Who Is John Kenneth Galbraith? Age, Biography and Wiki
John Kenneth Galbraith was born on October 15, 1908, in Iona Station, Ontario, Canada. He stood out as a prominent economist and diplomat throughout the 20th century, serving as a key advisor to several U.S. presidents and influencing economic thought with his works, including "The Affluent Society" and "The New Industrial State." In 2025, Galbraith’s enduring legacy continues to inspire economists and policymakers around the world. Galbraith passed away on April 29, 2006, but his impact on economics and society remains significant.
| Occupation | Presidents |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | October 15, 1908 |
| Age | 97 Years |
| Birth Place | Iona Station, Ontario, Canada |
| Horoscope | Libra |
| Country | Canada |
| Date of death | 29 April, 2006 |
| Died Place | Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S. |
Popularity
John Kenneth Galbraith's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
While specific physical measurements for John Kenneth Galbraith, given his passing in 2006, are not readily accessible, he was known to have a commanding presence. His height was reported to be around 6 feet 3 inches (190.5 cm). His weight fluctuated during his life, reflective of the standard health metrics for a man of his stature.
He had three siblings: Alice, Catherine, and Archibald William (Bill). By the time he was a teenager, he had adopted the name Ken, and later disliked being called John. Galbraith grew to be a very tall man, attaining a height of 6 ft.
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
John Kenneth Galbraith was married to Catherine Merriam Atwater in 1931, with whom he had a family comprising three children. His wife was a significant influence on his life and work. The couple maintained a strong partnership throughout their lives, and their family life reflected Galbraith’s values of thrift and intellectual enrichment. After his spouse's passing, he did not remarry.
His father was a farmer, school teacher, president of a cooperative insurance company, and local official of the Liberal Party. His mother, a homemaker and a community activist, died when he was fourteen years old. The family farm was located on Thomson Line. Both of his parents were supporters of the United Farmers of Ontario in the 1920s.
Net Worth and Salary
At the time of his death in 2006, John Kenneth Galbraith was estimated to have a net worth of several million dollars, significantly accrued through his academic career, books, and public speaking engagements. As of 2025, though his estate continues to reflect his investment in education and literature, specific updates on his earnings are not typically disclosed, given the years since his passing.
The United States went into WWII with an economy still not fully recovered from the Great Depression. Because wartime production needs mandated large budget deficits and an accommodating monetary policy, inflation and a runaway wage-price spiral were seen as likely.
As a part of a team charged with keeping inflation from damaging the war effort, Galbraith served as a deputy administrator of the Office of Price Administration (OPA) during World War II in 1941–1943. The OPA directed the process of stabilization of prices and rents.
Career, Business and Investments
Galbraith's career spanned academia, government, and publishing. Notably, he served as the U.S. Ambassador to India from 1961 to 1963. Throughout his career, he published numerous influential books and articles that proposed new theories in economics and critiqued consumerism and corporate power. His focus on the socio-economic context of wealth distribution and economic growth helped shape modern economic policy.
His investments were primarily centered around his intellectual ventures, leading to a solid reputation as a thought leader rather than a conventional businessman. Galbraith remained actively involved in academic circles, long after his formal retirement, contributing to discussions that shaped economic policies.
On May 11, 1941, President Roosevelt created the Office of Price Administration and Civilian Supply (OPACS). On August 28, 1941, it became the Office of Price Administration (OPA). After the US entered the war in December 1941, OPA was tasked with rationing and price controls.
The Emergency Price Control Act passed on January 30, 1942, legitimized the OPA as a separate federal agency. It merged OPA with two other agencies: Consumer Protection Division and Price Stabilization Division of the Advisory Commission to the Council of National Defense.
The council was referred to as the National Defense Advisory Commission (NDAC), and was created on May 29, 1940. NDAC emphasized voluntary and advisory methods in keeping prices low. Leon Henderson, the NDAC commissioner for price stabilization, became the administrator of OPACS and of OPA in 1941–1942.
He oversaw a mandatory and vigorous price regulation that started in May 1942 after OPA introduced the General Maximum Price Regulation (GMPR). It was much criticized by the business community.
In response, OPA mobilized the public on behalf of the new guidelines and said that it reduced the options for those who were seeking higher rents or prices. OPA had its own Enforcement Division, which documented the increase of violations: a quarter million in 1943 and more than 300,000 during the next year.
Social Network
Although John Kenneth Galbraith wasn't part of modern social media networks like Instagram or Twitter during his lifetime, his influence can still be witnessed online. His legacy is preserved through various academic institutions, organizations, and forums that discuss and promote his economic theories. Today, many scholars and enthusiasts share his writings and ideas on platforms dedicated to economics.
John Kenneth Galbraith (October 15, 1908 – April 29, 2006), also known as Ken Galbraith, was a Canadian-American economist, diplomat, public official, and intellectual. His books on economic topics were bestsellers from the 1950s through the 2000s. As an economist, he leaned toward post-Keynesian economics from an institutionalist perspective.
He served as the deputy director of the powerful Office of Price Administration (OPA) during World War II in charge of stabilizing all prices, wages and rents in the American economy, to combat the threat of inflation and hoarding during a time of shortages and rationing, a task which was successfully accomplished.
Education
John Kenneth Galbraith began his educational journey at the University of Toronto and later earned his Ph.D. in economics from Harvard University. His academic background laid the foundation for his future impacts on economic thought and policy. As an educator, he also taught at Harvard, sharing his insights with the next generation of economists and public policy experts.
Galbraith was a long-time Harvard faculty member and stayed with Harvard University for half a century as a professor of economics. He was a prolific author and wrote four dozen books, including several novels, and published more than a thousand articles and essays on various subjects.
Among his works was a trilogy on economics, American Capitalism (1952), The Affluent Society (1958), and The New Industrial State (1967).
