New Trees Planted at Frank C. Gibson Memorial Site

A memorial grove of redbud and dogwood trees will once again bloom on the Olney Central College campus after being restored this spring.

Erected at the entrance to the North Parking Lot, the site honors Frank C. Gibson, of Olney. The 24-year-old concrete worker was fatally injured in an accident on Sept. 7, 1972, during construction of Wattleworth Hall’s third floor.

The memorial, which includes a stone monument, was established through the OCC Foundation’s Frank C. Gibson Fund.

O&M Team Leader Clay Atkins said the original trees had died in recent years, necessitating their removal and replacement. The new saplings, which include two redbuds and one dogwood, were planted in mid-April.