Elmer F. Cravalho
Encyclopedia
Elmer F. Cravalho, a member of the Democratic Party
, is best known as Maui
's Mayor
from 1969 to 1979 and former Speaker of the Hawaii House of Representatives
. Cravalho is the descendant of Portuguese
immigrants who settled in Hawaii
.
Cravalho began his political career in 1955 as a member of Hawaii's territorial House of Representatives. He also served as House Speaker (1959-1967), a delegate to the 1960 Democratic National Convention
, Maui
mayor and chairman of the Maui Board of Water Supply.
Much of Maui's development can be traced to Cravalho's term as mayor. In the 1970s, he was responsible for developing the waterline from Wailuku to Wailea, which enabled the development of Kihei.
Cravalho had a part in the formation of Maui Economic Opportunity Inc., a private, nonprofit organization chartered in 1965 to help low-income elderly, children and youth, persons with disabilities, immigrants, other disadvantaged people and the general public to help themselves.
Cravalho left office suddenly in 1979, just months after successfully winning re-election for a second term in the 1978 election. Democrat Hannibal Tavares
won a special election in October 1979 to complete the remainder of Cravalho's term.
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, is best known as Maui
Maui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
's Mayor
Mayor of Maui
The Mayor of Maui is the chief executive officer of the County of Maui in the state of Hawaii. He or she has municipal jurisdiction over the islands of Kahoolawe, Lanai, Maui and Molokai...
from 1969 to 1979 and former Speaker of the Hawaii House of Representatives
Hawaii House of Representatives
The Hawaii House of Representatives is the lower house of the Hawaii State Legislature. Accord to Article III, Section 3 of the Hawaii Constitution, amended during the 1978 constitutional convention, the House of Representatives consists of 51 members representing an equal amount of districts...
. Cravalho is the descendant of Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
immigrants who settled in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
.
Cravalho began his political career in 1955 as a member of Hawaii's territorial House of Representatives. He also served as House Speaker (1959-1967), a delegate to the 1960 Democratic National Convention
1960 Democratic National Convention
The 1960 Democratic National Convention was held in Los Angeles. In the end, the Kennedy-Johnson ticket was assembled and went on to secure an electoral college victory and a narrow popular vote plurality in the fall over the Republican candidates Richard M...
, Maui
Maui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
mayor and chairman of the Maui Board of Water Supply.
Much of Maui's development can be traced to Cravalho's term as mayor. In the 1970s, he was responsible for developing the waterline from Wailuku to Wailea, which enabled the development of Kihei.
Cravalho had a part in the formation of Maui Economic Opportunity Inc., a private, nonprofit organization chartered in 1965 to help low-income elderly, children and youth, persons with disabilities, immigrants, other disadvantaged people and the general public to help themselves.
Cravalho left office suddenly in 1979, just months after successfully winning re-election for a second term in the 1978 election. Democrat Hannibal Tavares
Hannibal Tavares
Hannibal M. Tavares was an American politician. Tavares served as the Mayor of Maui from 1979 until 1991. He holds the distinction of being the longest-serving Mayor of Maui in history....
won a special election in October 1979 to complete the remainder of Cravalho's term.