefully at age 91 at his home on February 1, 2016 from complications of a lymphoma. Dr. Gibert was born on July 16, 1924 in N. Augusta, South Carolina the son of Paul C. Gibert and Helen Burns Gibert. He was preceded in death by his brothers Paul C. and Hugh W. Gibert. Dr. Gibert grew up in Columbia, SC. He graduated from Columbia High School and then served in the US Army Air Corps in the Pacific during World War II. Arriving at Atsugi Air Base on August 28, 1945, he was among the first 800 US occupation forces in Japan following the Japanese surrender. These soldiers were involved in the release of 8000 American prisoners of war. In 1948 Dr. Gibert graduated from Wofford College, Spartanburg, SC. In 1952 he graduated from Harvard University with an MA in History and Russian Studies. In 1958 he earned a PhD with distinction from Johns Hopkins University in International Relations. Dr. Gibert joined the faculty at Georgetown University in 1955 where he was a Professor of Government for 48 years until his retirement in 2003. From 1964-1968 he was the Director of the Master of Sciences in Foreign Service program. In 1961 he served as an advisor to the Burmese Government at the University of Rangoon working for the Asia Foundation. He traveled the world to lecture and write on international security affairs with many trips to Japan, Taiwan and Korea. His major accomplishment was the founding in 1977 of the National Security Studies Program at Georgetown. He served as Director of the NSSP from 1977-2000. Dr. Gibert''s energy and creativity laid the groundwork for arguably the most influential security studies program in the world. The Security Studies Program remains the academic pillar of the Center for Security Studies. It is the nation''s preeminent professional Masters of Arts program devoted to security studies. Dr. Gibert was the author of nine books and monographs, numerous articles, book chapters and book reviews. He served on the editorial board of several academic journals. Dr. Gibert was an excellent teacher and writer. He loved tennis, classical music, and poetry. He could recite dozens of poems, loved to tell stories and enjoyed a cold martini. His first marriage to Anne J. Wadleigh Gibert, PhD ended in divorce. He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Cynthia Livingstone Gibert, MD, MSc. He is also survived by five children, Stephen P. Gibert, Jr., MD, PhD (Michelle Collins) Charleston, SC, Julia M. Gibert, M. Phil of Oxford, England, Clare Gibert, MBA, Gainesville, FL, Christopher L. Gibert, MD (Leah Gibert), Virginia Beach, VA, Jennifer A.B. Gibert, MD, MBA (Srini Chandra, MD, FDSRCS) Seattle, WA; 12 grandchildren; five great-grandchildren. The funeral service will be Saturday, February 27, 2016 at 11 a.m. at St. John''s Episcopal Church, 6715 Georgetown Pike, McLean, VA 22101. Donations may be made in his name to Central Union Mission or So Others Might Eat (SOME).