John D. Waihee III
Encyclopedia
John David Waihee III served as the fourth Governor of Hawaii
from 1986 to 1994. He was the first American of Native Hawaiian descent to be elected to the office from any state of the United States
. After his tenure in the governor's office, Waihee became a nationally prominent attorney
and lobbyist.
. Upon graduating from Hawaiian Mission Academy
, Waihee attended classes at Andrews University
in Michigan
. There he obtained his Bachelor of Arts
degrees in both business
and history
. He moved to Honolulu
to attend the newly established William S. Richardson School of Law
at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa
. He obtained his Juris Doctor degree in 1976. Waihee is an Eagle Scout
and recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award
.
where he was instrumental in the creation of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs
and the adoption of the Hawaiian language
as an official language
of the state. He later served one term as a Democratic
member of the Hawaii State House of Representatives from 1981 to 1983. Waihee was elected Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii
under Governor George Ariyoshi
, serving in that capacity until 1986. In 2008 Waihee served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention.
. Cayetano became Waihee's lieutenant governor for two terms; both were re-elected in 1990. During much of his term, Hawaii experienced a boom in the tourism industry and increased foreign investment, especially from Japan
. The issue of Hawaiian sovereignty also took on increased importance as the centennial anniversary of the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii when Queen Liliuokalani was deposed occurred during Waihee's term. Waihee honored the anniversary by ordering the removal of all American flags flying over state buildings for that day. Waihee left office in 1994, having served the maximum two terms in office as permitted by the Constitution of Hawaii
that he had helped to author. His lieutenant governor won the election to succeed Waihee.
seat left open by the death of Patsy Mink
on September 28, 2002. Under Hawaii election law, it was too late to remove the name of Patsy Mink from the November 2002 General Election ballot, and consequently Mink was re-elected, even after her death. Waihee dropped out of both special election contests and endorsed the candidacy of Mink's widower, who was not elected.
Governor of Hawaii
The Governor of Hawaii is the chief executive of the state of Hawaii and its various agencies and departments, as provided in the Hawaii State Constitution Article V, Sections 1 through 6. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by popular suffrage of residents of the state...
from 1986 to 1994. He was the first American of Native Hawaiian descent to be elected to the office from any state of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. After his tenure in the governor's office, Waihee became a nationally prominent attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and lobbyist.
Education
Waihee was born in Honokaa on the Island of HawaiiHawaii (island)
The Island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island or Hawaii Island , is a volcanic island in the North Pacific Ocean...
. Upon graduating from Hawaiian Mission Academy
Hawaiian Mission Academy
-History:Educational work of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Hawaiian Islands started in 1895 with a boarding school for boys, under the leadership of H. H. Brand. This school was named the Anglo-Chinese Academy in 1897 when Professor and Mrs. W. E...
, Waihee attended classes at Andrews University
Andrews University
Andrews University is a Seventh-day Adventist university in Berrien Springs, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1874 as Battle Creek College in Battle Creek, Michigan, it was the first higher education facility started by Seventh-day Adventists, and is the flagship university of the Seventh-day...
in Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. There he obtained his Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degrees in both business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
and history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
. He moved to Honolulu
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
to attend the newly established William S. Richardson School of Law
William S. Richardson School of Law
The William S. Richardson School of Law is a public, co-educational institution of the University of Hawaii at Mānoa in Honolulu, Hawaii. Named after the beloved Hawaii State Supreme Court Chief Justice William S. Richardson, it is the only law school in the State of Hawaii...
at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa
University of Hawaii at Manoa
The University of Hawaii at Mānoa is a public, co-educational university and is the flagship campus of the greater University of Hawaii system...
. He obtained his Juris Doctor degree in 1976. Waihee is an Eagle Scout
Eagle Scout (Boy Scouts of America)
Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America . A Scout who attains this rank is called an Eagle Scout or Eagle. Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than 2 million young men...
and recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award
Distinguished Eagle Scout Award
The Distinguished Eagle Scout Award is a distinguished service award of the Boy Scouts of America . It is awarded to an Eagle Scout for distinguished service in his profession and to his community for a period of at least 25 years after attaining the level of Eagle Scout...
.
Politics
Waihee started his political career as a delegate to the 1978 Hawaii State Constitutional Convention1978 Hawaii State Constitutional Convention
The 1978 Hawaii State Constitutional Convention is regarded to be the watershed political event in the modern State of Hawaii. The convention established term limits for state office holders, provided a requirement for an annual balanced budget, laid the groundwork for the return of federal land...
where he was instrumental in the creation of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs
Office of Hawaiian Affairs
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs is a semi-autonomous entity of the state of Hawaii charged with the administration of 1.8 million acres of royal land held in trust for the benefit of native Hawaiians...
and the adoption of the Hawaiian language
Hawaiian language
The Hawaiian language is a Polynesian language that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language of the state of Hawaii...
as an official language
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
of the state. He later served one term as a Democratic
Democratic Party of Hawaii
The Democratic Party of Hawaii is an arm of the Democratic Party of the United States based in Honolulu, Hawaii. The party is a centralized organization established to promote the party platform as drafted in convention biennially...
member of the Hawaii State House of Representatives from 1981 to 1983. Waihee was elected Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii
Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii
The Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii, concurrently the Secretary of State of Hawaii, is the assistant chief executive of that U.S. state and its various agencies and departments, as provided in the Hawaii State Constitution Article V, Sections 2 though 6. He or she is elected by popular suffrage of...
under Governor George Ariyoshi
George Ariyoshi
George Ryoichi Ariyoshi , served as the third Governor of Hawaii from 1974 to 1986. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He assumed the governorship when John A. Burns was declared incapacitated. When he was elected, Ariyoshi became the first American of Asian descent to be elected governor of...
, serving in that capacity until 1986. In 2008 Waihee served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention.
Governorship
Waihee successfully ran for the governor's office sharing a ticket with state senator Ben CayetanoBen Cayetano
Benjamin Jerome "Ben" Cayetano served as the fifth Governor of the State of Hawaii from 1994 to 2002. He is the first Filipino American to serve as a state governor in the United States.- Early years :...
. Cayetano became Waihee's lieutenant governor for two terms; both were re-elected in 1990. During much of his term, Hawaii experienced a boom in the tourism industry and increased foreign investment, especially from Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. The issue of Hawaiian sovereignty also took on increased importance as the centennial anniversary of the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii when Queen Liliuokalani was deposed occurred during Waihee's term. Waihee honored the anniversary by ordering the removal of all American flags flying over state buildings for that day. Waihee left office in 1994, having served the maximum two terms in office as permitted by the Constitution of Hawaii
Constitution of Hawaii
The Constitution of the State of Hawaiʻi refers to various legal documents throughout the history of the Hawaiian Islands that defined the fundamental principles of authority and governance within its sphere of jurisdiction. Numerous constitutions have been promulgated for the Kingdom of Hawaii,...
that he had helped to author. His lieutenant governor won the election to succeed Waihee.
Retirement
After leaving the governor's office, Waihee worked for various national-scope law firms based in Washington, DC. He also opened a private law practice and lobbying firm. In two special elections held in November 2002 and January 2003, Waihee considered running for the United States House of RepresentativesUnited States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
seat left open by the death of Patsy Mink
Patsy Mink
Patsy Matsu Takemoto Mink was an American politician from the U.S. state of Hawaii. Mink was a third generation Japanese American and member of the Democratic Party. She also was the Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs.Mink served in the U.S...
on September 28, 2002. Under Hawaii election law, it was too late to remove the name of Patsy Mink from the November 2002 General Election ballot, and consequently Mink was re-elected, even after her death. Waihee dropped out of both special election contests and endorsed the candidacy of Mink's widower, who was not elected.