Paul Peyton Gibson, Jr. (August 5, 1927 – July 10, 2014) was an American airline executive and New York City’s first black deputy mayor, serving as deputy mayor to Abraham Beame after being sworn into the position in 1974. Gibson was born in Manhattan in 1927. At eight years old, Gibson and his family moved to Brooklyn. He graduated from the Boys High School and later entered the City College of New York, where he also graduated from. Shortly after World War II, Gibson enlisted into the United States Army and was assigned to the Army Air Forces, and was mainly stationed in the Philippines. After his return from military service, he began a law firm. During the 1960s, Gibson began a political career and unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic nomination for a City Council seat in the borough