In 1953, Governor William Stratton appointed Joseph D. Bibb as Director of Public Safety. Bibb became the first African American to be appointed to statewide office in Illinois government.

Bibb, an activist for equal rights and economic opportunity, was a prominent Harvard-trained Chicago lawyer before his appointment. Bibb was also editor of the Chicago Whip (1919-1932) and leader of the "Don't Spend Money Where You Can't Work" campaign. Along with being appointed to the cabinet of Governor William Stratton as the first African American Illinois Director of Public Safety (1953), Bibb also served on the board of directors for the Chicago Public Library (1944) and was a trustee of Provident Hospital.

During Bibb's tenure as Director of Public Safety, approximately 500 Illinois State Police officers were hired, 12 were African American officers. Other accomplishments include the introduction of the ISP Police Crime Lab, as well as the addition of radar as a tool in traffic enforcement. Mr. Bibb died in December 1966 at the age of 74.