Two weeks ago I wrote about Walter Dods, CEO of First Hawaiian Bank. He created the “Quiet and Effective” slogan for Gov. George Ariyoshi’s 1978 campaign.
In that article, I mentioned that a middle school teacher helped Ariyoshi overcome a speech impediment.
Ariyoshi celebrated his 98th birthday March 12, and I thought I’d write more about the teacher who influenced his career. The former governor explained it in an interview at the University of Hawaii at Manoa Center for Oral History in 2016.
All a teacher wants is 1 person
“When I was at Central Intermediate School, I had a teacher, Mrs. Margaret Hamada, two periods every day, for three years,” Ariyoshi said.
“I told her that I was interested in becoming a lawyer. She arranged for me to meet with two: Arthur Trask and Yasutaka Fukushima. I learned that people came to see a lawyer when they need help, when there was a need for something or to do something for them.
“Arthur Trask was a great criminal lawyer. He told me about how he had people in trouble who came to him, and he tried to help them.
“Yasutaka Fukushima was a civil lawyer. People came to him for advice so that they did the right thing and didn’t make mistakes. It impressed me that a lawyer can help keep people out of trouble.
“I came back and asked Mrs. Hamada, ‘How can I become a lawyer if I can’t speak well?’ I had difficulty producing certain sounds — my th’s my s’s. As a result, I started to stutter, and oftentimes I would forget what I wanted to say because I was so cognizant on saying it the right way.
“She said, ‘Oh, let’s work on that.’ She had me come in to school on weekends and would make me read aloud. I spent hours and hours doing that.
“She had me appointed as defense counsel for student court. I entered oratory contests, and she would come listen to me. I remember her telling me, when I represented McKinley at the territorial finals, ‘I can’t believe I’m listening to the same George Ariyoshi,’ and it’s all because of her help.
“She came to all my inaugurations. When she died I was asked to speak at her funeral.”
Ariyoshi talked about how Mrs. Hamada had said, “All a teacher wants is one person. And the person that I had was George Ariyoshi.”
Aloooooha!
I asked readers if they had any stories about George and Jean Ariyoshi. Ken Goldstein said he and his wife, Linda, visited Japan many years ago and had just landed at Haneda Airport.
“Our son and new daughter-in-law were going to pick us up, and we both wore two of our most colorful aloha shirts from the late Andy Mohan so they could quickly pick us out from the milling crowds.
“From behind me, I heard, ‘Aloha!’ and I turned around, expecting my son, but found the much-taller George Ariyoshi, with his hand outstretched. I would encounter him a number of times over the years, but that was our first meeting.
“I introduced Linda and myself and wondered out loud how he had picked me out as being from Hawaii. ‘Look around us, Ken,’ he said. ‘Do you see anyone else who stands out from the crowd? No, it’s only we ‘keiki o ka aina’ who wear colorful aloha shirts wherever we travel in the world.’ He was right!”
Second photograph
Deidre S. remembered attending George Ariyoshi’s fundraiser for his second term as governor in 1977. It was held at night on the grounds of Washington Place.
“There were many people waiting in line on the sidewalk to attend this event. I had never been to a fundraiser nor to the governor’s residence, and I didn’t know what to expect.
“George Ariyoshi and his wife, Jean, took a picture with me and my then-boyfriend (now husband). Unbeknownst to me, I must have blinked because Mrs. Ariyoshi requested the photographer take another picture of us.
“I never forgot her attentiveness and kind gesture in being aware of my blinking. I also didn’t realize how tall and charismatic Gov. Ariyoshi was until that night. A picture was given to everyone who attended. I still have it.”
First in the nation
Walter Dods worked on Ariyoshi’s campaigns. “In 1970, John Burns, who was 61 at the time, was elected governor for a third term, and George Ariyoshi, 44, was elected his lieutenant governor.
“He was the nation’s first lieutenant governor of Japanese descent. The date for the inauguration was December 7, 1970 — the 29th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Oahu.
“We never told reporters,” Dods said, “but we received many death threats and all kinds of nasty letters. Ariyoshi just took it in stride. He was strong and stoic. I rarely saw him angry. He is such a wonderful guy.”
$800 paycheck
When Ariyoshi became lieutenant governor in 1970, he had to give up his law practice and directorships of three corporations, which paid well.
“When I was lieutenant governor, my salary was about $32,000 per year,” Ariyoshi recalled. “Half a month’s salary, after deductions, came out to $800- something. I looked at the check, and I thought to myself, ‘Wow, how am I going to make it?’”
Melanesia, Polynesia and Micronesia
Former Mayor Mufi Hannemann worked as a special assistant to Gov. Ariyoshi on Pacific relations in 1980.
“I appreciated Ariyoshi’s vision of the Pacific region,” Hannemann said. “It was not just about our relationships with Japan, China, Korea or the Asian rim. He was focused on the island countries that make up Melanesia, Polynesia and Micronesia.
“He felt Hawaii had a role to play in being their friend, being their advocate and being a conduit to the rest of the federal government.
“Ariyoshi practiced fis- cal conservatism with compassion,” Hannemann continued. “That was very important to him. He was so tight with the public’s money, he squeaked when he walked.
“He prided himself on not spending everything in the state’s coffers. That’s why there was always a surplus during his administration.”
Formal dinners
“King Hussein of Jordan came for a very formal dinner at Washington Place, and the governor invited some of us from the campaign,” Dods recalled.
“We went to Washington Place, and the table was set like none of us had ever seen before. There seemed to be 15 forks, knives, spoons and other odd-shaped utensils at each place setting.
“None of us local guys had a clue which utensil was to be used when. So, for the entire night, whichever one Jean Ariyoshi picked up, we picked up. Whatever she ate, we ate. If she didn’t eat a certain thing, we didn’t eat it either because we had no clue. It was hilarious.”
Jean Ariyoshi’s lap
Wendell Hosea was president of the Honolulu Jaycees in 1981. “I spoke at the opening of the 50th State Fair after Rev. Abraham Akaka did the blessing. I had my daughter, Robin, with me, and she was dirty after playing at Mother Rice Day Care School in Moiliili.
“I had put Robin at the back of the seating area and asked her to be quiet, with a treat at Baskin-Robbins to follow as her reward.
“I went to my assigned seat in the front. A few minutes later I turned to check on Robin, and to my shock, she was on Jean Ariyoshi’s lap. Jean wore a beautiful dress and Robin’s play clothes were soiled.
“I apologized to Jean and tried to retrieve my daughter. Mrs. Ariyoshi told me, ‘You men go ahead and do your thing. We gals (her and my daughter Robin) are having a good time and will be fine.’
“It was a moment in my life that is indelible. Jean Ariyoshi’s compassion as a mother of three children made this father relieved to have my child on her lap.
“We were fortunate to have this couple to represent Hawaii with humility and grace under pressure.”
George and Jean Ariyoshi celebrated their 69th anniversary in February. Congratulations to both of them.
Bob Sigall is the author of the five “The Companies We Keep” books. Contact him at Sigall@Yahoo.com or sign up for his free email newsletter at RearviewMirrorInsider.com.
