J. Gibson Semmes ’45 died on September 7, 2013, in Potomac, Maryland.
He was born in Washington, D.C., on March 27, 1923, and prepared for college at Episcopal High School. He attended Bowdoin College from 1941 to 1942, a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity, then transferred to Yale University. He left in his sophomore year to enlist in the Army during World War II, where he served to first lieutenant and tank platoon commander in the 2nd Armored Division during the Battle of the Bulge. He was awarded the Silver Star and the Purple Heart with oak leaf cluster. He went on to graduate from George Washington University Law School in 1948 and focused on practicing and teaching intellectual property law. From 1950 to 1969, he was a partner in the law firm Semmes & Semmes and eventually started his own private practice. He was an avid fox-hunter and steeplechaser, performing in many equestrian events throughout Maryland and Virginia, and was the 1963 National Champion U.S. Combined Training Equestrian. He was a member of the Chevy Chase Club. He is survived by daughter Suzanne; sons Mark and Gib; four grandchildren; and brothers Harry and David Semmes. He was predeceased by his wife, Virginia Snyder Semmes, whom he married on June 13, 1970.