Island Voices
Gov. Burns saw a greater UH

By Shelley M. Mark
Former state director of business and economic development

John Anthony Burns during his three terms in office (1962-1974) probably had a closer interest and contributed more to the growth and progress of the University of Hawai'i than any other governor in the history of Hawai'i.

When he first entered office, the university was little more than an average land-grant institution (cow college is probably the wrong appellation, though cows did roam in secured areas of the campus).

By the time he neared completion of his third term in the waning years of his life, the university was replete with evidence of his touch. Foremost was the John A. Burns School of Medicine; then the William Richardson (his first lieutenant governor) School of Law, and structures and curricula for Business Administration; Social Sciences, Engineering, Geophysics, Marine Sciences; the Hamilton Library, the Kennedy Theatre for the Performing Arts, not to speak of the East-West Center campus with its John Burns Administration centerpiece.

The governor personally saw to it that university projects were placed at the top of his capital improvements budgets and garnered significant legislative support, though funds were nowhere near as abundant as today. House Speaker Elmer Cravalho, Economic Development Chairman Toshio Serizawa, and numerous other representatives and senators were persuaded to think of the University of Hawai'i's future first, with pork to come at the end of the line.

But Burns saw more than structures and edifices in his vision for the university. He viewed the institution as the prime and integral "mover" and "shaker" by which the new state could assert a destined historic role into what he liked to call the "Geneva of the Pacific."

In his view, acquisition and dissemination of knowledge and intellectual ferment could shake loose the bonds of plantation and servitude, and move the society and economy forward to new heights of achievement. Structures were necessary in this process.

Not a university person himself, the governor displayed great respect for academicians, although he never hesitated to vent his disapproval when he thought they had not lived up to their charge.

In fact, three of his first Cabinet appointees were university professors — almost unheard of in political circles — Fujio Matsuda in transportation, Ken Otagaki in agriculture and me in planning and economic development.

Burns took great delight in his regular Monday post-midnight gab sessions with his "Eggheads," as he would call us. We were not the usual high-level decision-makers, but the governor valued our opinions (enjoyed the repartee might be a better way of putting it).

The group with varying degrees of attendance included Tom Ige and Fred Hung of economics, Dick Kosaki, Dan Tuttle, Bob Stauffer and Ralph Miwa of political science, and Terry Ihara, Jake Stalker, Fred Haenlein, Orland Lefforge, Shosuke Goto and many others from a variety of disciplines (apologies to those inadvertently omitted or included).

Without claiming credit or assigning blame, it might be said in retrospect that the midnight sessions energized and provided substance to the governor's vision to build a premier academic institution of the Pacific. An incomplete listing might include:

• His decision to proceed with the planning, building and implementation of the professional schools (Medicine, Law, Business Administration, graduate studies in the Social Sciences).

• Development of a statewide community college system from the existing post-secondary trade and technical schools and via new appropriations.

• Extension of university-level instruction to West O'ahu and the build-up of the Hilo campus.

• Accession of the Rainbow Warriors into the Western Athletic Conference.

• Commissioning of the first governor's science and technology committee for town and gown interaction in development of the professional schools.

• The evolution of the East-West Center from an international college designation at the university into a full-flown, federally-funded academic, research and policy-oriented institution. The center owes a debt to Burns action for its establishment and survival.