Elizabeth Jessamine Kauikeolani Low Lucas, a descendent of Kamehameha I, was born in 1895, two years after her hanai grandfather, Sanford Dole, helped lead a revolt that overthrew the Hawaiian monarchy.
With a family lineage that included both royalty and modern Hawaiian power brokers, Lucas found her balance in serving Hawai'i's neediest.
Lucas' grandmother Pamaho'a was active in the royal court and brought Dole into her circle.
Lucas, also known as Clorinda, was the third child of Lizzie and husband Ebenezer Low, grandson of John Parker of Parker Ranch.
Lucas graduated from Smith College in Massachusetts, then found work with the YMCA in New York City. She completed her graduate studies in social work at what is now Columbia University — she is believed to be the first Hawaiian to earn a degree in social work — then returned home in 1937 to apply what she had learned.
Lucas served first as O'ahu chief of the Department of Public Welfare, and later as director of public child welfare, a post she held until she retired in 1960.
Her concern for Hawai'i's children also was evident in her professional affiliations. She was the first woman to serve as a member and chairwoman of the Queen Lili'uokalani Trust, and also held leadership positions with Kapiolani Children's and Maternity Hospital, the state Commission on Children and Youth, and the Kamehameha Schools Advisory Council.
