Former Crimson Managing Editor William R. Galeota Jr. '70, a partner at the Shea and Gardner law firm, in Washington, D.C., drowned May 31 in a Delaware Bay boating accident. He was 50.

Galeota, born in Kingston, N.Y., was a lawyer later in life, but he was always a journalist at heart, according to friend and former Crimson President James M. Fallows '70.

"He was an absolutely unforgettable character," Fallows said. "He always seemed to be about the same age--40."

When Galeota wrote for The Crimson, he was known at 14 Plympton St. for his abrupt demeanor. Fallows remembers him as "a 1940s-style reporter" with his sleeves rolled up and ready for any story.

"He had this grownup newsroom air like a gruff grizzly bear," Fallows said.

Those close to him knew that behind this facade, was a principled, loyal and affectionate man.

Crimson Production Supervisor Emeritus Patrick R. Sorrento, who has worked with The Crimson staff since 1967, said Galeota was a "newspaper man through and through" and "a damn nice guy."

While Galeota wrote for The Crimson, he covered the House system and city issues.

As managing editor of The Crimson during the University Hall takeover in 1969, Galeota will be remembered as one of the lone conservative voices on the paper during the turbulent era.

Fallows said Galeota's views placed him on the far right of The Crimson political spectrum.

"He thought the protest movement was irresponsible, out of control," said Fallows.

Galeota's tough demeanor served him well during this time of unrest at Harvard.

"It was a hectic time, not a time for clowning around, because there was a lot of business at hand," Sorrento said. "He had a good heart but was tough as nails on anybody to get the best out of them."

Fallows said The Crimson was the most important thing to Galeota during his Harvard years.

"He was in there day after day putting out the paper," Fallows said.

After graduation, Galeota spent a brief stint as a Wall Street Journal reporter, covering the pulp and paper industry.

For the 25th reunion of the Class of 1970, Galeota wrote his remembrances in an article for The Crimson titled "A Year of Protests and Demonstrations."

"Not long before our Commencement, as I stood in the Lowell House bell tower and watched tear gas canisters arch above Mt. Auburn Street during the Kent State/Cambodia riots, I could only think of those times as the antebellum Harvard," he wrote.

After leaving the Wall Street Journal, Galeota enrolled in Harvard Law School, where he served as an editor of the Law Review.

He then moved to New York to work as a law clerk on the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals before finally settling in as a lawyer living in McLean, Va., a suburb of Washington, D.C.

Outside the office, Galeota was an avid coin collector and expert on ancient coins. He began his hobby as a small child in Columbia, Mo.

Galeota is survived by his wife Ceci, a daughter Julia and two sisters.