John Kenneth Galbraith wrote some of the most influential works in mid-twentieth-century economics, including The Affluent Society (1958) and The New Industrial State (1967). He also served in multiple U.S. administrations and was appointed Ambassador to India by President John F. Kennedy. Recognized with the Medal of Freedom in 1946 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2000, Galbraith bridged scholarship, public service, and diplomacy.