Foundation honors former publisher
By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer
Former Honolulu Advertiser publisher Thurston Twigg-Smith was honored by the Historic Hawai'i Foundation with its Kama'aina of the Year award yesterday evening.
Advertiser library photo
The foundation presented the award at its annual Winter Benefit and Silent Auction at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel.
Thurston Twigg-Smith was honored for his work to rehabilitate and maintain historic buildings.
The foundation honors those in the community who have made a "unique and lasting contribution to the preservation of Hawai'i's historic places and culture," said Lisa Oshiro, the foundation's operations manager.
Twigg-Smith was honored for his work to rehabilitate and maintain several historic buildings in Hawai'i, including the Cooke/Spalding Estate, known as The Contemporary Museum, the Johnson House, which had housed the Persis Corp., and The Ho-nolulu Advertiser Building.
Twigg-Smith, 81, took over as publisher of The Advertiser in 1961 after winning control of the newspaper from his uncle, Lorrin P. Thurston. In 1993, Twigg-Smith sold The Advertiser to Gannett Co. Inc.
Since leaving the newspaper business, Twigg-Smith has kept busy with his company, Twigg-Smith Group, which invests in small inns on the Mainland. He also continues to collect pieces of art.
"It's a great honor, a fantastic honor," Twigg-Smith said of the foundation's award.
The foundation is a nonprofit organization formed in 1974 to encourage and promote the preservation of historic buildings, objects, communities and sites.
