John W. Galbreath*

John Galbreath was born in Derby, Ohio, in 1897. He and his five siblings grew up on farmland. He worked in the fields and performed other farm chores, and he worked to pay his way through Ohio University. One of his on-campus jobs was in the cafeteria, where he worked in return for his meals. He was elected class president in his freshman year and was business manager of the yearbook.

His first off-campus job was selling real estate in Columbus, Ohio, in 1920. After graduating in 1922, he formed his own company. Although it was hit hard by the Great Depression, the company offered him an opportunity to work out real estate problems for many large financial institutions. Many of the institutions that he served survived the Depression because of the way his company disposed of the foreclosed properties.

His company built town sites, office buildings, and thousands of residences throughout America. He owned the Pittsburgh Pirates and the 1967 Kentucky Derby winner, Proud Clarion.