Hoot Gibson is widely known for his international leadership for the benefit of SRI and world economic and social development. In many countries, the names of “Hoot” Gibson and SRI became virtually synonymous.
He was hired by the fledgling Stanford Research Institute in 1946 as the third staff member and later founded the Economics Research Division—the seed of the Economics and Management (Business) Group, now SRI Consulting. He established the concept of techno-economic research at SRI, a blending of technical and economic research methods to solve real-world problems. He also established the International Associates Program, which brought in direct contributions for Institute facilities and became the core of SRI’s international research and consulting activities. He led SRI’s first international multidisciplinary project, in Italy.
He was a co-founder of the quadrennial International Industrial Conferences, the Pacific Basin Economic Council, and the Japan-Western US Association. He has been instrumental in founding techno-economic research institutes in several developing countries.
Within SRI, he sponsored the creation of novel research programs, established field offices, and mentored many younger staff members. He is author of two books on SRI’s early development: The Founding Years and The Take-Off Days. A star football player in college, he was named to the Scholar-Athlete Hall of Fame. Before joining SRI, he received his MBA from Stanford, worked for a business machines company, and became a colonel in the Army Air Corps during World War II.
He has served as Executive Vice President of SRI, as a member of the Board of Directors, and Senior Advisor. He now is Senior Director Emeritus of SRI International.
A major legacy of Hoot's to SRI is the International Building. Hoot gathered donations of construction costs and gifts of furniture and art from friends and clients all over the world. This beautiful building would not exist without his efforts.