Longtime Tampa Democratic Congressman Sam Gibbons turned 90 on Wednesday, and many of his best friends came out to honor him last night at the Tampa Bay History Center (including judges E.J. Salcines, John F. Germany and former USF President Betty Castor).
Gibbons represented Tampa in Washington for 34 years. He was elected in 1962, and served until 1996.
CL caught up with the still extremely sharp and quick-witted living legend last night shortly before he was to be honored, where he admitted to being a bit down after the Democrats lost what was known as the Ted Kennedy Senate seat in Massachusetts. (“I could cry about that,” he said, only half-jokingly.)
This article appears in Jan 20-26, 2010.
