CSB+SJU remembers alumnus Phil Galanis

The CSB+SJU community mourns the loss of Phil Galanis, alumnus from the class of 1975 and dear friend to the campuses. First arriving to campus in 1971, his devotion to the greater CSB+SJU community spanned decades. He served St. John’s and St. Ben’s as a member of the CSB+SJU trustee board, a president of the Bahamas Alumni Association, a member of the SJU Leadership Council and a Bahamian student recruitment ambassador.

However, his impact was not limited to the CSB+SJU communities. He also profoundly impacted The Bahamas as a former member of parliament, senator and leader in the Progressive Liberal Party of The Bahamas. His absence will be felt by many members of these communities.

CSB+SJU students had an opportunity to meet Phil Galanis in January on the study tour in The Bahamas sponsored by the Eugene J. McCarthy Center and Climate Justice Club. In conversation with these students, Galanis shared his experience as a member of the Bahamian parliament and the Bahamian senate, as well as his work as a public servant. He expressed his hope for the future of the country and the profound impact he felt young people could have on the world as a whole.

Matt Lindstrom, professor of political science at CSB+SJU and leader of The Bahamas study tour in January, recounts his conversations with Galanis.

“Phil Galanis was a consummate gentlemen and scholar; he was one of the kindest people I’ve ever met,” Lindstrom said.

Lindstrom credits Galanis with helping CSB+SJU do something they had never done before: get a sitting head of a country to visit campus. In December 2023, Phil Galanis was the “number one point person” for Prime Minister Philip Davis.

“He was incredibly generous to students of CSB and SJU. He would say yes whenever students and staff reached out to him for ideas or help. He was an incredible champion of the 100+ year relationship the schools have with The Bahamas and the Bahamian community,” Lindstrom said.

Lindstrom also remembers Phil Galanis’ hospitality toward the students and staff who visited the Bahamas in January.

“Phil was an amazing host to the students on the trip. He aligned us with numerous alumni and opened so many doors for us in the country. He offered us a rich history of the country both in his involvement and his friends’ involvement in the early days and sustaining the systems they helped construct. He was so generous with his time and so generous with his talents,” Lindstrom said.

Phil Galanis impacted both The Bahamas and CSB+SJU during his life, and both communities mourn his life.

“He and his contributions will never be forgotten,” Lindstrom said.