Commissioning of the USS Daniel Inouye

On December 8, the USS Daniel Inouye (DDG 118) was commissioned at Pearl Harbor. The destroyer, whose motto is “Go For Broke,” honors Senator Inouye’s life and public service.

Left: Daniel Inouye enlisting in the army as a University of Hawaiʻi freshman, ca. January-February 1943. Photo: Ka Leo. Senator Daniel K. Inouye Papers, Hawaiʻi Congressional Papers Collection, University Archives & Manuscripts Department, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Library. Right: The USS Daniel Inouye.

Inouye, a member of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, represented Hawaiʻi in the U.S. House from 1959 to 1963, and in the U.S. Senate from 1963 until his death in 2012. The Hawaiʻi Congressional Papers Collection is honored to be the home of Senator Inouye’s papers. The Senator Daniel K. Inouye Papers, consisting of over 1,000 boxes, reflect much of Hawaiʻiʻs development from statehood through the early 2000s. Subjects that are well represented in the collection include land, agriculture, the military, maritime issues, natural resources issues, healthcare, programs and legislation relating to Native Hawaiians, and the effort to obtain redress for Japanese and Japanese Latin Americans interned during World War II.

The late Senator Bob Dole with Senator Inouye, May 9, 1986. As WWII soldiers wounded in Italy a week apart, Dole and Inouye recovered together at what is now known as the Hart-Dole-Inouye Federal Center in Battle Creek, Michigan. U.S. Senate Photograph. Senator Daniel K. Inouye Papers, Hawaiʻi Congressional Papers Collection, University Archives & Manuscripts Department, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Library.

Learn more about the Senator Daniel K. Inouye Papers by exploring the finding aid, which also includes links to material that has been digitized. If you have questions, or would like assistance accessing or navigating the collection, please reach out to Congressional Papers Archivist Dawn Sueoka (sueokad@hawaii.edu).

We look forward to continuing to broaden access to this incredibly significant collection!

Introducing the Hawaiʻi Congressional Media Collection

Last week, we packed up 53 boxes of film and video and transported them from UH Mānoa Library’s Hawaiʻi Congressional Papers Collection to ‘Uluʻulu: The Henry Kuʻualoa Giugni Moving Image Archive of Hawaiʻi at UH West Oʻahu. The boxes contained moving image material from the archival collections of Senator Spark Matsunaga, Representative Pat Saiki, Senator Hiram Fong, Representative Tom Gill, and Representative Neil Abercrombie–nearly 900 individual items in all. (AV material from Senator Akaka’s collection, which has not yet been processed by archives staff, is currently being prepared for transfer to ʻUluʻulu; AV material from Senator Daniel Inouye’s collection is already being cared for by ʻUluʻulu.)

The move is part of a partnership between the Hawaiʻi Congressional Papers Collection and ʻUluʻulu to establish the Hawai’i Congressional Media Collection at ‘Ulu’ulu. Building on the strength of HCPC’s collections and on ‘Uluʻulu’s expertise and well-established infrastructure, the partnership will ensure that this important audiovisual documentation of Hawaiʻi’s political history will be preserved, digitized, and shared.

ʻUluʻulu head archivist Janel Quirante and digital media specialist Robbie Omura unload boxes of videotapes.

ʻUluʻulu Head Archivist Janel Quirante said, “All of us at ‘Ulu‘ulu are thrilled that we can work in partnership with the University Archives & Manuscripts Department to help preserve, digitize and make accessible the Hawaiʻi Congressional Media collection. It was so exciting to peek inside the boxes when they arrived at ‘Ulu‘ulu and see the media history of our state’s delegates to the U.S. Congress. I look forward to working with the collection, and helping students and researchers view the footage, some of which is over 50 years old!” 

Indeed, the materials date from the early 1960s through the early 2000s, and encompass a range of formats from 16mm film to miniDV tapes. They document significant issues facing Hawaiʻi over the last half-century, as well as issues and events of national and international importance. Highlights include footage of Senator Fong and President Nixon at the White House in 1970; television campaign spots for Representative Tom Gill; Senator Fong’s and then-Representative Matsunaga’s 1960s and 70s messages from the Senate and House Recording Studios; debates on redress for Japanese Americans interned during WWII; Representative Pat Saikiʻs Washington Reports; footage of President George H. W. Bushʻs 1990 visit to Hawaiʻi; Representative Neil Abercrombie’s campaign ads; and televised programming and debates on topics like sovereignty, land, the economy, the Jones Act, sugar, natural resource management, the Iraq war, and public education. 

“This collection is an amazing complement to the other political media collections housed at ‘Ulu‘ulu including the Hawaiʻi Political History Documentation Project from the Center for Labor Education and Research (CLEAR); the DIALOG public affairs television series from PBS Hawai‘i; the Daniel K. Inouye Oral History Project from the Daniel K. Inouye Institute; and the First Friday : The Unauthorized News television series from the Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies,” Quirante said.  

Assistant Archivist for Research and Outreach Archivist Tisha Aragaki, Congressional Papers Archivist Dawn Sueoka, Digital Media Specialist Robbie Omura, Auxiliary and Facilities Services Officer Mark Pascua, Cataloger and Assistant Archivist Koa Luke, and Head Archivist Janel Quirante with the Hawaiʻi Congressional Media Collection.

“Our next steps will be to prepare the materials for storage in our vault, accession the items into our catalog, and start planning and budgeting for their digitization,” she said. 

We will continue to keep you updated on the progress of this exciting initiative! Mahalo to ʻUluʻulu, and to the families of Senator Spark Matsunaga, Senator Hiram Fong, Representative Tom Gill, and Senator Daniel Akaka; and to Representative Pat Saiki and Representative Neil Abercrombie for their support for this partnership!

Snyder Hall – Part 2

Note: Part 1 focused on Laurence Hasbrouck Snyder (1901-1986), sixth president of the University of Hawai‘i (from 1958 to 1963) and also an internationally known geneticist.  Designed by architects Takashi Anbe (1925-1985) and George K. C. Lee (1921-1995) and completed in 1962, the building that was eventually named after Snyder was built of reinforced concrete at a cost of $1.5 million. It is considered an excellent example of Tropical Modern architecture[1].

Snyder and others at the July 1961 groundbreaking for the Health Research Institute Building (later Snyder Hall). Masao Miyamoto photograph collection, University Archives.

Originally known as the Health Research Institute Building, the five-story, 60,000-square foot Snyder Hall is an excellent example of Tropical Modern architecture on campus; its operable metal louvers span the exterior, interrupted by vertical concrete columns and simple metal rails. The entrance features an elegant cascading staircase and landing—protected by a generous concrete and sheet metal canopy[2].

Over half of the University’s buildings were constructed during the period from 1960-1982. Between the years of 1959 to 1962, the old McCarthy Road—named after the Territorial Governor Charles McCarthy—was transformed into a pedestrian mall lined with monkeypod trees that helped to soften the harsh lines of structures along the mall. Four buildings—Webster, Spaulding, Edmondson, and Snyder Halls—formed what was designated as the “Memorial Quadrangle” in honor of those who had given their lives in the various wars of the 20th century[3]

Laurence H. Snyder (right) at the dedication ceremony for the renamed Snyder Hall, March 1968. Masao Miyamoto photograph collection, University Archives.

In 1963 the Zoology Department moved from Gartley to Snyder Hall, which also housed the Microbiology Department and the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, parts of the John A. Burns School of Medicine[4].  It would be several years later before the laboratory rats were moved to the fifth floor of Snyder Hall, which housed Lab Animal Services[5].  Many recall the plaintive cries of other laboratory animals emitting from the fifth floor, including monkeys and roosters during the second half of the 20th century.

In 2015 Dr. Marguerite Butler, Associate Professor of Biology at UHM, supported the strategic thinking of the System-Level Integrated Academic & Facilities plan resolution but expressed concern over the lack of consultation with faculty regarding Snyder Hall and the unmet needs of the biology department to the Board of Regents[6].

The same year The Worst of Mānoa: Snyder and Kuykendall Hall was produced, revealing the degradation of the building.

The following year a steam leak filled the hallways of the second floor, renewing the call for renovation.  Two of the pharmaceutical cold rooms were broken at the time and despite passing the annual inspection on March 9, 1995, students and staff reported chemical fume hoods were not ventilating properly, compounded by falling ceiling tiles[7].

Inadequate facilities in Snyder Hall was cited as one of the reasons against the establishment of U.S. Navyʻs University Affiliated Research Center in 2006. Microbiology professors estimated that roughly 30% of all research conducted needed to be redone because of contamination from the building.

Line drawing of the Health Research Institute Building (later Snyder Hall), 1961. Masao Miyamoto photograph collection, University Archives.

References:

[1] MXD_MOD: Modern Architecture in a multicultural context. DOCOMOMO US National Symposium 2019 Hawaii

[2] Tropical Modernism – UH SOA Higo and Irene Shen Gallery, 2019

[3] Science & Technology Department of Hamilton Library: History and Recollections, Wermager et al., 2017

[4] Hawaii Medical Journal July 1994 v 53 n7

[5] History of the Department of Psychology at the Univerity of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Haynes and Weaver 2007

[6] September 17, 2015 Board of Regents minutes

[7] “Snyder Hall steam leak raises concerns” Ka Leo o Hawaiʻi May 4, 2015.

A Woman in the House

The Hawaiʻi Congressional Papers Collection celebrates the publication this month of former Congresswoman Pat Saiki’s memoir A Woman in the House. Saiki, who was born and raised in Hilo, was first elected to Congress in 1986, becoming the first Republican since statehood to represent Hawaiʻi in the U.S. House.

1986 Saiki for Congress bumper sticker. Patricia F. Saiki Papers, Hawaiʻi Congressional Papers Collection, University Archives & Manuscripts Department, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Library.

By the time she went to Congress, Saiki had worked as a teacher, been a delegate to the 1968 state constitutional convention, and served for 14 years in the state legislature, where she authored the Equal Rights Amendment to Hawaiʻiʻs state constitution, as well as a package of equal rights bills that would, for example, enable women to take out credit cards and mortgages in their own names, and make a wife’s adoption of her husband’s name upon marriage optional instead of mandatory.

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Examples of 1986 campaign mailers. Patricia F. Saiki Papers, Hawaiʻi Congressional Papers Collection, University Archives & Manuscripts Department, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Library.

Saiki helped to reorganize and rebuild the Hawaiʻi Republican Party following sweeping losses in the 1982 election. As chair of the party, she oversaw a three-fold increase in party membership and a major fundraising effort. During the next election, Honolulu voted for a Republican mayor (Frank Fasi, who had changed parties), and Hawaiʻi voted to re-elect president Ronald Reagan. 

“Republican decision-makers [in Washington] must become more clearly aware of Hawaii’s interests and its posture in the Pacific,” she told political scientist and Honolulu Advertiser columnist Daniel Tuttle in March 1986. Indeed, as a Republican, Saiki was able to gain critical Congressional and Presidential support for initiatives backed by Democratic members of the Hawaiʻi delegation, such as obtaining redress for Japanese Americans interned during WWII and stopping the bombing of Kahoʻolawe.

After serving 2 terms in the House, Saiki ran for U.S. Senate in 1990, but was defeated by Daniel Akaka. President George H. W. Bush appointed her administrator of the Small Business Administration in April 1991. Saiki again chaired the Hawaiʻi GOP in 2014.

Pat Saiki being sworn in as administrator of the Small Business Administration by Justice Sandra Day OʻConnor. Saikiʻs son Stanley Jr. holds the bible, and President George H. W. Bush looks on. April 10, 1991. Photo: Marty La Vor. Patricia F. Saiki Papers, Hawaiʻi Congressional Papers Collection, University Archives & Manuscripts Department, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Library.

The Patricia F. Saiki Papers, measuring approximately 18.5 linear feet, consist of a few items from Saikiʻs service in the state legislature, but most are from her terms in the U.S. Congress and the Small Business Administration. Saiki donated a large collection of newspaper clippings about her activities and interests dating from 1968 through 1990, including many documenting her successful and unsuccessful campaigns for public office. There are also a few memorabilia items, and a small collection of photographs taken throughout her career.

More information about Congresswoman Saiki, including a link to the collection’s finding aid, can be found on the Hawaiʻi Congressional Papers Collectionʻs website. A number of photographs from the collection have been digitized and are available in the Hawaiʻi Congressional Papers Collectionʻs digital image collection.

Order A Woman in the House from patsaiki.com. Congresswoman Saiki was recently interviewed on Hawaiʻi Public Radioʻs the Conversation. Find her interview here.

References

History, Art & Archives, U.S. House of Representatives. “SAIKI, Patricia.” https://history.house.gov/People/Listing/S/SAIKI,-Patricia-(S000014)/

Tuttle, Dan. “GOPʻs Saiki: Surprise in ʻ86?” The Honolulu Advertiser. March 3, 1986.

Snyder Hall – Part 1

Note: Part 2 continues with more of the history of Snyder Hall

 

The impending demolition of Snyder Hall provides an opportunity to offer an account of the sixth UH President, Laurence Hasbrouck Snyder (1958 – 1963), for whom the building–originally named the Health Research Institute Building upon its completion in 1962–was renamed in 1967. Its construction cost of $1,507,025 was met partly by federal funds and it was designed by architects Takashi Anbe and George K. C. Lee, who also designed Webster and Spalding Halls.

University Archives & Manuscript Collections Dept. Newsletter, Spring 2021

In this issue:

• Note from the Department Chair
• Sherman Seki’s 30 year service award
• Hawai‘i Congressional Papers Collections Update
• University Archives Update
• Today I Learned – A reflection from the Manuscript Collections

Images from the Hawai‘i Congressional Papers Collection

Many of the inquiries received by the Hawai‘i Congressional Papers Collection over the years are requests for images–images of Hawai‘i’s members of Congress by themselves, images of them together as a delegation, images of them with VIPs, campaign images, and images of historical events. To better connect researchers with HCPC images, we are happy to share a small collection of images from the Hawai‘i Congressional Papers Collection.

Senator Hiram Fong in the snow in front of the Capitol, March 21, 1967. Senator Hiram L. Fong Papers, Hawai‘i Congressional Papers Collection, University Archives & Manuscripts Department, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Library

In Appreciation of Campaign Volunteers

“This will not be a tea party. It will be a tough, hard fight and none of us can afford to let down for a minute.”

–1962 election speakers’ kit, Senator Daniel K. Inouye Papers

We’re used to seeing candidates on debates, on the news, in commercials, on social media. What’s a lot less visible is the labor of the thousands of volunteers working tirelessly behind the scenes stuffing envelopes, arranging speaking engagements and coffee hours, phone banking, canvassing, coordinating fundraisers, and registering voters. From silk screening T-shirts to repairing torn banners, every contribution matters. “No matter how you spend your day, you can do something to help Sparky!” reported the August 26, 1964, edition of Sparky Re-election Campaign News (Senator Spark M. Matsunaga Papers).

Pat Saiki campaign volunteers, 1986 or 1988 (Patricia F. Saiki Papers).

Matsunaga sign wavers, 1988 (Senator Spark M. Matsunaga Papers).

An Invitation to Celebrate: the 1979 Establishment of Asian Pacific American Heritage Week

Reports of racism and xenophobia, along with the disproportionate way that COVID-19 has been impacting our communities, are bringing an increased sense of urgency to May 2020’s Asian Pacific American Heritage Month celebrations. They echo some of the reasons for establishing the original designation over 40 years ago. The now month-long event was first celebrated for just a week: the week of May 4, 1979.

Efforts to establish the first Asian Pacific American Heritage Week were coordinated by the Asian Pacific Congressional Staff Caucus and National Coalition for an Asian Pacific American Proclamation, led by Ruby G. Moy, Chief of Staff for Representative Frank Horton (R-NY), and Jeanie Jew, a Capitol Hill staff member whose grandfather, M. Y. Lee, had immigrated to the U.S. from China to help build the transcontinental railroad and was later killed in Oregon during a period of anti-Asian unrest. According to Representative Horton, this inspired Jew’s belief that “not only should Asians understand their own heritage…all Americans must know about the contributions and histories of the Asian-Pacific American experience in the United States” (Rep. Horton (NY). “Asian/Pacific-American Heritage Month,” Congressional Record 138 (4 Oct. 1992) p. 31364–access for UHM users via HeinOnline).

New Online Exhibit – THE LUCIANO MINERBI COLLECTION: 50 years of collaborative Community Activism through Urban and Regional Planning

The UH Mānoa Archives is pleased to announce “The Luciano Minerbi Collection: ​50 years of collaborative community activism through urban and ​regional planning,” an online exhibit by LIS student intern Sharnelle Renti-Cruz.

This page replicates Sharnelle’s exhibit text and captures a few of the images she used, but please also check out the original exhibit site to see its proper formatting and additional content.