Last month Henry J. Kaiser’s initial years in the islands were covered. The next decade in Hawaii for Kaiser would bring many accomplishments for the man, some of which we still see today.
In 1957, Kaiser’s television station, KHVH, was the first local station to air programs in color. On May 7, 1958, Kaiser purchased ABC affiliate KULA (operating as Channel 4) for $685,000 and merged the two stations. KHVH became the ABC affiliate and televised "Maverick," starring James Garner (debuted in 1957), which was sponsored by Kaiser Aluminum.
Warner Bros. produced a detective series in 1959 based out of Kaiser’s own Hawaiian Village, "Hawaiian Eye," starring Robert Conrad, Connie Stevens and the late Poncie Ponce.
On Nov. 13, 1958, Kaiser opened the $4 million Ala Moana Medical Center. The 1.5 acre hospital was adjacent to the the Ala Wai Yacht Harbor and was open for over 25 years (demolition of the hospital can be seen in a 1986 episode of "Magnum, P.I.").
The landscape of Oahu changed when Kaiser announced plans on March 30, 1959, to develop a new area in East Oahu called Hawaii Kai. Kaiser invested $350 million into this project and an agreement for development of the 6,000-acre site came from Bishop Estate land from Koko Head to Makapuu Point.
The only problem was persuading public officials to support the plan. The city wanted nothing to do with the cost of creating a sewage system for the area. Kaiser funded the sewage plant at a cost of $9.6 million, becoming the state’s largest private sewer system.
Home sales were slow at first in Hawaii Kai, but picked up by Kaiser insisting that the Hawaii Home Builders Association use Hawaii Kai as the site for its 1963 Parade of Homes show. Cars packed two lanes on Kalanianaole Highway from the Waialae-Kahala area for most of the first two days of the show.
Magic Island was also a Kaiser vision, but he had hopes for it to be used as a resort rather than the public park we know today.
The Kaiser signature color was pink. He had pink Jeeps, concrete trucks, offices, tractors, bulldozers and cranes all painted the same color.
His 7.2-acre estate on Portlock Road in Hawaii Kai was built in 1959. The estate would host President Johnson, Bob Hope and Jackie Kennedy. The Kaiser estate was purchased by Japanese businessman Genshiro Kawamoto for $42.5 million in 1988. At the time it was reportedly the highest price paid for a private residence in the United States.
Linda Ryan recalls her experience working with the Kaisers: "In August 1960, I responded to a newspaper ad seeking someone who loved animals, drove out for an interview, was hired, and enjoyed a year at the Kaiser estate living in my own apartment with Kaiser pink carpets and telephone.
"During that year I groomed, fed, trained and showed champion standard poodles, plus bottle-fed their newborns around the clock. As I recall, at one point we had 50, each had a separate kennel with pink carpet, each receiving varied menus and supplements.
"Mr. and Mrs. Kaiser would occasionally invite me over for ice cream and easy conversation. Lovely people. Charming," said Ryan.
In 1961, Kaiser sold his Hawaiian Village to Conrad Hilton for $21.5 million. The hotel is now the Hilton Hawaiian Village.
One of Kaiser’s enjoyments outside of his many projects was attending Hawaii Islanders baseball games at the old Honolulu Stadium. Kaiser had season tickets, attending games with his wife, Ale, sitting in the reserved box seat No. 1 behind home plate. Kaiser often scheduled business trips when the Islanders were out of town so he wouldn’t miss any games.
In 1964, Kaiser sold KHVH television to Lawrence "Bob" Berger’s Western Telestations Inc. for $4 million. KHVH television became KITV in 1973.
In June 1967, Kaiser’s health began to deteriorate due to circulatory problems. He used a wheelchair and slipped into a coma the following month. Kaiser died at his Portlock home on Aug. 24, 1967.
Kaiser is buried at Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland, Calif.
Hawaii Kai would see a new high school opening its doors in 1971: Henry J. Kaiser High School.
The proudest area of achievement in Kaiser’s life was the medical field, a legacy that remains to this day with Kaiser Permanente.
"Of all the things I’ve done, I expect only to be remembered for my hospitals. They’re the things that are filing the people’s greatest need: good health," said Kaiser.
A.J. McWhorter, a collector of film and videotape cataloging Hawaii’s TV history, has worked as a producer, writer and researcher for both local and national media. Email him at flashback@hawaii.rr.com.
