John Kenneth Galbraith: Economist and Author of The Affluent Society Die

John Kenneth Galbraith was a Canadian-American economist and diplomat. Born on October 15, 1908, in Iona Station, Ontario, he taught at Harvard for about 50 years.

He served in the Office of Price Administration during World War II and was U.S. Ambassador to India from 1961 to 1963. His books include The Affluent Society (1958) and The New Industrial State (1967). He popularized the phrase "conventional wisdom."

Galbraith married Catherine Atwater in 1937, and they had four sons, including economist James K. Galbraith and diplomat Peter W. Galbraith. He died of natural causes in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on April 29, 2006, at age 97.

Achievements: Presidential Medal of Freedom (1946), Ambassador to India, author of The Affluent Society.

Birth: October 15, 1908 - Iona Station, Ontario, Canada.

Profession: Economist.

Interesting Facts: At 6 feet 8 inches, he was one of the tallest economists.