He was the most revered public figure in the early days of statehood, a sometimes gruff and often imposing politician who served three terms as governor of Hawai'i. Some called him "The Great Stone Face," others "The Old Man," but John A. Burns simply was not someone to be trifled with.
Burns, the man who shepherded Hawai'i's statehood movement in 1959 and oversaw the state's tremendous growth in the 1960s and early '70s, also was a towering contradiction: He was a shy individual who didn't care for the trappings and attention of public office. He avoided interviews. And he rarely sought credit for his accomplishments.
Born in 1909 in Fort Assinneboine, Mont., Burns was the son of an Army sergeant who brought his family to Hawai'i in 1913 when he was transferred to Fort Shafter. The father left in 1919, and Burns and his three siblings grew up in Kalihi under the strict but loving care of their mother.
Burns joined the Honolulu Police Department in 1934 and headed the espionage division during World War II. During the war, Burns was an outspoken supporter of Hawai'i's Japanese community. His insistence that they be treated equally helped with the creation of the 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team.
He viewed the Democratic Party, which he helped bring to power and nurtured, as a way to right the social wrongs of the day. In 1954, he helped engineer the Democratic revolution that ended the Republican Party's long hold on power in the territorial Legislature.
Two years later, Burns was elected Hawai'i's delegate to Congress and began working for statehood with, among others, Lyndon B. Johnson. The push succeeded in 1959.
Burns was elected governor in 1962 and re-elected in 1966 and 1970.
Most of the state's major highways were built during his time in office, and Burns also spent millions on Honolulu International Airport. The state's public school system under Burns enjoyed its greatest period of expansion ever.
One of his most painfully difficult decisions came in 1970 when the Legislature passed a bill legalizing abortion.
As a Roman Catholic who attended Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace each day before work, Burns agonized over what to do because, he told a reporter, "abortion is murder." Ultimately, he bowed to the will of the people and let the bill become law without his signature.
Burns was stricken with colon cancer in October 1973, and the last 15 months of his third term were marked by its disabling effects. Lt. Gov. George Ariyoshi soon became acting governor, holding the post until he was elected governor in 1974.
During a farewell speech before the Legislature in April 1974, Burns seemed almost embarrassed by the overwhelming applause from a joint session and a packed gallery. A year later at his home in Kailua, he was dead, peacefully passing with his family around him. He was 66.
