Daniel Mauck Galbreath, chairman emeritus of The Galbreath Co., died of cancer on Sept. 3 at his home. He was 67. His distinguished career as an international real estate executive, sportsman and civic leader spans more than four decades. Recognized for accomplishments as varied as his roles as developer, business expert and breeder of top Thoroughbred race horses, Galbreath also was well respected as a civic leader, conservationist and advocate for higher education.
Galbreath served as chairman and chief executive of the Columbus, Ohio-based Galbreath Co. from 1980 until 1995, when he assumed the position of chairman emeritus. The Galbreath Co. is a real estate development, management and leasing firm with projects and assignments in more than 30 U.S. cities and operations in Mexico, Europe, Asia and South Africa. Among his numerous achievements during his long association with the firm are:
* Developing the world's largest privately owned apartment project, a 13,000-unit complex in Hong Kong;
* Developing an office building and apartment community for Mobil Corp. in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; and
* Spearheading a $250 million joint venture with The Trump Organization and General Electric Pension Trust to transform a 52-story Manhattan office tower into a luxury hotel and residence condominium.
The Galbreath Co., founded in 1921 by Galbreath's father, the late John W. Galbreath, today has management leasing responsibilities for more than 95 million sq. ft. of office and commercial space, making it a national leader in the field. Galbreath led the company's strategic transformation from a development-oriented firm to a full-service real estate organization.
The firm, formerly John W. Galbreath & Co., has had major impact on Columbus' skyline, developing Nationwide Plaza, American Electric Power's headquarters, the Banc One corporate center, the Borden Building and Rhodes State Office Tower. In addition, the firm developed the Ohio Center, Hyatt Regency, Columbia Gas building and the Capitol Square office-hotel complex.
The firm also has carried out major projects across the United States and overseas, including the 2.7 million sq. ft. USX headquarters in Pittsburgh; the Mobil Corp. U.S. headquarters in Fairfax, Va.; the Mead Corp. world headquarters in Dayton, Ohio; and the Goldman Sachs headquarters in New York, among others.
Galbreath was a director of the National Realty Committee. Other past directorships include the Borden Chemicals and Plastics Partnership, The Ohio Chamber of Commerce, The Ohio Business Roundtable and others. He is a past director of Banc One Corp. and Banc One, Columbus, NA. Galbreath was appointed to the Federal Reserve Bank Board in 1985, a term he served until 1989. He also served on the Chemical Bank National Advisory Board.
Galbreath recently announced that his daughter, Lizanne Galbreath, was named chairwoman and CEO of The Galbreath Co. in a planned succession.
The Galbreath family's long-time interests in sports have been carried on under Dan Galbreath's leadership, with Galbreath formerly serving as president of the Pittsburgh Pirates, which won the World Series pennant in 1960, 1971 and 1979. He also has continued the family's tradition of owning and breeding some of the nation's top Thoroughbred race horses. Galbreath's additional sports-related accomplishments include serving as a director of Churchill Downs Inc., the Keeneland Association and The National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame. He was a former chairman of the Player Relations Committee of Major League Baseball and was a member of The Jockey Club.
An avid wildlife enthusiast and conservationist, Galbreath was chairman of the Wildlife Conservation Fund of America; director of the Atlantic Salmon Federation; trustee of The Wilds, a 9,000-acre wildlife preserve in Muskingum County; and director and former chairman of the Columbus Zoological Park Association.
The Columbus community has long benefited from Galbreath's leadership and business acumen. He was past president of Columbus Rotary Club, trustee of The Economics Club of Columbus, past chairman of The Columbus Foundation, and trustee of the Capitol Square Renovation Foundation, which is overseeing a $110 million renovation and revitalization of Ohio's 134-year-old Capitol and grounds. He was a past director, vice chairman and chairman of the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce.
After earning a bachelor's degree from Amherst College in 1950, Galbreath returned to Columbus to earn a master's degree in business administration from The Ohio State University. He was a past member and chairman of OSU's board of trustees and was instrumental in establishing the University's Veterinary Trauma Center.
Galbreath was a former member of the board of trustees of Rollins College and was active in the Amherst College Alumni Association where he established the Daniel M. Galbreath Scholarship Fund.
Among Galbreath's numerous awards and recognitions was the Columbus Award, presented by the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce in 1988; the Governor's Award, presented by Gov. James Rhodes in 1980; the Distinguished Service Award, presented by the OSU board of trustees in 1994 and the Formation of Dinamo's Distinguished Service Award from the Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce, presented in 1982.
Galbreath resided at Darby Dan Farm in Galloway, Ohio. In addition to daughter Lizanne, he is survived by two other children, Laurie Nichols of Denver and John W. "Squire" Galbreath II of Fort Lauderdale, and five grandchildren.
