John S. Galbraith, 86; Chancellor Left Mark on UC San Diego

John S. Galbraith, a scholar on 19th century British history who served as UC San Diego's second chancellor and helped create the campus' identity, especially its landmark pyramid-shaped library, has died. He was 86.

Galbraith died Tuesday of complications from pneumonia at the Brookside Inn Convalescent Home in San Diego.

As a faculty representative on the UC Board of Regents in the early 1960s, the then-UCLA professor offered many suggestions as to how to make UCSD into an institution using Oxford University's model of individual colleges. UC officials were so impressed with his ideas that they recruited Galbraith in 1962 as vice chancellor of the new school during its planning and early construction stages.

Over the next two years, Galbraith and then-Chancellor Herbert York created the foundations for UCSD, turning a graduate institution with mostly oceanography, physics, chemistry and biology students into a comprehensive campus with undergraduates. Galbraith became chancellor in 1964 as the first undergraduate students arrived on campus; he served for four years.

"We worked very well together and shared common ideals. It was a happy time," York said in an interview. "He was of great help, particularly with regard to recruiting."

Galbraith quickly identified and attracted top scholars to teach at the school and made the establishment of a preeminent library one his main goals.

"A great humanities faculty needs a great library in the same way that scientists need great laboratories," he said at the time.

The project almost didn't happen. A year and a half into his tenure, Galbraith threatened to quit when it appeared that his dream would be deferred by UC system officials because of costs. But school faculty members persuaded him to remain, the library project proceeded and the facility opened in 1970.

His son, James, said his father considered the facility, now named the Geisel Library, as his crowning achievement at UCSD. He helped guide the conception and construction of the inverted pyramid built of concrete and glass designed by architect William Pereira.

"He took this very seriously," James Galbraith said. "He created something, and he was not going to let any unknowledgeable person get in the way of what needed to be done at the school."