Posted on: Tuesday, August 27, 2002

Volcano observatory names building for Reggie Okamura

By Hugh Clark
Advertiser Big Island Bureau

HAWAI'I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK, Hawai'i — The main building at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory was renamed yesterday in honor of the late Reginald "Reggie" Okamura, a Big Island native who worked there for 34 years and was chief of operations when he retired in 1992.

Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawai'i, and Mayor Harry Kim, who as former head of Hawai'i County Civil Defense worked closely with Okamura, were among those speaking at a ceremony attended by more than 200 guests.

Okamura was commemorated in a bronze plaque created by Henry Bianchini, the sculptor of the King Kalakaua statute in the Hilo park named for the Hawaiian monarch.

Okamura was 62 when he died of a heart attack in 1999. His brother, Arnold, is now the assistant scientist in charge at the observatory, which was founded in 1912 by Thomas Jaggar.

Okamura began his career at the observatory as a physical science technician in 1958, after receiving a degree in entomology, with a minor in chemistry, at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa. In 1978, he became chief of operations.

As spokesman for the observatory, he was widely quoted in news reports about the Kilauea eruptions over the years.

He also helped establish the Minority Participant in Earth Sciences program at the observatory, which provided job experience in science to students from various ethnic groups.