Spark Matsunaga
Encyclopedia
Spark Masayuki Matsunaga (Japanese
: 松永正幸, Matsunaga Masayuki; October 8, 1916 April 15, 1990) was a United States Senator
from Hawaii. He was an American
Democrat whose legislation
in the United States Senate led to the creation of the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians
.
Reservist in 1941, volunteered for active duty in July that year, and was twice wounded in battle while serving with the renowned 442nd Regimental Combat Team
and the 100th Infantry Battalion. After his release from the Army as a Captain, Matsunaga entered Harvard Law School
, graduating in 1951. He served as a public prosecutor and private-practice attorney, and was a member of both the Hawaiian statehood delegation to Congress and the territorial legislature before being elected in 1962 to the House of Representatives
, where he served until 1976. That year, with Hiram Fong
retiring, Matsunaga defeated Hawaii's other House representative, Patsy Mink
for the Democratic Party nomination for Senator, making his November election to the position a near certainty in heavily Democratic Hawaii. Matsunaga went on to serve in the United States Senate from 1977 until his death in 1990.
Matsunaga went to Toronto General Hospital
for treatment and died in Toronto
on April 15, 1990 at the age of 73 from prostate cancer
. His flag draped casket lay in state in the rotunda of the State Capitol in Honolulu.
Matsunaga was known for his sense of humor. One famous incident occurred involved Matsunaga and then-Secretary of State
Alexander Haig
at a White House
reception for Japanese Prime Minister
Zenko Suzuki
in 1981. Haig reportedly mistook Matsunaga for a member of the Japanese delegation and asked if he spoke English. Matsunaga replied, "Yes, Mr. Secretary, I do — and I had the honor of voting for your confirmation the other day." Matsunaga became a well-known figure in Asia as the incident is often cited by Asian American and Asian media.
Approximately 3000 books, journals, published reports, and state and federal government documents accompanied his papers. A few were kept with the papers and others were added to the collections of University of Hawaii at Manoa Library, other UH campuses, or academic institutions in the Pacific region.
The papers were processed by archivist Ellen Chapman and are available to researchers in the Archives & Manuscripts Department by appointment. A Finding Aid, which provides a timeline, series descriptions, and list of topics covered in the collection, is available at The Sen. Spark M. Matsunaga Papers web site.
A bronze statue honoring him is in the Spark M. Matsunaga International Children's Garden For Peace at the Storybook Theatre of Hawaii in his hometown of Hanapepe
, Kauai. Matsunaga's portrait currently appears on US Series I Bonds in the $10,000 denomination. There is also an elementary school in Germantown, Maryland, named after him.
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
: 松永正幸, Matsunaga Masayuki; October 8, 1916 April 15, 1990) was a United States Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from Hawaii. He was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Democrat whose legislation
Legislation
Legislation is law which has been promulgated by a legislature or other governing body, or the process of making it...
in the United States Senate led to the creation of the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians
Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians
The Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians was a group of people appointed by the U.S. Congress to conduct an official governmental study of Executive Order 9066, related wartime orders and their impact on Japanese Americans in the West and Alaska Natives in the Pribilof...
.
Career
Matsunaga became a United States ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
Reservist in 1941, volunteered for active duty in July that year, and was twice wounded in battle while serving with the renowned 442nd Regimental Combat Team
442nd Regimental Combat Team
The 442nd Regimental Combat Team of the United States Army, was composed of Japanese-American enlisted men and mostly Caucasian officers. They fought primarily in Europe during World War II, beginning in 1944. The families of many of its soldiers were subject to internment...
and the 100th Infantry Battalion. After his release from the Army as a Captain, Matsunaga entered Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
, graduating in 1951. He served as a public prosecutor and private-practice attorney, and was a member of both the Hawaiian statehood delegation to Congress and the territorial legislature before being elected in 1962 to the House of Representatives
United 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...
, where he served until 1976. That year, with Hiram Fong
Hiram Fong
Hiram Leong Fong , born Yau Leong Fong , was an American businessman and politician from Hawaii. He is most notable for his service as Republican United States Senator from 1959 to 1977, and for being the first Asian American and Chinese American to be elected as such...
retiring, Matsunaga defeated Hawaii's other House representative, 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...
for the Democratic Party nomination for Senator, making his November election to the position a near certainty in heavily Democratic Hawaii. Matsunaga went on to serve in the United States Senate from 1977 until his death in 1990.
Matsunaga went to Toronto General Hospital
Toronto General Hospital
The Toronto General Hospital , is a part of the University Health Network, and a major teaching hospital in downtown Toronto, Ontario. It is located in the Discovery District, directly north of the Hospital for Sick Children, across Gerrard Street West, and east of Princess Margaret Hospital and...
for treatment and died in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
on April 15, 1990 at the age of 73 from prostate cancer
Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
. His flag draped casket lay in state in the rotunda of the State Capitol in Honolulu.
Matsunaga was known for his sense of humor. One famous incident occurred involved Matsunaga and then-Secretary of State
Secretary of State
Secretary of State or State Secretary is a commonly used title for a senior or mid-level post in governments around the world. The role varies between countries, and in some cases there are multiple Secretaries of State in the Government....
Alexander Haig
Alexander Haig
Alexander Meigs Haig, Jr. was a United States Army general who served as the United States Secretary of State under President Ronald Reagan and White House Chief of Staff under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford...
at a White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
reception for Japanese Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Japan
The is the head of government of Japan. He is appointed by the Emperor of Japan after being designated by the Diet from among its members, and must enjoy the confidence of the House of Representatives to remain in office...
Zenko Suzuki
Zenko Suzuki
was a Japanese politician and the 70th Prime Minister of Japan from July 17, 1980 to November 27, 1982.Suzuki graduated from Tokyo University of Fisheries in 1935...
in 1981. Haig reportedly mistook Matsunaga for a member of the Japanese delegation and asked if he spoke English. Matsunaga replied, "Yes, Mr. Secretary, I do — and I had the honor of voting for your confirmation the other day." Matsunaga became a well-known figure in Asia as the incident is often cited by Asian American and Asian media.
Papers
In 1997, Matsunaga's widow donated his papers to the University of Hawaii at Manoa. There were approximately 1200 boxes of material including documents, photographs, videos, and memorabilia from his 28 years in Congress. Also in the papers are professional and personal materials from his pre-Congressional life; especially noteworthy are documents, letters, photographs, and memorabilia from his Army service in the 100th Infantry Battalion.Approximately 3000 books, journals, published reports, and state and federal government documents accompanied his papers. A few were kept with the papers and others were added to the collections of University of Hawaii at Manoa Library, other UH campuses, or academic institutions in the Pacific region.
The papers were processed by archivist Ellen Chapman and are available to researchers in the Archives & Manuscripts Department by appointment. A Finding Aid, which provides a timeline, series descriptions, and list of topics covered in the collection, is available at The Sen. Spark M. Matsunaga Papers web site.
Legacy
For 22 years Matsunaga presented legislation in Congress for the creation of the position of United States Poet Laureate. In 1985, legislation was finally passed authorizing the position of Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress.A bronze statue honoring him is in the Spark M. Matsunaga International Children's Garden For Peace at the Storybook Theatre of Hawaii in his hometown of Hanapepe
Hanapepe, Hawaii
Hanapepe is a census-designated place in Kauai County, Hawaii, United States...
, Kauai. Matsunaga's portrait currently appears on US Series I Bonds in the $10,000 denomination. There is also an elementary school in Germantown, Maryland, named after him.
External links
- Spark M. Matsunaga biography United States Institute of Peace.
- Spark M. Matsunaga's published biography Sparky: Warrior, Peacemaker, Poet, Patriot by Richard Halloran. ISBN 0-9720932-1-4.