A champion of Hawai'i businesses as well as the employees on which they depend, Robert Midkiff is well known both for his philanthropy and his progressive business sense.
Midkiff's ties to Hawai'i are well-rooted. His great-great-grandparents Amos Starr Cooke (founder of Castle & Cooke) and Juliette Montague Cooke were missionaries who founded the Hawaii Chiefs Children's School. His great-grandparents, Joseph and Juliette Cooke Atherton, founded the charitable Atherton Family Foundation. Grandparents Theodore and Mary Atherton Richards established a multiracial living project in Kane'ohe as well as the Friend Peace Scholarship student-exchange program with Japan. Midkiff's father, Frank, was president of Kamehameha Schools and a Bishop Estate trustee.
Midkiff was born in 1920 and graduated from Punahou School before attending Yale University and Harvard University.
During World War II, Midkiff served as an officer on the staff of Gen. Douglas MacArthur. After the war, Midkiff was assigned to help the Korean population in Japan.
Returning to Hawai'i, Midkiff began working for Hawaiian Trust Co., where he eventually served as vice president. In 1958, he established the American Trust Company of Hawaii, specializing in accounts for small businesses. From there, he worked as a vice president at Amfac and president of American Security Bank.
Midkiff is credited with introducing profit-sharing to Hawai'i business, and also lobbied the Hawaii Business Roundtable to establish a childcare center for female employees.
Midkiff's influence also was felt in the development of the downtown area. He founded the Downtown Improvement Association, Waikiki Improvement Association, Lahaina Restoration Foundation, and Friends of 'Iolani Palace. He helped plan the Honolulu Civic Center, led the building of Financial Plaza of the Pacific and co-chaired the development of the Hawai'i Capitol.
Midkiff retired in 1993 but has remained amazingly active as president of the Atherton Family Foundation, president of the Good Beginnings Alliance, founding board member of the Hawaii Community Foundation, member of the Hawaii Business Roundtable, and chairman of the board of the Hawai'i Theatre.
In recognition of his many contributions, the University of Hawai'i conferred to Midkiff an honorary degree, Doctor of Humane Letters, in 2002.
