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Dr. Norman Paul Gambill was born on April 3, 1941, in Dade City, Florida, to George Washington Gambill IV and Dorcas (Darling) Gambill. He was raised in Florida and Georgia.
A scholar of art history and film studies, Gambill earned degrees from Emory University, the University of Iowa, and Syracuse University. He also graduated from Emory at Oxford, a preparatory school in Atlanta.
Gambill served as an art history professor at the University of Illinois and South Dakota State University, where he chaired the Visual Arts Department for 26 years before retiring in 2010. Over a 48-year teaching career, he educated thousands of undergraduate students and mentored graduate students in areas including Asian art, film art and design, women artists, and international cinema.
An enthusiastic admirer of Oscar Wilde and Orson Welles, Gambill was particularly known for his lectures and writings on Welles’s Citizen Kane, which inspired many to pursue film studies. His scholarly work took him across the country and around the world, culminating in his participation in the Oxford Roundtable in 2010.
He published extensively in academic journals and respected film magazines. His research on 1930s American cinema and its cultural impact is featured in his book, Ritz and American Mediocrity. In recognition of his academic achievements, he was inducted into Phi Kappa Phi in 2006.
Gambill was also deeply involved in fundraising and arts advocacy. He founded the annual ""Evening for the Arts"" dinner and auction and organized the popular Valentine’s Day ""Chocolate Auction,"" both of which raised scholarship funds for art students. He also co-founded the DVAGI (Design and Visual Arts Group Inc.) fundraiser, which supported student travel to national art and design events through the auction of professional design services.
Known for his hospitality, Gambill frequently hosted gatherings in his 19th-century home in Brookings, showcasing his art collection and entertaining friends with generous food and wine.
Dr. Norman P. Gambill died of heart failure on July 12, 2016, at the Neighborhoods at Brookview in Brookings, South Dakota.