Ex-US envoy to India Galbraith dies

New York, Apr 30 (UNI) Former American ambassador to India John Kenneth Galbraith died yesterday in Massachusetts.

He passed away at a hospital in Cambridge, the New York Times reported today. He was 97.

A Canada-born naturalised American, an influential economist and author of ''The Affluent Society'', Mr Galbraith was an emeritus professor at Harvard University.

A close friend and a strong supporter of President John F Kennedy, Galbraith held the post of envoy to India, his only diplomatic assignment, between 1961 and 1963. Otherwise, he spent much of his time at Harvard.

He also wrote speeches for other Democratic presidential candidates-Adlai Stevenson and George McGovern.

Born in Ontario on October 15, 1908, Galbraith earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Toronto in 1931. Three years later, he earned a doctorate from the University of California, where he later began teaching.

His career at Harvard began in 1934 as a tutor and he was made economics professor there in 1949.

UNI XC KD RK1904