Thomas Hamilton was the popular and highly regarded president of the University of Hawai'i during what has been called the institution's "Golden Age" in the 1960s.
The eminent educator arrived at UH in 1963 from the presidency of the State University of New York and led during a period of accomplishment and modernization at UH.
A defender of the highest standards of education, he inspired and motivated others. He was noted for his civility and humor, which included an ability to laugh at himself.
Under Hamilton, UH appropriations, both public and private, escalated. He was able to "sell" the university to the average citizen to such an extent that in 1965 he was named salesman of the year by the Sales and Marketing Executives of Hawaii.
In 1968, the new university library was named for Hamilton. Ironically, that same year he found himself embroiled in an academic-freedom controversy that would soon lead to his resignation.
Hamilton became a victim of a time of intense social upheaval and protest in America regarding the war in Vietnam.
When an untenured assistant professor advised a group of student protesters to issue a flier that called for infiltrating the military and killing officers to hasten the war's end, Hamilton backed the professor's firing.
To his stunned surprise, the student body and faculty overwhelmingly supported the professor.
The controversy led to an 11-day student takeover of the UH administration building, dozens of arrests and Hamilton's resignation.
