John Semple Galbraith (November 10, 1916 – June 10, 2003) was a British Empire

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human species; as well as the ...

concentrating on Canada (The Hudson's Bay Company) and South and East Africa. He served as chancellor of the

University of California, San Diego The University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego in communications material, formerly and colloquially UCSD) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in San Diego, California, United States. Es ...

from 1964 to 1968. He was a native of

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

; his family emigrated to the United States in 1926. He received a BA from

Miami University Miami University (informally Miami of Ohio or simply Miami) is a public university, public research university in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the second-oldest List of colleges and universities in Ohio, university in Ohi ...

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in 1938, and Ph.D. in 1943 at the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (U of I, UIowa, or Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized int ...

, working under his dissertation adviser, C. W. de Kiewiet. He served as an Army historical officer for the

Third Air Force The Third Air Force (Air Forces Europe) (3 AF) is a Numbered Air Force, numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA). Its headquarters is Ramstein Air Base, Germany. It is responsible for all U ...

until 1946, and assumed a professorship at

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school then known as the southern branch of the C ...

in 1948. He was the second chancellor of the relatively new University of California San Diego. As a condition of accepting the chancellorship in 1964, he secured a promise from

University of California The University of California (UC) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university, research university system in the U.S. state of California. Headquartered in Oakland, California, Oakland, the system is co ...

president

Clark Kerr Clark Kerr (May 17, 1911 – December 1, 2003) was an American economist and academic administrator. He was the first chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley, and twelfth president of the University of California. Early life and ...

that a library would be built and that UCSD would receive full standing as an autonomous university of the system.

Geisel Library Geisel Library is the main library building of the University of California, San Diego. It is named in honor of Audrey Geisel, Audrey and Theodor Seuss Geisel, the latter of whom is better known as children's author Dr. Seuss. The building's di ...

is considered his legacy at UCSD. Galbraith's published work includes: ''Mackinnon and East Africa 1878–1895: A Study in the 'New Imperialism'', Cambridge Commonwealth Series (Nov 22, 1972); ''The little emperor: Governor Simpson of the Hudson's Bay company'' (1976); ''The Hudson's Bay Company as an imperial factor, 1821–1869'' (1957); ''Crown and Charter: The Early Years of the British South Africa Company'', Perspectives on Southern Africa (Aug 1975); ''Reluctant Empire: British Policy on the South African Frontier, 1834–1854'' (Jun 1963). He left the campus for a visiting fellowship at

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...

in 1968, and subsequently resumed teaching at UCLA.

References

External links

John Semple Galbraith Papers
MSS 41
Special Collections & Archives
UC San Diego Library. 1916 births 2003 deaths Academics from Glasgow Scottish emigrants to the United States Miami University alumni University of Iowa alumni Chancellors of the University of California, San Diego University of California, Los Angeles faculty 20th-century American historians American male non-fiction writers Historians from California 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American academics {{US-historian-stub