WILLIAM JAMES GALBRAITH

Following his graduation Dr. Galbraith practiced in several mainland cities, among them Denver, Colorado, Ogden, Utah, and Portland, Oregon, where he specialized in surgery. Prior to coming to Hawaii he was chief surgeon for the United Pacific Railway system with headquarters at Omaha, Nebraska, and professor of surgery at Creighton Medical College in Omaha. In 1899 he resigned from his post with the Union Pacific and came to Honolulu in June, accompanied by his son, to recuperate from a severe attack of pneumonia.

In January, 1900, Dr. and Mrs. Galbraith returned to Honolulu to settle. His first office and residence were at the Hawaiian Hotel. He limited his practice to surgery and gynecology and was on the honorary staff at the Queen's Hospital. In April, 1900, he became associated with Dr. James Raymond and took over his practice in his absence, and for a time in 1901 he cared for Dr. Frank Miner's practice while he was away. Appointed acting Superintendent of the Insane Asylum by the Board of Health in April, 1903, he served only a little more than a month when he asked for and was granted a leave of absence, seemingly to attend a Shrine convention. When Aloha Temple was organized in 1901, Dr. Galbraith was made High Priest, and in July, 1903, he represented the Aloha Temple at the Imperial Council held in Saratoga.

Dr. Galbraith was next heard from in a 1904 news article which reported that he was chief surgeon of the Cananea Copper Company hospital in the State of Sonoma, Mexico. Apparently, he held this position for several years and then resigned to become the private physician of Col. W.C. Greene, multi-millionaire copper king and former head of the Cananea Company. In July, 1908, he passed through Honolulu aboard the "Mongolia", accompanying the Colonel and his daughter on a trip to the Orient.

In December, 1922, Dr. Galbraith was ship's surgeon aboard "S.S. City of Los Angeles". The 1923 Medical Directory lists him as practicing in Los Angeles, and the 1927 Directory has him residing in Inglewood, California, where he died in July, 1933, at the age of 73.

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