The Honorable Marion E. Sibley graduated from Officer Candidate School on 16 July 1943, at the age of 41, making him one of the oldest graduates of the OCS Program. His initial assignment was as a Company Officer in the Infantry Replacement Training Regiment, Camp Blanding, Florida. | Mr. Sibley spent his entire military service at Camp Blanding. He served as a Company XO, Platoon Leader, Regimental Adjutant, and as the Assistant S1 of the Infantry Replacement Training Center. | He was separated from the Army on 5 January 1946 as a Captain due to physical disability. | His Awards and Decorations include: American Theater Medal and the World War II Victory Medal. | Following his discharge from the Army, Mr. Sibley returned to practicing law. A member of the Florida and Georgia Bars, Mr. Sibley opened a law firm in Miami, Florida. In 1957, Mr. Sibley was appointed the County Attorney of Dade County and during the next three years he drafted the legislation that established the Metro Government for the Unincorporated area of the county. Mr. Sibley was also credited with implementing the planning of the Palmetto Expressway, and saving 1600 acres of Florida’s public lands from sale to private developers by bailing out the Interamerican Center authority (Interama) from its debts. After completing his term of office as Country Attorney, Mr. Sibley returned to private practice. Throughout his career he was acknowledged as one of the most outstanding lawyers in the Southeastern United States and as the single most influential lawyer in the state of Florida. He was recognized as the Senior Alumnus of the University of Illinois, the Distinguished Alumni Award Recipient of Georgia Military College, The National Secretaries Association’s International Boss of the Year in 1957 and 1982, and a member of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce Board of Governors. | He has received numerous awards in recognition of his contributions to law and to Dade County from the Florida Bar, The Dade County Bar, Metropolitan Dade County, the Miami Chamber of Commerce, Interama, and other civic organizations. | In June 1985, Mr. Sibley died after 60 years of service to the public as a lawyer, soldier, politician, teacher, and citizen.