John Galston – A Well-Known Political Scientist

John Galston is a renowned political scientist whose work has had a lasting impact. He engaged in multiple areas of American politics and domestic policy for over four decades, earning him widespread respect.

His work addresses political polarization as an impediment to interest representation and integration within politics, which he views as a threat to democracy itself.

Early Life and Education

Galston began his educational journey at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. He enrolled in the agricultural college and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1940.

Galston became actively involved with the university’s Botanical Society during his studies. He served on its board of directors and served as its president for two years.

He then went on to receive a doctorate in botany from the University of Illinois, with his dissertation focused on the flowering process of soybean plants.

Galston began teaching at Yale after earning his doctorate. Additionally, he conducted research on plant photobiology – the study of light’s interaction with plants -.

Professional Career

Galston was a plant biologist who focused on several research projects throughout his career. However, his most significant discovery was identifying the molecule responsible for absorbing light in plants – an achievement which still stands to this day.

In 1943, Galston was approached by the US Military to assist with a rubber research project. He was paired with plant biologist James Bonner at Caltech and their collaboration proved fruitful.

They began research to transform a woody shrub called guayule into rubber, but ultimately their efforts proved ineffective.

Galston led protests against Agent Orange use during the Vietnam War in the 1960s, calling on his fellow plant physiologists to send a formal letter of inquiry to President Lyndon B. Johnson who authorized its use.

Achievements and Honors

Galston’s most significant discovery was his discovery of vitamin B2 or riboflavin molecule. This discovery inspired his work on photobiology, or how light affects plants. The biochemical compound he discovered is now known as pro-vitamin b2, and its presence has a major effect on plant health and growth.

Galston was an esteemed plant physiologist who also had a keen sense of social and ethical responsibility. During the Vietnam War, for instance, he and others protested the development of Agent Orange – an herbicide which defoliated trees and removed enemy cover due to its synthetic chemical dioxin, later linked to birth defects.

Personal Life

Galston was a quiet and earnest individual with an admirable character. He advocated for temperance issues and served on the Galston Town Council for over two decades.

He was also involved in the Vietnam War, where he opposed using herbicides such as Agent Orange on jungle foliage and enemy food sources. He and other scientists advocated for an end to these defoliants which they believed to be harmful to both humans and animals alike.

In the 1970s, Galston joined forces with Harvard University researcher Matthew Meselson to advocate for toxicological studies on Agent Orange. That research revealed TCDD to be highly toxic and linked to birth defects; President Richard Nixon then ordered an end to herbicide use in Vietnam.

Net Worth

John Galston has an estimated net worth of $4,856,923. He resides in Galston with his wife Miriam who is a philosopher and associate professor at George Washington University Law School as well as authoring her book Politics and Excellence. Additionally, she serves as senior fellow at Brookings Institution and has two children named Benjamin and Isabel.