An adviser to President John F. Kennedy '40, Galbraith served as U.S. ambassador to India from 1961 to 1963. Galbraith also authored several widely read books, including his popular The Affluent Society, which was first published in 1958.
In this and other books, Galbraith argued for a Keynesian approach to economics and public policy. He has advocated government spending to fight unemployment and poverty.
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Galbraith has remained vocal and active in his later years. Last November, he gave a speech sponsored by the College Democrats. Also in November, he lent his support to a Harvard student's petition to remove a U.S. naval base from the Puerto Rican island of Vieques.