Gibson grew up in Newark, New Jersey, and attended Central High School, where he played with a dance band after school to bring in income needed for his family. Gibson studied civil engineering at Newark College of Engineering (now New Jersey Institute of Technology), but financial challenges forced him to drop out of school after a few months in school to work in a factory, serve in the military and later work for the New Jersey Highway Department, completing his engineering degree in 1963 by taking night classes.Staff. "No. 1 in Newark Vote; Kenneth Allen Gibson", The New York Times, May 14, 1970. Accessed March 27, 2018. "While attending Central High School, Mr. Gibson played the saxophone in a dance band to help support the family."
