The Ethical Culture Club / Forum was organized in Brookings, South Dakota in January 1906. It was then called the Ethical Culture Club; according to one of its historians. It held its original meetings on Sunday and "was to be a substitute on a basis of liberal theology for church going". These early days notwithstanding, the Forum, as it became known after October 14, 1910, was essentially a meeting for the free discussion of any topic of interest. Topics included, child labor laws, the establishment of a public library, promotion of a league to enforce peace, and the use of metric measures. Many of these topics, particularly the building of a library, actually became calls to action.
The Forum was made up of members of both the college and the town with the majority being drawn from all parts of the College. According to William Powers, Forum historian, the outside membership has been distributed among different professions, including clergymen. Membership seems to have only been limited to men, with the added provision that all members were expected at some time to present a paper.
Governance of the organization was made up of a president, vice president and secretary treasurer who made up the executive committee. There were also two standing committees for programs and for membership.
David Allan Evans was born in 1940 in Sioux City, Iowa, and began his undergraduate studies on a football scholarship at Morningside College in his hometown. During college, he discovered a passion for writing and began producing poetry and short stories. He went on to earn additional degrees from the University of Iowa and the University of Arkansas, where he completed his MFA in Creative Writing.
Evans moved to Brookings, South Dakota in 1968, where he became Professor of English and Writer-in-Residence at South Dakota State University. A prolific author, he has published five volumes of poetry and contributed to or edited seven other books.
In 1974, Evans became the first South Dakotan to receive a National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) fellowship in creative writing. He has also received writing grants from the Bush Artist Foundation in St. Paul, Minnesota, and the South Dakota Arts Council. His poetry, fiction, and essays have appeared in numerous literary magazines and journals, as well as more than 60 anthologies, including Best Poems of 1969 (The Borestone Awards), Heartland II: Poets of the Midwest, The Norton Book of Sports, The Sporting Life, Imaging Home, Poetspeak, Motion: American Sports Poems, and Fathers.
His poetry—particularly his sports-themed writing—has been widely reprinted in anthologies and K–12 educational textbooks. Evans has served as a Fulbright Scholar to China twice, with appointments in Nanjing and Guangzhou. Over the span of more than 25 years, he has held writing residencies with the South Dakota, Iowa, and Wyoming Arts Councils.
Evans is featured in several major biographical directories, including Contemporary Authors, International Authors and Writers Who’s Who, and Who’s Who in America.
In the fall of 1952, a group of faculty members, with the support of the South Dakota State College administration, organized a private stock corporation to address the growing need for faculty housing. The corporation aimed to acquire property and construct apartment buildings primarily for faculty rental, with assistance from the Federal Housing Administration. It developed and owned two six-unit apartment buildings located north of Sixth Street between 16th and 17th Avenues, across from Hillcrest Park. The Faculty Housing Company operated until January 21, 1963, when stockholders voted to dissolve the corporation at a special meeting.
The Freemasons. Grand Lodge of the State of South Dakota is the governing body for Freemasonry in South Dakota. Established shortly after South Dakota achieved statehood in 1889, the Grand Lodge oversees the activities of local Masonic lodges across the state, setting regulations, granting charters, and organizing statewide events and communications. Freemasonry, a fraternal organization with historical roots in medieval stonemason guilds, emphasizes moral and spiritual development, brotherhood, charity, and civic responsibility.
In South Dakota, the Grand Lodge publishes materials such as proceedings of annual communications, newsletters, ritual guides, and historical summaries, which document the administrative and ceremonial activities of Masons in the state. These publications also often include member directories, lodge reports, and commemorative content related to Masonic anniversaries and public service. The Grand Lodge has historically played a role in community leadership and philanthropy throughout South Dakota.
The Scotland, South Dakota chapter of the Future Farmers of America (FFA) is an active organization dedicated to promoting agricultural education and leadership among high school students. Established in the mid-20th century, the chapter has a long-standing tradition of excellence in FFA judging competitions, community service, and student leadership development. Under the guidance of dedicated advisors, the Scotland FFA has produced numerous state contest winners and alumni who have gone on to leadership roles in agricultural education and industry. The chapter remains a vital part of the Scotland School District and continues to participate in local, state, and national FFA programs.
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.
Gamma Sigma Delta, the Honor Society of Agriculture, established its South Dakota State University chapter on May 27, 1958. The organization recognizes high standards of scholarship and achievement in agriculture and related disciplines, including forestry and natural resources. The chapter was formed to promote academic excellence, professionalism, and service within the university’s agricultural programs.
The SDSU chapter has participated in national activities of the society, including hosting the national conclave in 1974 under the theme “Agriculture in the Modern World.” Chapter members have received recognition at both the national and international levels, including awards for distinguished service to agriculture. Through its activities and recognition programs, the chapter has supported scholarly and professional achievement within the agricultural community.
Field of Activity: Geography
Delta Zeta Chapter (South Dakota State University)
Wayne Scott Gardner was born January 11, 1920, and died April 19, 2014. He served three years in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II, including a tour of duty on Guadalcanal. He married Leona Oberly in Clifton, Colorado.
Following his military service, Gardner pursued higher education under the GI Bill, earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in botany and plant pathology from Utah State Agricultural College in Logan. He was subsequently employed as a civilian researcher by the United States Army in Utah and later conducted environmental and crop research for U.S. Steel Corporation in Utah and Pennsylvania.
At the age of 43, Gardner returned to academic study under a Regents Fellowship at the University of California, Davis, where he earned a Ph.D. in plant pathology in 1967. His doctoral research focused on barley stripe mosaic virus, and he received recognition for outstanding accomplishment in electron microscopy at UC Davis.
Gardner was hired as an associate professor at South Dakota State University in Brookings, where his teaching and research emphasized the use of the electron microscope in plant pathology. He also served on a United States Agency for International Development mission to Botswana. While living in Brookings, he participated actively in Toastmasters and the Pitchblenders Barbershop Chorus. Gardner retired from South Dakota State University in 1985.
Gordon Richard Garnos was born on April 6, 1935, in Presho, South Dakota, to Carl and Louise (Schnert) Garnos. He served in the United States Air Force from 1954 to 1958, and earned a B.S. degree from the University of South Dakota in 1964. Garnos began his journalism career as a reporter for the Watertown Public Opinion, later leaving to serve as Executive Vice President of the American Cancer Society of South Dakota for two years. He returned to the Public Opinion in 1968, advancing through various editorial roles, including Area Editor and News Editor. In 1980, he was named Editor, a position he held until his retirement in 2002.
Following his retirement, Garnos continued to contribute to journalism by writing the weekly opinion column Seeing South Dakota, which was syndicated in nearly a dozen newspapers across the state. He continued the column until his death in 2016.
Garnos received numerous honors for both his journalism and civic service. He was named South Dakota Newsman of the Year in 1981, received several Golden Apple awards from the South Dakota Education Association, and was recognized as a Lusk Fellow by the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication at South Dakota State University. He was inducted into the South Dakota Newspaper Hall of Fame in 2007 and the South Dakota Hall of Fame in 2010. In addition to his journalistic contributions, he served on the Watertown City Council from 2002 to 2010.
He married Elizabeth McFarland in Chester, England, on September 7, 1958. They had four children: William, Heather Simmonds, Richard, and Christopher. Gordon Garnos passed away on December 9, 2016.
Gartner earned a B.S. in Range Science from the University of Wyoming, Laramie, in 1950, an M.S. in Range Science from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1956, and a Ph.D. in Range Science from the University of Wyoming, Laramie, in 1967. He began his career as a Veterans Instructor in Agriculture in Newcastle, Wyoming, from 1950 to 1952. After serving in the U.S. Army from 1952 to 1954, he worked as a Junior Specialist in research at the Experiment Station, School of Forestry, University of California, Berkeley, from 1954 to 1955. From 1956 to 1964 he was an Assistant Professor of Range Management at South Dakota State University in Brookings. In 1967 he served as a Research Assistant in the Plant Science Division at the University of Wyoming, Laramie, and later that year joined Colorado State University, Fort Collins, as an Associate Professor of Range Science for the 1967–1968 academic year. In 1968 he moved to the National College of Business in Rapid City, South Dakota, where he was Chairman of the Division of General Education until 1969. He then joined the Department of Animal Science at South Dakota State University’s Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Rapid City as an Associate Professor of Range Science, a position he held from 1969 to 1975. Since 1975 he has served as Regional Coordinator for the Society for Range Management and the Old West Regional Commission range resource program.
He has been a life member of the Society for Range Management and served as its Director from 1972 to 1975. He was Vice President of the South Dakota Section of the Society in 1962 and President in 1963. Since 1970 he has been Newsletter Editor for the South Dakota Section of the Society for Range Management. He is also a member of Alpha Zeta (since 1949), Chi Gamma Iota (since 1966), Gamma Sigma Delta (since 1965), and Sigma Xi (since 1965). His research expertise includes plant ecology, fire ecology, range plant physiology, range soils, and range improvement and management.
Robert Brewster Gay was an American architect active in South Dakota. He became a member of the American Institute of Architects in 1964 and was a partner in the architectural firm Gass & Gay from approximately 1961 to 1967. Gay’s work focused on civic and institutional design during the mid-20th century. He died in 1985.
The General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC) traces its origins to 1868, when Jane Cunningham Croly founded the Sorosis Club in New York City. In 1889, she united women’s clubs nationwide to form a national federation.
In South Dakota, the women’s club movement was spearheaded by Clara D. Coe, founder of the Round Table Club of Deadwood (1887). Coe organized the Black Hills Federation of Women’s Clubs in 1897, which joined the national GFWC in 1898. As the appointed Federation organizer for South Dakota, Coe convened a meeting on December 8, 1899, in Deadwood, and reconvened it on January 15, 1900, where the South Dakota Federation of Women’s Clubs (now GFWC of South Dakota) was formally established. The group affiliated with the national GFWC on March 1, 1900. Its first state convention was held June 14–15, 1900, in Aberdeen, with thirteen clubs represented and Winona Axtell Lyon elected president.
The organization aims to unite non-partisan, non-sectarian women’s clubs throughout South Dakota to foster collaboration and promote intellectual, moral, and social advancement. It is divided into six districts and governed by elected officers and board members, including the editor of The South Dakota Clubwoman and the Director of Junior Clubs. Committees and departments mirror national GFWC priorities in areas such as arts, education, conservation, international affairs, and public policy.
The Brookings Civic League was founded on April 12, 1912, by forty local women responding to civic needs in partnership with Mayor A. A. Harris and the Commercial Club. Early initiatives included organizing waste collection and enhancing public sanitation. The League affiliated with the South Dakota Federation in 1914 during the women’s suffrage campaign and contributed to wartime efforts by establishing the Brookings Chapter of the American Red Cross. In 1919, it helped form the City Federation of Women’s Clubs to coordinate local women’s organizations.
Throughout the 20th century, the Brookings Civic League led local improvement projects, including health campaigns, urban beautification, tree conservation, and educational support like school milk programs. It also operated a rest area for rural women and played a foundational role in creating the South Dakota Art Museum at South Dakota State University.
As municipal services expanded in the later 20th century, the League shifted focus to social and philanthropic activities. It continues this legacy through events such as the annual Craft & Collectibles Fair, which supports the South Dakota Art Museum.
GFWC Brookings was founded on March 24, 1977, as Community Federated Women and formally affiliated with GFWC in 1983. Its members were active in the City Federation and structured the club according to GFWC departments. Projects have included youth leadership programs, wellness initiatives, legislative awareness, and fundraising for South Dakota Public Broadcasting.
The concept for a state art center was first proposed under the presidency of Mrs. Herbert Kenyon (1947–1949). In 1950, the South Dakota Federation endorsed the creation of a Memorial Art Center, building on its decades-long promotion of cultural enrichment through circulating art collections. The South Dakota Board of Regents approved the placement of the center at South Dakota State University in Brookings. Fundraising yielded nearly $350,000, supplemented by a federal grant and a $55,000 contribution from the Federation. Construction began in 1969, and the Memorial Art Center—now the South Dakota Art Museum—was dedicated in May 1970.
The Geography Club at South Dakota State University developed following the reestablishment of the geography major in 1967. As interest in the program expanded, students organized a club to promote professional engagement in the discipline. On March 2, 1970, the Delta Zeta Chapter of Gamma Theta Upsilon, the international geography honor society, was chartered at the university, providing a formal structure for student involvement and academic recognition.
The organization was established to promote professional interest in geography, encourage student research, and provide academic and social opportunities beyond the classroom. Membership requirements included completion of geography coursework and demonstrated academic achievement. In 1970, the chapter initiated the South Dakota State Geography Convention to foster collaboration among students and professionals in the field. The convention later expanded in scope and duration, becoming a recurring event associated with the club’s activities. Through meetings, events, and sponsored programming, the Geography Club and Gamma Theta Upsilon chapter have supported student development within the Department of Geography and Geospatial Sciences.
Propaganda played a prominent role in German political and social life during the twentieth century, particularly during the two World Wars. During World War I, Germany, like other major powers, produced propaganda posters to mobilize public support for the war effort. These posters encouraged military enlistment, promoted civilian participation and sacrifice, and often employed patriotic imagery and appeals to national duty, sometimes accompanied by anti-Allied messaging.
In the years preceding and during World War II, propaganda became a central instrument of state policy under the Nazi regime. Directed by Joseph Goebbels, the Ministry of Propaganda oversaw a comprehensive system that controlled newspapers, films, radio broadcasts, and visual media. Posters were widely used because they could quickly communicate messages to broad audiences in public spaces.
Nazi propaganda posters served multiple purposes, including promoting the leadership of Adolf Hitler and the ideology of the Nazi Party. They were designed to advance themes of Aryan racial ideology and German nationalism, justify military expansion, encourage public sacrifice for the war effort, and spread antisemitic, anti-communist, and anti-Allied messages. Many posters emphasized unity, discipline, and loyalty among both civilians and soldiers.
Visually, these posters often relied on bold compositions, heroic figures, and dramatic imagery. Designers frequently used symbolic color schemes, particularly red, black, and white, alongside emotionally charged slogans intended to shape public opinion and reinforce ideological conformity.
Following the end of World War II, Allied authorities confiscated large quantities of Nazi propaganda materials. These materials were examined as evidence of psychological warfare and state-directed indoctrination. Today, historians study such posters as examples of how visual media functioned within authoritarian systems and as historical documentation of propaganda’s influence on public perception.