Dr. William Frank Gibson, a Darlington native, earned his Doctor of Dental Science degree at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee and became a licensed dentist. Actively involved in the civil rights movement, he was president of the South Carolina Branch of the NAACP for 18 years. He served as Chairman for the National Board of Directors for the NAACP for 10 years. Dr. Gibson founded the Black Council for Progress. He also earned the highest-ranking recognition the State of South Carolina awards to civilians, the Order of the Palmetto. Dr. Gibson passed away in 2002 at the age of 69.