James Gambucci - Athlete - 1969
Jim is a dental educator at the University of Minnesota and also runs a private practice. He and his wife Cindy reside in Minneapolis. Jim has two sons, Jim (Jeanne), Oak Park, Illinois, and Tony (Liz), Oceanside, California. Jim also has one daughter, Lia, who is attending the University of Minnesota.
While at Central, Jim was a three-sport athlete, lettering nine times. As a senior, he was Central’s only all-conference football player playing running back and linebacker. Jim was a member of three state championship hockey teams, earning all-conference honors. In tennis, Jim was a state doubles and singles champion. Jim not only excelled as an athlete, but also as a student. He was the senior class president, president of the letterman’s club, and a member of the student council.
After graduation Jim enrolled at the University of Minnesota where he was a Williams Scholar and member of the hockey team. Jim was the captain for the Gophers his senior year. Jim felt that he was part of a long tradition of excellence at GFC and that he had an obligation to carry on the tradition. This tradition included both athletic and academic excellence.
A significant memory of Jim’s was that on April 5, 1968 he walked into chemistry class and noticed that his teacher, Mr. Hurley, was more quiet than usual. The evening before, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. “When we were in our seats, Mr. Hurley spoke at great length and with great passion about the incident and its significance to our country. I recall his breadth and depth of understanding about issues outside of his academic realm as a high school science teacher. He spoke to us as adults who need to be aware and educated about the world outside of our school and hometown. It was a great lesson in citizenship, and one I recall frequently as I carry out my adult roles as parent, teacher, and citizen of the United States.”