John and Laura Galbraith

Laura Galbraith, UC San Diego supporter and wife to the university’s second chancellor, John Galbraith, died on Aug. 9 of pancreatic cancer.  She was 93.  

Friends and the university remember Galbraith for her dedication to UC San Diego’s advancement and efforts to reach out to the San Diego community. Laura and John  Galbraith arrived at UC San Diego in 1962, when John began his tenure as vice chancellor, before he was named chancellor in 1964. 

A former teacher, Laura Galbraith was a strong advocate of literacy efforts and longtime supporter of the UC San Diego Libraries. Together with her husband, Laura was an active member of the Friends of the UCSD Library, a donor group providing annual support to bolster the campus library system.  The couple made charitable gifts to the UC San Diego Libraries and donated a significant number of books and papers to the Libraries’ collections.

Laura and John Galbraith believed that a great university must have an outstanding library. During John Galbraith’s chancellorship, plans for what is now Geisel Library were developed and approved, with architect William Pereira’s unusual design — a concrete and glass inverted pyramid — promoted by Galbraith as one that would give the library building great visual prominence in the campus landscape and emphasize the intellectual importance of its collections.

“Laura Galbraith, along with her husband Chancellor Galbraith, was an early and stalwart supporter of the UCSD Libraries and all that they stand for: literacy, knowledge, learning and discovery,” said Brian Schottlaender, UC San Diego’s Audrey Geisel University Librarian. “Laura and John Galbraith’s many contributions played an important role in shaping and building the UCSD Library system, which has grown to become one of the top 25 public academic libraries in the nation.”

The Galbraiths also donated an endowment to the UC San Diego Department of History with annual income slated for faculty research and professional activities. In addition, Laura Galbraith was founding president of the UCSD Medical Center Auxiliary, and active with community organizations including the American Red Cross, Fine Arts Society, Family Service Association, YWCA, Musical Arts Society Board and San Diego Opera Guild.

In 1940, Laura Elizabeth Huddleston married John Galbraith, who passed away in 2003. Laura Galbraith is survived by three children, James Marshall Galbraith, John Huddleston Galbraith and Mary Patricia Galbraith; seven grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

Gifts in Laura Galbraith’s memory can be made to the Galbraith University Library Fund. Checks payable to the UC San Diego Foundation (with “In memory of Laura Galbraith, Fund 1639” in the memo) can be sent to UC San Diego Gift Processing, 9500 Gilman Drive, #0940, La Jolla, CA 92093-0940. Donations also can be made online at www.givetoucsd.ucsd.edu; on the Gifts Designation page, in Option A, select “Libraries” in the first drop-down, then “Galbraith University Library Fund” in the second drop-down menu.