Browse Exhibits (25 total)

A Curriculum History of the William S. Richardson School of Law

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This curriculum history exhibit was created for the Faculty & Staff Welcome Back reception on August 17, 2023, and in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the William S. Richardson School of Law.

The goal of this exhibit was to raise awareness on the founding vision and objectives of the Law School through its curriculum and social impact, in the past 50 years. The designers of this exhibit explored the Law School History archives and Law School website to find information on the curriculum committee, the Pre-Admission Program (precursor to Ulu Lehua Program), and Law School Academic Programs. 

The first area of focus was on the origins of the law school shaped by legislative history and research studies during the early years of Hawaiʻi's Statehood, to advocate for the opening of a state-funded law school at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. 

The second area of focus was on the early years of the law school, such as entering class statistics, first-year program description, accreditation, the ETE bowl, the preadmission program's directors, and other academic programs and curricular activities that aimed to meet Hawaiʻi's diverse, complex needs. 

The third area of focus features portraits of the Deans of the Law School from 1972 to 2023. The various positions represented are Deans, Associate Deans, Acting Deans, Assistant Dean, Assistant to Associate Dean, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, and Associate Dean for Student Services. This gallery of portraits reveals the transformation of the school's leadership over time in ethnicity and gender. 

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Attorney Myer C. Symonds Collection

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Introduction

This collection includes biographical and professional papers of Myer C. Symonds who worked with Harriet Bouslog as the attorneys of the International Longshore Worker's Union (ILWU). These papers provide an understanding of the political-economic times in which he served as a labor lawyer in Hawaii, particularly during the red-baiting that occurred in the late 1940s-1950s. 

Custodial History

Myer Symonds gave these materials to Professor Mari Matsuda and Lila Gardner to be shared to the University of Hawaiʻi Law Library on December 12, 2011 for public research purposes. Matsuda corresponded with Symonds during her research on Hawaiʻi labor history and Harriet Bouslog for the book Called from Within: Early Women Lawyers of Hawaii

Access Restrictions

Select documents have been digitized and linked to the index (Folder 1, Folder 2, Folder 3 & Folder 4) for public accessibility through the Internet.  Items that have not been linked are not available online due to copyright restrictions.  However, patrons  can contact the Archives Manager to request access documents in-person or through email correspondence. 

Physical Description

The papers include handwritten notes, newspaper clippings, legislative documents, court documents and correspondences (1933-2009) which came from Myer Symond's own scrapbook and various collections. The collection is one box totaling 1 linear feet.  Some important keywords from this collection are: 

1950 Constitutional Convention
Anti-Semitism
Anti-War
Armistice Day Speech
Art Rutledge
C.J. Samuel B. Kemp
C.J. William S. Richardson
Charles Garry
China
Clair Engle
Criminal Lawyer
Ernest J. Torregano
Gustave Meyer v. G.B. Collins
Harold Glasser
Harriet Bouslog
Hawaii 7 Jury
Hawaii Bar Association
Hebden Porteus
Hiram L. Fong
Honorable Delbert E. Metzger
ILWU
Internal Security Subcommittee
Jack Hall
Japanese Relocation
Jew
John E. Reinecke
Labor
Labor Advocacy
Local 5
Mari Matsuda
Marxism
Military Service
Mrs. Leah Symonds
Mrs. Morton Lewis
Myer C. Symonds
National Lawyer's Guild
Office of Price Administration
Okeith v. Johnson
Red-Baiting
Robert McElrath
Ronald B. Jamieson
Samuel P. King
Smith Act
Socialism
Sydney
Unions
United States of America v. Arthur Willard Parelius
Vincent Hallinan
Wilfred M. Oka

Access Restrictions

The materials are accessible in person at the University of Hawaiʻi School of Law Library.  Please see the Access page for more information.

Reference Code

These items are cataloged as the Attorney Myer C. Symonds Collection.  Go to the index page of this collection to browse the records. Note the Box number and folder number to request access to them.

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Chief Justice William S. Richardson Archival Collection

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This 2 minute video provides a brief overview of the series arrangement of Chief Justice William S. Richarsonʻs archival collection, and a tutorial on how to use the Omeka database search engine to find information.

Public Launch of the Chief Justice Richardson Archive

The launch of Chief Justice (C.J.) William S. Richardson's archive took place on Thursday, May 5, 2022, from 3:30-5:00 pm. The video (1 hour and 30 minutes) provides an overview of the finding aid and explains how to search the collection. It is then followed by a Q and A discussion with the Richardson family and Law School faculty about historical materials in Chief Justice Richardson's archive.

Creator

This collection of papers was created or accumulated by Chief Justice (C.J.) William S. Richardson during his personal life and career in the U.S. Army, the Territorial Government Legislature, the Democratic Party, the Hawaiʻi State Judiciary, Kamehameha Schools Bishop Estates, and as founder of the Law School at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

Custodial History

The Richardson family donated this collection to the Ka Huli Ao Center for Native Hawaiian Excellence Archives under Avis Poai. It was transferred to the UH School of Law Library in 2020 for processing, preservation, storage and access. 

Biographical Information

Based on biographical document in archive entitled "William Shaw Richardson."

Personal Background 

Born: December 22, 1919; Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
Death: June 21, 2010
See Biographical Timeline.

Children: Corrine K. Wolfe (Mrs. Stuart Wolfe); Barbara Philips, Attorney at Law (Mrs. Gary Phillips); William K. Richardson, Attorney at Law, and President of HMS Hawaiʻi

Education 

  • Aliʻiolani School
  • Roosevelt High School 
  • University of Hawaiʻi -Mānoa (1941) - Bachelor of Arts, Business and Economics
  • University of Cincinnati, School of Law (1943) - Juris Doctor, Law

Military

United States Army

  • Platoon Leader, 1st Filipino Infantry Regiment, Philippines, World War II
  • Commissioned in The Infantry School at Fort Benning Georgia in 1944
  • Assistant Staff Judge Advocate, Armed Forces Middle Pacific, 1946

Professional and Business Affiliations

  • American Bar Association, Member
  • Hawaiʻi State Bar Association, President (1961); Member
  • National Association of Chief Justices of U.S., Chairman (1971); Member of Board of Directors
  • National Center of State Courts, Member of Board of Directors
  • Native Hawaiian Bar Association, Member (1993-?)
  • Bishop Street Funds (First Hawaiian Bank), Director (1993-?)
  • P&C Insurance Company, Inc. Director (1994-?)

Work Experience

  • Attorney, Private Practice (since 1946)
  • Chief Clerk for the Territorial Senate of Hawaiʻi (1955-1959)
  • Chair of the Democratic Party (1956-1962)
  • Hawaiʻi Delegate to the National Democratic Convention (1956, 1960)
  • Elected Lt. Governor of the State of Hawaiʻi (1962)
  • Appointed the 16th Chief Justice of the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court from (1966-1982). See Landmark Opinions and Decisions.
  • Served as Trustee and President of the Board of Trustees of the Kamehameha Schools Bernice Pauahi Bishop Estate (1983-1992)

Community Service

  • Epiphany Episcopal Church, Senior Warden (25 years)
  • Child & Family Services, Member of Board of Directors
  • Hawaiʻi Heart Association, President
  • Organized & submitted Legislative testimonies in support of a Law School in Hawaiʻi (1969)

Other

  • In 1983, the University of Hawaiʻi Law School was renamed the William S. Richardson School of Law

Access

To access any information in this archive, please visit the Access page for details.  This collection currently provides access to the metadata about the collection. Digital files are currently being scanned for upload. Not all digital files will be publically available due to copyright and sensitive information. 

By contacting the Archives Manager with the title and identifier of desired items, it is possible to receive digital copies of any information in this archive. Also, by setting up a Research Account, it is possible to access digital files that are both public and private.  

Finding Aid Narrative

The series arrangement of this collection aimed to structure boxes and their contents according to the chronology of Richardson's life and career. However, upon examining the contents of each boxes, it appears that the materials span various time of his life, and weave between personal and professional content.  This could be the nature of Richardson's own filing system, as he would accumulate and file things as they occurred in his daily life that intertwined his personal and professional duties. Or, the organization of materials in documents and boxes could have been shifted around in the movement from his office, to family, to Ka Huli Ao, and to the Law Library. This outline below reflects an attempt to a thematic organization. Utilizing the search engine could bring up relevant items through using keyword search terms. Register to set up a researcher account for searchability of private and public records. Or for assistance, contact the Archives Manager with your research question.

Series 1: Family History

This series provides information on Chief Justice Richardson’s ancestors, early life, education, and the political campaigns he engaged in before achieving his government positions. There is also information about other stages in his life, such as his retirement.

This box includes Richardsonʻs vital records, ancestral genealogy, family records, educational history, and personal correspondence with various organizations, institutions, and campaigns he was involved in.

This box includes information on his Bishop Estate retirement speeches, education at the Roosevelt High School, University of Hawaiʻi, and University of Cincinnati.

Series 2: Military & Government Service

This series is about Richardson's experience serving in the U.S. Military with the 1st and 2nd Filipino Infantry Regiment. Then after his discharge, he became a Chief Clerk for the Territorial Senate of Hawaiʻi (1955-1959).  He became the Chair of Hawai’i’s Democratic Party (1956-1962).  He served as the President of the Hawai’i State Bar Association (1961-1962). This series also includes Richardson’s passage of the Bar, different organizations he participated in, his speeches, and his campaign for Lt. Governor in Hawai’i in 1962. There are informations and speeches during his appointment as Chief Justice from 1966-1982, as well as some correspondence and remarks in the founding of the University of Hawai’i School of Law.  Throughout these positions, he was in correspondence with various ethnic, cultural, political, economic interest constituencies.

This box includes information on his military experience with the 1st and 2nd Filipino Infantry regiment; his experience working in Hawaiʻiʻs Territorial government legislature; and the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi. It also includes his attorney registration records and other government records.

This box contains information on Richardsonʻs admission to the Bar and his participation in the legal profession in Hawaiʻi.  It includes records and correspondence of various cultural heritage, government, corporate, and military organizations.  

This box contains information regarding his government work with  the Governor Burnʻs legislative program and Richardson's role as Lieutenant Governor. It also contains information regarding Hawaiian Homelands, speeches, Democratic Party electoral and voting information, campaign material for John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. There is information on his work with the U.S. Army Friendship Missions.  Lastly, various news and organizational publications regarding Richardsonʻs candidacy are included. 

This scrapbook is a collection of newspaper articles relating to Richardson on international affairs, the Democratic Party, voting, the military, Haleakala, hotels, holidays, travel, education, cultural events, cultural exhibits, Native Hawaiian people, multi-ethnic people of Hawai'i and campaign events in different islands.

This box contains C.J. speeches from 1977-1992 documenting his ideas during his appointment as Chief Justice,  appointment/retirement as Bishop Estate Trustee, and the opening of the University of Hawai'i School of Law. There are speeches to specific individuals, educational institutions and organizations. There are also comments about Statehood, Hawaii laws, land use, the judiciary, the bar association, cultural heritage preservation, Native Hawaiian rights, Filipino veterans, senior citizens, religion, police, South Pacific Judges, fraternal organizations and masons.

This box continues with speeches regarding the University of Hawaiʻi Law Review, Native Hawaiian Royalty, sacred burial sites, and Hawaiian Kingdom government buildings. It also includes information on economic change, Native Hawaiians in government, traditional arts, education, police enforcement, oceanography, astronautics, Pacific Island issues, environmental conservation. Remarks also directed to specific organizations such as Shriners and Boy Scouts/Eagle Scouts.

Series 3: The Judiciary

This series pertains to when Richardson worked in the Judiciary as the 16th Chief Justice for the Hawai'i Supreme Court.  This includes newspaper articles about the work he did within the Judiciary, reports, office documents, correspondence, speeches, and opinions. He engaged in projects with the National Center for State Courts, Native Hawaiian issues, Hawaii Judiciary Center, and international projects.

This box includes correspondence during Richardson's appointment in the Judiciary. He drew from his relationships during his military service to build with the Filipino community and leaders. He also promoted legal education to young people.  He examined the structure of Hawaiʻi's judiciary and courts and engaged in various family court, conservation, property, criminal, trust laws. There are articles on judicial selection and views on Richardson. There are information regarding the cultural exhibits, health care, church, military, agriculture trade, energy.  There are some records from his position as Lieutenant Governor of Hawaiʻi.

This box includes court documents, government position information, clerks. It also includes news, correspondence from various constituent organizations across Hawai'i and also his alumni networks.

This box includes cases, constitutional articles, attorney general, National Center for State Courts correspondence, legislative appointments, conference of judges, Private Adjudication Center, and opinions of William S. Richardson in Hawaiʻi Reports.  The box also includes newspapers and newsletters regarding CJ Richardon's judicial position. There is information from the Hawaiʻi Visitor Bureau regarding pageants, and Hawaiian and Pacific cultural heritage information such as pictures of Iolani palace, Lahaina Restoration Foundation, Queen Emma Summer Palace, and the Pacific Rim Foundation. There are some speeches at conferences related to Native Hawaiian Bar Association and Native Hawaiian Law.  There are pictures of individuals.  There are information and correspondence to various constituencies, individuals, organizations, and leaders in the community.

This box contains correspondences and recommendations for judicial selection; more work on the National Center for State Courts; decisions regarding wills, trust, and taxation.  There is information related to Native Hawaiian Rights, land tenure system, cultural practices, and managing coastal zones.  There are correspondences and speeches at various conferences, including 1962 inaugural remarks.

This box contains newspaper articles regarding judges and politicians. There is also information about a Justice Award. There are records related to the Judiciary History Center and its relationship with Kamehameha Schools Bishop Estate. There is interest with cultural heritage preservation.  There are records related to the University of Hawaiʻi School of Law inauguration and Law Review.

This box includes correspondence from international connections, Who's Who, Hawaiian cultural celebrations and organizations.  There are records related to UH Law School faculty and law school commencement, the Amy C. Richardson Memorial Fund, as well as Roosevelt High School.There are recommendations and correspondence regarding the Air Force, UCLA student strike, Hawaiʻi Visitor's Bureau, health care, banks, and ethnic organizations.  There is mention of the Burns Oral History Project Phase II.

This box contains correspondence regarding judicial, legal topics, Native Hawaiian rights, government officials, and the Bishop Estate Trusteeship.  There is information about the Republic of Kiribati, Christmas Island, Chinese, Japanese, and Filipinos. It also includes information related to the Law School, UH Volleyball, various athletic, arts, cultural, and family organizations.

Series 4: Research on Native Hawaiian Issues

This series pertains to Richardson's research and advocacy on Native Hawaiian issues and rights, such as through the judiciary, court cases relating to water, corporate plantations, Lahaina, Hawaiiana, Native Hawaiian Study Commission, and Kamehameha Schools Bishop Estate. It also includes some information regarding the William S. Richardson School of Law, through documents engaging with the former Dean Larry Foster, and the Amy C. Richardson Scholarship Fund focusing on legal research pertaining to Native Hawaiian rights and issues.

This box includes historical information on places of Hawai'i, Native Hawaiian ali'i (royalty), their genealogies, and biographies; political history of Hawai'i, Bishop Estate trustee, water, ocean, geothermal legal information, the nature conservancy; financial information, wills & testaments, court cases regarding Housing Finance and Development Corporation, Cazinha estates, recreational or celebratory information such as Law School Graduation, The Gospel, Club Day, and the Young Iron Dukes.

This box contains information during Richardson's tenure as a Bishop Estate trustee; illegal activities regarding the Bishop Estate, such as legal records, trustee papers, financial information, newspaper articles; research on Native Hawaiian rights and political history, community education programs, and the Lunalilo trust. It also contains information from his judiciary position such as a proposal for the state court system and the Hawaiʻi Reports. There are publications related to poetry, the Hawaiʻi Bar Journal. There are also information related to the University of Hawaiʻi, the Law School, the Alumni, and Punahou school. There is information about Judge Simeon Acoba, and the Democratic Party.

This box contains information on the Bishop Estate history, the will of Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, the origins of the Estate by Frank E. Midkiff, and the cultural roots. There is information on conventions on these issues, the writing by Randy Roth on the Bishop Estates regarding conflict of interests. There is research on the Land Reform Act, Judge Lum's remarks on the Bishop Estates and other issues.

This box contains research on land and water management, such as by Cooper and Dawes and Williamson Chang.  There are various water cases.  There information on the Burns Oral History Project and Carol S. Dodd who would write a history about Richardson called The Richardson Years.

This box contains information on the case Reppun v. Board of Water Supply. But it also includes miscellaneous information regarding school events, conferences, newspaper articles on Richardson's court, Hawaiian issues, the Philippines, the health of Mrs. Amy Richardson, and fraternal and masonic organizations that Richardson was a part of. There was correspondence with congressional officials, judges, state employees, chief justices, the bar association, schools and community organizations. There were also awards to Richardson for his work as a judge.

This box contains newspaper articles about Richardson's role in water rights cases, such as the McBryde ruling and other supreme court cases. It also includes some cultural, historical research about Pacific Island culture and Polynesian islanders. There is information on Native Hawaiian research awarded by the Amy C. Richardson award, attempts to restrict Native Hawaiian rights legislation, Native Hawaiian political history, ceded lands, the Campbell Dynasty, and nationhood.

Series 5: Oral History Testimonies for a Law School for Hawaiʻi

This series relates to Richardson's work advocating at the Hawai'i State Legislature to release general funds to develop a Law School in Hawai'i.  The oral history recordings below document various testimonies that Richardson organized for the creation of the Law School in Hawai'i, as well as the documentation of counter-arguments. More archival materials on the history of the William S. Richardson School of Law can be found in the Law School History Collection.

Series 6: Photos and Memorabilia

This series consists of memorabilia documenting William S. Richardsonʻs accomplishments throughout his career. It includes some books on the Hawaiian Monarchy, photo albums of his family. Richardson had an ancestor who served as a legal advisor during the Hawaiian Kingdom, in Lahaina. This series also includes some of his appointment books, which can portray some of his daily activities during certain years of his life, Rolodex that shows his contacts, as well as more albums and books that he kept in his office. Read a LibGuide that has more information about Newspaper Article coverage and Journal Publications about him.

Photos and albums pertaining to career as Chief Justice, guestbook, family pictures from athletic events and gatherings, weddings, Ohio University. Newspaper articles regarding Richardson's accomplishments; Hawaiian Homesteads; Prince Kuhio; Liliʻuokalani Trust; Hawaiian youth; problems facing the Native Hawaiian community, Kamehameha I, places such as Iao Valley, Kauwiki Hill, Honaunau, Lahaina; the Royal Guard; wearing lei; tapa; Washington Place; a speech on The Hawaiian Government and Politics.

This box contains booklets about Kawaiahaʻo Church and the
National Conference of Chief Justices, Bench and Bar. Photographs of Richardson in judicial robes, in his younger age and later in his career, in the supreme court, at the law library, with the 1962 Democratic Team, head shots, black and white photos, Jesssup team; photos of Ricahrdson from the Chinese Bicentennial Commission and as Trustee of Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate; group photos from the 1940s-1950s; Richardson at a graveyard, birthday party, Law School events, South Pacific Judicial Conference, UH athletic events, at Mount Rushmore, receiving awards, Hilton Hawaiian Hotel; portraits of Governor John Burns; thank you cards from various individuals and organizations; Ramsey sketch of the law school; family photos; landscape photos.

Appointment book for Judges that Richardson used to write notes or to schedule appointments.

Rolodexes including the business cards and contact information of Richardson's social and professional colleagues and networks. It also incudes his monthly schedule planners and appointment books where Richardson noted upcoming activities or deadlines.

Books regarding Hawaiiana, Hawaiʻi Reports: Opinions of Chief Justice Richardson, Administration of Justice Task Force Reports, Curtis Piehu Iaukea, Aliʻiolani Hale, Hawaiian Monarchy Bench & Bar, Legal Education in Hawaiʻi, Roosevelt High School, Punahou School, Baldwin High School, and the Honolulu Magazine.

Awards and Memorabilia regarding Historic Hawaiʻi Charter Membership Club, Richardsonʻs iconic accomplishments, Medals of honor, birthday cards.  Travels to Taipei, Tahiti. Newspaper articles regarding Kamehameha finances, resorts, correspondences, resolutions, University of Hawaii School of Law.

Memorabilia of Richardson engaged in public talks and roundtables, birthday party, postcards, commencement ceremony, photos in the Philippines, Maui, photos of political officials, military. Judiciary annual reports, accomplishments, acts written, remarks, Aliʻiolani Hale, Iolani Palace.  Newspaper articles about Richardsonʻs appointment, the Law School, the University of Hawaiʻi, cases,  memorandum about the "Richardson Years" by Carol Dodd, correspondence regarding interview transcription, Filipino veteran film, Richardson family. 

Newspaper articles regarding the Statehood generation, Hawaiian Sovereignty, labor contracts at hotels, athletics, health, Mauna Kea, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, political/court appointments.

Series 7: Audiovisual Media

This series is composed of media about Richardson's family, the Law School, Hawaiian Kingdom and State of Hawaiʻi government history, court research, Filipino veterans advocacy, and Bishop Estate.

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Color slides, film, VHS, cassette tape, photograph negatives, and text regarding Governor John Burns, David Malo, Williamson B.C. Chang and the Richardson family.

Audiovisual and mixed media regarding the judiciary, Bishop Estate, Kamehameha Schools, Hawaiian royalty such as Princess Pauahi Bishop, National Center for State Courts, American politicians John F. Kennedy, Democratic Party, Statehood and Hawaiian Sovereignty.

Other Resources

Woods, Roberta.  William S. Richardson, An Annotated Bibliography: Biography. University of Hawaii School of Law Library LibGuide. https://law-hawaii.libguides.com/Richardson

PBS Hawaiʻi. William S. Richardson: Long Story Short with Leslie Wilcox. YouTube, January 6, 2009, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoLPAQ5tl1I.

Other Archival Repositories that have information related to William S. Richardson.

Other Library resources about William S. Richardson.

Acknowledgments

This project received funding from the Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities. The physical and digital processing of this collection could not have been completed without the assistance of University of Hawaiʻi School of Law Library Public Service Department staff Abigail Lazo, Dominique Tosatto, Ellen Hughes, Geoffrey Teocson, Kristian Lazo, Darrius Dacquel, Susan Chon, Hunter Kam and Cong Nguyen.  The archival processing was supervised by Evening Supervisor & Archives Manager Ellen-Rae Cachola.  

Documenting Futures Beyond Covid-19

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The University of Hawaiʻi School of Law Library seeks to document the ideas of our Law School ʻOhana during this pandemic. Rather than feeling confined about where we are now, how can we imagine and plan what the future can mean for us, living in the Hawaiian Islands?

Learn more about the rationale behind this project in this post published on the Law Library's website.

Specifically,

  • Do you have, or have come across, information that helps you envision life beyond the covid-19 pandemic and its related social-political-economic impacts?

  • Are there ways toward a more resilient future?  

  • What are alternative policies, projects, or industries that the Hawaiian Islands could work toward, to live beyond covid-19?

Submit video, sound/voice, photo, text, or web links that represent your ideas in this google form.

We accept submissions of a diverse variety in format and style, from subjective interpretations of creative work to researched policy papers. Submissions can be from a place in Hawai'i or anywhere around the world. However, we ask that your interpretation of your submission represents your response to the question prompts above.

Your submission will be part of this public, digital exhibit called “Documenting Futures Beyond Covid-19.”

 

 

Exploring the Scholarship of Jon Van Dyke Exhibit

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This is an exhibit displaying select items from the Jon Van Dyke  Archive that represents the work he did during his lifetime, and that have relevance today.  

The exhibit is categorized into 4 main themes related to 

  • JVD's Constitutional and Historical Analysis that Informed Who Owns the Crown Lands of Hawaii 
  • Legal Papers from the Ferdinand Marcos Human Rights Litigation Case
  • The Development of the Pacific Charter of Human Rights
  • Jon Van Dyke's Advocacy for Protecting Ocean Environments

These items were chosen because of the questions, findings and sources that he worked with, which could be revisited or built upon today, to further craft legal jurisprudence on Pacific issues that centers Indigenous rights, environmental protection and human rights.  

H-3 Litigation Finding Aid

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Scope and Content

The H-3 Litigation Archive documents the case surrounding the development of the H-3 Freeway that was constructed through the Koʻolau mountain range on the island of Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi. 

The boxes contain court case documentation, correspondence, news articles, and notes from 1978-1988.  The documents reflect litigation between plaintiffs Stop H-3 Association, Life of the Land, Hui Malama Aina o Koʻolau, Moanalua Gardens Foundation, among others, against defendants, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Hawaiʻi State Department of Transportation. 

The construction of the H-3 Freeway was initially planned to cut through Moanalua Valley. But when that route was cancelled, the H-3 freeway construction proceeded through Haʻikū Valley and Hālawa Valley.

Access

See Box 1 and Box 2 for box lists and links to digitized court and miscellaneous documents. For assistance to access documents, or to request an research appointment, please see the Access page for more information.

An external resource, Archives & Political Processes: A Case Study on the History of the H-3 Freeway, curates some records from this H-3 Litigation Archive with U.S. Federal, Hawaiʻi State, and community organization records, to provide a glimpse of the multiple political processes behind the construction and opposition to the H-3 freeway. 

Physical Description

The archive is 2 archival storage boxes calculating a total of 2.66 linear feet. 

The first box consists of litigation documents between Plaintiffs Stop H-3 Association, Life of the Land and Hui Malama Aina o Ko’olau against Defendants Elizabeth Dole, Secretary of the United States Department of Transportation, Ralph Segawa Hawai’i Division Engineer, Federal Highways Administration, and Ryokichi Higashionna, Director of the Department of Transportation of the State of Hawai’i, on the construction of the H-3 Freeway on O’ahu, Hawai’i.  Documents include injunctions, Transcripts, Orders and Memorandums. 

The second box includes miscellaneous documents, new clipping, and the published book Ē Luku Wale ēPhotos of the H-3 Construction/Destruction by Kapulani Landgraf and Mark Hamasaki.  

Summary Chronology of the H-3 Construction History [1] By Dennis Kawaharada

From Ē Luku Wale ē: Photos of the H-3 Construction/Destruction by Kapulani Landgraf and Mark Hamasaki.

  • 1967 – A plan to route the H-3 freeway through Moanalua Valley is approved.
  • 1970 – The Moanalua Gardens Foundation forms to oppose the H-3 plan through Moanalua Valley; public education about the cultural and historical significance of the valley ensues.
  • 1970 – The National Environmental Policy Act is passed in Congress requiring federally-funded projects to submit an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).  Environmental and cultural impacts of projects must be assessed and alternatives or mitigation measures are required to reduce those impacts. The Hawaii Department of Transportation contracts the Bishop Museum to complete an EIS.  The Bishop Museum finds “no significant archaeological sites” except the petroglyph boulders called “Pohaku ka Lua Hine,” or Grandmother’s Stone.  No archaeological study was undertaken on the Ko’olau Poko segment of the project. 
  • 1972 – Construction begins on the Halawa interchange, but opponents challenge the EIS conclusions.  The U.S. District Judge Samuel King is convinced to issue an injunction to halt further design and construction.
  • 1974 – Moanalua Valley is listed in the National Register of Historic Places because of the Pohaku ka Lua Hine.
  • 1976 – A 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decision rules that the State of Hawai’i ignored the historic importance of Moanalua Valley and that the Secretary of Transportation failed to consider alternative routes.
  • 1977 – The State surveys the Halawa valley routes and produces a supplemental EIS with the Bishop Museum. The study concludes that there were no significant cultural or historic sites.
  • 1978 – Stop H-3 Association raises that the Ko’olau Poko route runs 1.7 miles adjacent to a future recreational area called Ho’omaluhia Park.  The U.S. Department of Transportation Act requires environmental quality in recreational areas and that alternatives be found to mitigate damages.  Construction is stopped for another EIS.
  • 1980 – The EIS on the Ko’olau Poko route adjacent to Ho’omaluhia Park was submitted.  The Federal Freeway Administration allows construction to proceed.
  • 1982 – A second supplemental EIS is ordered to address concerns regarding Ko’olau Poko’s proximity to Ho’omaluhia Park.  But construction is allowed to continue in other areas. 
  • 1983 – Construction on the Halekou interchange is restarted.
  • 1984 – The injunction was reinstated because the environmental impact was not addressed. While the construction ceased for two years, state attorneys tried to rescind the injunction. Meanwhile, 15 additional archaeological sites were identified along the Ko’olau Poko route.
  • 1986 – Senator Daniel Inouye leads freeway supporters in Congress to push an H-3 exemption for the Transportation Act. Reagan signs the exemption into law.
  • 1987 – The final ruling allows the construction to go forward. In August of that year, the Federal Highways Administration, State Historic Preservation Office, and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, with the concurrence of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and State Transportation Department, signed a memorandum of agreement to mitigate adverse impacts of the H-3 on archaeological and cultural sites.
  • 1988 – As Archaeologist Earl Neller surveys the route of the H-3, he finds the remnants of a heiau. But upon further excavation, it is downplayed as “dry land agricultural terraces.” Neller is replaced.
  • 1989 – Two tunnels are blasted through the Ko’olau mountains. 
  • 1991 – Bishop Museum’s archaeological project director Scott Williams found that the sites identified by Earl Neller, and three other adjoining sites, formed an agricultural complex that included Kukuiokane, a heiau dedicated to to Kāne, the Hawaiian God of life giving water.  The State and OHA agree to preserve one of the three sites, identifying the agricultural complex, while burying the other two including Kukuiokane, beneath what is now the Kane’ohe interchange.  Other heiaus that were destroyed by the H-3 Freeway route were Hale o Papa, House of the Mother of Creation, and a neighboring luakini, an ali’i (chieftain’s) temple.

[1] This chronology is based on Dennis Kawarahada’s summary of the H-3 Freeway development history documented in E Luku Wale ePhotos of the H-3 Construction/Destruction by Kapulani Landgraf and Mark Hamasaki.  Kawarada, Dennis.  E Luku Wale ePhotos of the H-3 Construction/Destruction by Kapulani Landgraf and Mark Hamasaki. http://www2.hawaii.edu/~dennisk/texts/h32007.html Accessed May 5, 2016.

 

Hawaiʻi 1968-1978 Constitutional Convention Newspaper Clippings Archives

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Scope and Content

This collection includes scrapbooks from the 1968 and 1978 Hawaiʻi Constitutional Convention (Con Con). 

Administrative History

The Information Booklet on the 1968 Constitutional Convention was published by Governor John A. Burnʻs 1968 Constitutional Convention Public Information Committee.  This convention took place after Hawaiʻi was admitted into the U.S. Union as the 50th State in1959.  The booklet summarizes some of the major issues that were considered at the 1968 convention.  

The 1978 Constitutional Convention scrapbook includes Honolulu Advertiser and Star-Bulletin newspaper clippings of articles leading up to and during the 1978 Con Con. Publicly elected delegates convened to revise the constitution by reflecting on the socio-political change and influence within the state’s fundamental laws. Hawaii’s third and last, to date, constitutional convention was held on July 5th, 1978. The convention was dubbed “the People’s Con Con” because there were more women and racial and ethnic minorities in attendance as delegates, thereby representing Hawai’i’s diverse makeup (Id. at 309).

The convention proposed around forty additional sections that gave constitutional status and recognition to Native Hawaiian Rights including the establishment of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA), the adoption of Hawaiian as an official state language, protection of natural resources as part of the public trust, and amended the Constitution’s preamble to better reflect the custom and culture of the islands (Trask, supra at 310. Van Dyke 1998).  

Physical Description

The 1978 newspaper clippings scrap book is in FRAGILE condition. It has a Yellow cover sheet. The newsclipping are pasted on a 18” x 24” on rough newsprint paper. The company of the scrapbook medium is M. Grumbacher, Inc. 50 sheets.

Access Restrictions

The materials are accessible in person at the University of Hawaiʻi School of Law Library.  Please see the Access page for more information.

Reference Code

These items are cataloged as the 1968-1978 Hawaiʻi Constitutional Convention Newsclippings Archive.  Go to the index pages of this collection to browse the records. Note the Box number and folder number to request access to them.

Resources

Constitution for the State of Hawaiʻi 
http://lrbhawaii.org/con/conorg.html

Bibliography

Governorʻs 1968 Public Information Committee.  Information Booklet of Hawaiiʻs 1968 Constitutional Convention.  (1968). 

Jon M. Van Dyke, The Political Status of the Native Hawaiian People, 17 Yale L. & Pol’y Rev. 95 at 109 (1998)

Michael M. McPherson, Trustees of Hawaiian Affairs v. Yamasaki and the Native Hawaiian Claim: Too Much of Nothing, 21 Envtl. L. 453 at 472 (1991)

D. Kapua’ala Sproat, An Indigenous People’s Right to Environmental Self-determination: Native Hawaiians and the Struggle Against Climate Change Devastation, 35 Stan. Envtl. L.J. 157 at 184 (2016).

 

 

 

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Jon Van Dyke Collection Finding Aid

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Special acknowledgements goes to Hawaiʻi Council for Humanities for their funding and support for the processing of this collection. Also, this project could not have been done without the assistance of Casie Azuma, Kaley Vatalaro, Dat Vo, John Agpoon, Taylor Brack, Gian Lazo, Marc Masuda, Royce Windrath, Daisy Coloma, Ashlynn Melo-Pang and Jasmine Francisco.

Introduction

This is the complete finding aid of the Jon Van Dyke Archival Collection, which includes the indexing of the physical and digitized materials. Digitized materials can be found on this site and on the ScholarSpace page.   

Read our press release about the Jon Van Dyke Archival Collection launch that occurred on March 4, 2018. If you have a subscription to Honolulu Advertiser, you may also read an Op-Ed piece  by the Archives Manager. Here is an interview with Sherry Broder on the work of Jon Van Dyke and his archives, posted on the March 1, 2018 Hawaii Public Radio "The Conversation" website.

Biography

By Ellen-Rae Cachola & Ashllyn Melo-Pang 

Professor Jon Van Dyke was born in Washington, D.C., on April 29, 1943. He spent his early years in the Middle East, having had gone to high school in both Turkey and Lebanon (at Ankara High School, and the American Community School, respectively, the latter of which he graduated from as valedictorian). He attended Yale University – where he received his undergraduate degree, graduating cum laude in three years – prior to receiving his Juris Doctorate degree from Harvard Law in 1967, where he also graduated cum laude.

Prior to his time in Hawai’i, Van Dyke taught at the Catholic University Law School in Washington, D.C., from 1967-1969, and Hastings College of Law at the University of California, San Francisco from 1971-1976. In the year between teaching at both schools, he served as law clerk to Chief Justice Roger Traynor of the California Supreme Court from 1969-1970.

Since his arrival at the William S. Richardson School of Law, Professor Jon Van Dyke served as a faculty member and a legal scholar from 1976 to 2011. Notably among these positions, Van Dyke served as Associate Dean from the years 1980-1982, as the University of Hawai’i representative on the Law of the Sea Institute’s Executive Board from 1982-1988, and as a faculty member of the Richardson School of Law Environmental Law Program. He served at various periods in his time with the university as an affiliated faculty member of different schools within the University of Hawai’i system, to include the Spark M. Matsunaga Institute for Peace, the School of Pacific and Asian Studies,  the Center for Pacific Island Studies, and as an Adjunct Research Associate or Fellow at the East-West Center. Additionally, he was invited to various universities to teach as a visiting scholar, both nationally and internationally.

Jon Van Dyke was the author of six books, served as editor for five books, and wrote over 120 articles for journals. While collaborative efforts are not uncommon in the creating, drafting, and publishing of legal works, a unique facet about Professor Van Dyke’s written products were that they often credited students who aided in his research and writing as having helped author his work.

Shortly after his arrival to Hawai’i in 1976, Professor Jon Van Dyke began working with the Native Hawaiian community. Such work included serving on the board of the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation during a period of restructuring within the organization, and participating in collaborative efforts to draft such documents as the OHA Draft Blueprint for Native Hawaiian Entitlements in the 1980s, as well as publishing such works as The Political Status of the Native Hawaiian People, which was cited in the noted United States Supreme Court opinion Rice v. Cayetano. In 2008, Who Owns the Crown Lands was published. This book collectively details Professor Van Dyke’s scholarship and research on Native Hawaiian history and Native Hawaiian rights over a 30 year-span, and traces the feudal history of Hawai’i in such a way that discusses who is entitled to the Crown Lands of the former ali’i (Native Hawaiian chief and royalty), in the context of Hawaiian sovereignty.

Professor Jon Van Dyke’s commitment to the law as a mechanism to serve people and humanitarian interests was evident in the fact that he taught courses not only in Constitutional Law, and International Ocean Law, but also International Law and International Human Rights Law. More profoundly, in 1986, Professor Van Dyke, along with his wife, Professor Sherry Broder, began working on the Marcos Human Rights Litigation when at-the-time president of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos, fled from his country to Hawai’i. Professor served as counsel in the case against The Estate of Ferdinand Marcos. The case revolved around the human rights abuses that occurred on behalf of, and under Ferdinand Marcos’ administration during his presidency.

Through his service with the  Law Association for Asia and the Pacific, he helped to develop and disseminate a Model Human Rights Charter for the Pacific Island Region. He participated in instructing judicial training seminars for judges in Micronesia, Pohnpei and Chuuk. He worked to prohibit the dumping of radioactive waste in the South Pacific.

Professor Jon Van Dyke, who taught International Ocean Law during his time as a faculty member at the Richardson School of Law, published many articles on the subject, and co-authored Maritime Boundary Disputes. He was one of the initial scholars to emphasize the Precautionary Principle of environmental law, especially with respect to ocean law. Professor Van Dyke advocated for use of the sea and its resources in a way that adhered to public trust principles and were equitable. Additionally, he was heavily involved with, and strongly dedicated to the activities commenced by the Law of the Sea Institute, for whom he actively aided in coordinating events for. This included Law of the Sea Institute (LOSI) conferences, (which were sometimes held at the East-West Center at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa), and playing an active role in publishing the papers that resulted from these conferences. This dedication was exemplified through the fact that Professor Van Dyke had been aiding in a LOSI conference in Australia, when his friends, family, and colleagues lost him.

Scope and Content

The Jon Van Dyke collection consists of 56 boxes. The years covered in these papers range from 1846-2009. The boxes were acquired through the donation of Sherry Broder, the spouse of the late Jon Van Dyke. We retrieved the boxes from Public Storage on Waiʻalae. The majority of the folders were from metal file cabinet drawers that were 4 drawers high or 2 drawers high. Other items were in banker boxes. Each file cabinet had a pre-existing number assigned to them. This informed the box numbering scheme when we began to pull the folders from those file cabinets.
When we re-boxed the folders, we made sure to keep the original markings to preserve memory of the pre-existing order found in the Public Storage. The filing cabinets, the original boxes and folders, and items that had more than two copies were discarded.

The items in the boxes were categorized according to these series listings:

Series 1: Who Owns the Crown Lands

Series 2: International Human Rights Litigation

Series 3: Pacific Island Judiciary Development

Series 4: Ocean Law

Series 5: UH Work

Jon Van Dyke Lanyard Collection

Jon Van Dyke Articles

Jon Van Dyke T-Shirt Collection

Jon Van Dyke Photo Exhibit (Contact Archives Manager for access)


The series were predetermined based on the overall understanding of the collection of School of Law Dean Avi Soifer and Library Director Victoria Szymczak who facilitated the donation of these papers to the Law Library with Sherry Broder. The subseries were based on the original manila folder labels, which generally correlated to the documents inside. The original folder labeling were in a decent intellectual order that may have been maintained since Jon Van Dyke arranged them. The papers were in fair condition, except that they were kept in bulky folders. Some folders had labels falling off. Some folders had labels that did not correspond to the documents inside; it was concluded that Jon recycled manila folders when filing some papers.

Towards the end of processing and indexing of boxes, we moved some folders around to be with other folders that shared in the same series.

 

Access the Collection

The Jon Van Dyke finding aid and index can be searched in the Law Library’s Archival portal at http://archives.law.hawaii.edu.  

To access more of the item records and digital files the collection, visit the Access page to set up researcher access account. 

To access the physical collection, fill out Researcher Registration form found in the Access page.   The form allows researchers to list the subjects or items they are interested in looking at. Upon submitting the form online, the Archives Manager will contact the researcher to schedule an appointment.

Restricted Access or Confidential Items

Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) pulled sensitive documents, according to their records policy. We worked with an OHA representative to review the finding aid and indexes that were labeled under OHA subseries, mostly from the series 1: Who Owns the Crown Lands. Documents with Personal and financial Information are indexed as “Restricted Access” to prevent public access without administrative clearing.

Reference Code

These items are cataloged as the Jon Van Dyke Collection.  Go to the index pages of each box in this collection to browse the records. Some items have been digitized. If there is a link for that itemʻs title, click on it to access the item record and digital file (log in credentials are required for full access). Note the Box number and folder number to request  access to non-digitized, physical items.

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Jon Van Dyke Photo Exhibit

This is a collection of photos from the Jon Van Dyke Collection that we are seeking more descriptive information about.  The collection is searchable through this website, through signing in as a Researcher or Contributor. Please email ellenrae[at]hawaii[dot]edu for access. 

Judge Betty Vitousek Collection

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Finding Aid

Scope of the Collection

This collection contains awards, photos, documents and plaques chronicling Honorable Judge Betty Vitousek’s accomplishments and accolades as a pioneer of  the Family Court system in Hawaiʻi.  There are also publications on the development of the family court system, as well as laws specific to children and youth. 

See the Box & Shelf List for more detail on the items in this collection.

Physical Description

Some of the items are kept within a box. Other items are oversized and kept on the “Vitousek shelf” in Intensive Storage. Some of the glass picture frames encasing the  documents have been cracked due to transport and handling, but the document itself is undamaged. 

Access Restrictions

Please see the Access page for more information.

Chronological Biography

1919 - Betty Belle Morrison was born in Wenatchee, Washington. She attended the Lewis and Clark High School.

1940 - Betty Morrison graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from the University of Washington 

  • She was a delegate to the American Student Conference in Japan. She met Roy Vitousek of Honolulu.
  • Served in the American Red Cross During World War II

1945 - Betty Morrison marries Roy Vitousek.

1948 - Betty and Roy Vitousek graduate from Stanford University Law School

  • Early in her career, Judge Betty Vitousek specialized in adoptions.  
  • She conducted research to form the Legal Aid Society of Hawai’i.  
  • Served as National President of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts
  • Delegate to the White House Conference on Children
  • Board member of National Court of Juvenile and Family Court Judges

1970 - Gov. John A. Burns appointed Judge Vitousek to Family Court of the First Circuit. She was the only active female judge in the state, although there had been female judges previously. 

1977 - Judge Vitousek was named Senior Administrative Judge of the Family Court. She oversaw judicial services and programs, formulated policies and procedures to address legal issues regarding families and children.  She created a model for family courts across the country. 

1984 - Judge Vitousek Received the Hawaiʻi Women Lawyers Distinguished Service Award.

1987 - Received the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts Distinguished Service Award

1988- Judge Vitousek retired from Family Court in 1988

1992 - Judge Vitousek received an honorary doctorate in humane letters from the University of Hawaiʻi

1994 - Husband Roy Vitousek passed away

1995 - Judge Vitousek received Hawaiʻi Women Lawyers Lifetime Achievement Award

2006 - First two attorneys were appointed as Vitousek-King Fellows in honor of Hon. Betty Vitousek and Hon. Samuel King, both pioneers in Hawaiʻiʻs Family Court system. This Fellowship was established at the William S. Richardson School of Law.

2008 - Honolulu was selected as one of eight sites nationwide to participate in the Zero to Three Court program educating courts on the science of early childhood development and advocating for children in foster care in Hawai’i.

2017 - Judge Vitousek passed away at age 98. Her children are Peter (Pamela Matson) and Roy (Sharon) Vitousek III, and by daugher Kelly (Frederic Manke) Vitousek. She has six grandchildren: Maren (Michal Niemack) Vitousek; Sean (Sylvia), Michael (Katie), and Malia Vitousek; Michael and Liana Vitousek. She has five great-granddaughters: Linnea Elizabeth Niemack, Juliana Leleua Niemack, Rainey Jane Vitousek, Carol Belle Vitousek, and Meigold Maria Vitousek. She has 13 nieces and nephews.

Other Accomplishments

  • First Executive Director of the Hawai’i State Bar Association
  • Passed legislation to establish Family Courts in Hawai’i with Judges Gerald Corbett and Samuel King; Hawai’i was the second state to do so.
  • Volunteered for the Supreme Court’s Appellate Mediation Program 
  • Advocated for Mediation in partnership with Neighborhood Justice Center for Mediation for divorce cases and to consider the needs of the children. Eventually this became the “Kids First” program.
  • Volunteered for the Chief Justice’s Judicial Performance Review Panel 

Accolades & Reflections on Judge Vitousek

Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald stated: “From encouraging mediation to developing programs to help families cope with the impacts of divorce, she was an innovator who cared deeply about Hawaii’s children and families. Her many other contributions to our community included laying the groundwork for what became the Legal Aid Society of Hawaiʻi. She also served as a mentor to countless lawyers and judges."   Recktenwald wrote a proclamation to Betty M. Vitousek.

Judge R. Mark Browning, Chief Judge of the First Circuit and previously the Senior Family Court Judge stated:  “As a jurist and as a person, she personified grace and wisdom. I and many others will miss her. We are comforted by the fact that the values that she passed to us continue to be taught to a new generation of judges and lawyers. Her commitment to the children and the families of our state and to the community as a whole is a legacy that continues today.”

Judge Vitousek's son Randy stated: “My mother is the kindest human being... She did things for others with humility and believes that kindness is the greatest virtue you could ever have.”...“

Judge Vitousek's son Peter stated, "She was good at finding the good in people she disagreed with,” adding that she would do so in conversation. “She was not confrontational at all, but not a shrinking person. I don’t think she was doing it strategically. It was just who she was.”

Sources: 

“Hawaiiʻs first female judge of Family Court ‘personified grace and wisdom.’” Star Advertiser. Aug. 30, 2017. https://www.staradvertiser.com/2017/08/30/hawaii-news/hawaiis-first-family-court-judge-helped-found-legal-aid-society/ 

“Judge Betty Vitousek Leaves a Lasting Legacy.” Hawaiʻi State Judiciary. August 29, 2017. https://www.courts.state.hi.us/news_and_reports/featured_news/2017/08/judge-betty-vitousek-leaves-lasting-legacy 

“Judge Betty M. Vitousek,”  Family Placed Obituary.  Star Advertiser April 14, 2021 https://obits.staradvertiser.com/2017/11/08/judge-betty-m-vitousek/ 

“Judge Vitousek was the recipient of HWLʻs….” Hawaiʻi Women Lawyerʻs Facebook. August 29, 2017. https://m.facebook.com/hiwomenlawyers/posts/901745249994814 

“Vitousek-King Fellowships in Child Welfare Law.” Laurie A. Tochiki. William S. Richardson School of Law. 2021. https://www.law.hawaii.edu/familycourt/vitousek-king-fellowships-child-welfare-law