History of “Gibby”

This archived article was written by: C. Thackery

If you fail to watch where you walk in front of the Jennifer-Leavitt Student Center, you might trip right over Gibraltar, the 1,500 pound sandstone rock that has been a unique part of the community since the early days of Carbon College in 1940.
The giant of a rock was lugged onto Carbon’s campus by a group of six men and a boy, all freshmen at the time. Painted green and decorated with a white “41,” the rock was named “Gibby” for its larger namesake Gibraltar.
Since that day in 1940, Gibby has remained a part of the Price campus commemorating the college and personal events. It displays signs of the times and has been the witness to many kisses during “True Eagle,”where the student body unites under the light of a full moon to celebrate the new year and new experiences.
But Gibby wasn’t always lauded as the community icon as it is today. John Tucker, president of the College of Eastern Utah from 1962-1968, moved the rock without informing the community or student body. The rock was encased in glass and remained in the library until it was moved to storage.
Later, one student body president moved the rock in front of the original Reeves Building, where it stayed until it was torn down. Instead of hiding Gibby in storage once again, the rock was placed in front of the Student Center, where it resides to this day.
Gibby has served as the focal point of tradition and community, despite its constantly changing surroundings. A symbol of student pride and communication, may Gibby remain a steady reminder some traditions shouldn’t change. More information on Gibby can be found usueastern.edu/about/history.