On April 28, 2010, the world of philanthropy lost a true giant. E. Burr Gibson was a teacher, a mentor, a friend, a professional and a truly remarkable gentleman whose career in fundraising and consulting improved the lives of all he touched.

Burr Gibson joined Marts & Lundy in 1964 and his career with the firm took him from resident campaign management to strategic development planning at its highest levels. Burr was involved in many of the first and largest campaigns, both public and private, across the country—Stanford, New York Public Library, the Metropolitan Museum in New York, University of Chicago, University of Minnesota, and many others. He was an inspiration and mentor to thousands of not-for-profit fundraisers, both professionals and volunteers.

At Marts & Lundy, Burr was named a vice president in 1970; executive vice president and treasurer in 1978;president and chief executive officer in 1979; chairman and chief executive officer in 1982 and executive chairman from 1991 to the present.

In 2008, the Council of Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) awarded Burr the CASE Lifetime Achievement Award with the accompanying announcement: “For more, than 60 years, Gibson has been a key figure in the advancement profession—starting with his work as a development officer with the March of Dimes in the late 1940s to his current position at Marts & Lundy, a leading consulting firm in philanthropy where he has worked for more than 40 years. During this time, Gibson has successfully guided innumerable capital campaigns, served as mentor to hundreds of young professionals, and encouraged and given direction to seasoned staff and colleagues. Many credit Gibson with shaping advancement into the respected profession it is today. According to nominator Robert Sweeney, senior vice president for development and public affairs at the University of Virginia: ‘Burr Gibson represents the best of our profession. He understands that education is the link between personal freedom and a lasting democracy and always puts the interest of the institutions he serves before his own.’”