Blind Boilermaker who was CEO of Goodwill Industries International Inc.
James D. “Jim” Gibbons, who received a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering in 1985, faced the challenge of losing his sight during his early years at Purdue, ultimately becoming completely blind. With the support of many on campus, Gibbons persevered and successfully completed his degree requirements. Following graduation, he joined AT&T. While working there, he became the first blind person to earn an MBA from Harvard University. Gibbons spent 13 years at AT&T, rising to CEO of the CampusWide Access Solutions business unit. In 1998, he transitioned to CEO of the National Institute for the Blind, where he served for a decade. Subsequently, Gibbons was CEO of Goodwill Industries International Inc., supervising operations of this prominent nonprofit organization from 2008 to 2018. Purdue honored Gibbons with a Distinguished Engineering Alumnus Award in 2014.