Gibbons received two bachelor's degrees, one in mathematics and the other in chemistry from Randolph-Macon College in 1949, and a doctorate in nuclear physics from Duke University in 1954.

At Oak Ridge, he studied the structure of atomic nuclei, with emphasis on the role of neutron capture in the nucleosynthesis of heavy elements in stars.

[2] which provided the Congress with nonpartisan, comprehensive analyses on a broad spectrum of issues involving technology and public policy.

In 2004 he became one of the founding members and served on the Board of Directors of Scientists and Engineers for America, a 501(c)(3) organization focused on promoting sound science in American government.

I, later, had the privilege of working even more closely with him after his appointment to serve as the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology at the beginning of the new administration in January 1993.

It was Jack's optimism and imagination that did so much to help the United States face the difficult issues of our time, including the climate crisis.

He is preceded in death by a brother, William Conrad Gibbons (1926-2015), an American historian noted for his in-depth chronicling of the Vietnam War.