Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 6, Number 4, 1 April 1989 — Hemenway Honored At UH Program [ARTICLE]

Hemenway Honored At UH Program

On April 5, the University of Hawai'i will observe the 50th anniversary of Hemenway Hall, named for Charles Reed Hemenway, a prominent attorney and businessman in Honolulu from the 1900s to his death in 1947. Hemenway was a director of numerous major institutions in Hawaii and had many other corporate affiliations as well. Hemenway Hall, built in 1938 and opened in 1939, was financed entirely by the students, faculty, alumni and the Board of Regents of the University of Hawai'i. It was named after him in 1940. Hemenway, a native of Manchester, Vermont was a member of the UH Board of Regents for 30 years and was chairman from 1920 to 1940. He left his estate to the University of Hawai'i for an undergraduate scholarship fund specifically set aside for Oriental and Hawaiian students. The first awards were made in 1959. Hemenway's firm faith in the loyalty of Hawaii's residents of Japanese ancestry coupled with his considerable influence in the community enable him to help persuade first the FB1 and later the World War II military government not to plaee island Japanese in internment camps, as was being done on the mainland. Scholarship awards eonhnue to be made today, although any student who ean meet the academic criteria and demonstrate financial need may now apply. Grants range up to $2,000 and are applieable for study in the University of Hawai'i system. Chairman of the Charles Reed Hemenway scholarship fund for the last 10 years is Thomas Kaulukukui, Sr. , who is also chairman of the OHA Board of Trustees. Kaulukukui, who was a star high school and college athlete, attended UH as one of the first Hawaiians to receive the Hemenway scholarship. He holds a high respect for Hemenway, whom he knew personally. Kaulukukui will be master of ceremonies at a special program on the 5th, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Hemenway Hall.