Posted on: Thursday, June 13, 2002
John J. Hulten, 88, proponent of state-run interisland ferry
By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer
John J. Hulten, former state senator and longtime proponent of an interisland ferry system, died Sunday. The Kailua resident was 88.
Hulten was a Democrat who represented Windward O'ahu in the Senate from 1962 to 1978. In 1967, Hulten was named Senate president, a position he held for two sessions.
Former Republican Sen. D.G. "Andy" Anderson represented Windward O'ahu with Hulten when multiple senators were elected to the same district. Anderson said Hulten was an "honest, common sense guy."
"Black was black and white was white and if it got too gray he wanted to know why," Anderson said yesterday.
Former Hawai'i Democratic Party Chairman Walter Heen served with Hulten in the Senate in the late 1960s. Heen's first job out of college also was as a junior appraiser under Hulten and partner John Child.
Heen left the firm after a few months to enter law school and later politics. But Heen said he always valued Hulten's intellect.
"He was highly recruited by all of us because he was respected for his intelligence, his wisdom, his knowledge, particularly of real estate values and land use," Heen said.
Hulten was born Nov. 2, 1913, in San Francisco. He began his business career with the San Francisco Bank, where he worked as a loan clerk until 1945.
He later worked as regional tax adviser with the U.S. Public Housing Administration. In 1948, he moved to Hawai'i when he was named chief appraiser for the Veteran Administration.
In 1951, Hulten and Child opened a business that provided real estate appraisals and economic studies. In 1957, he opened a consulting firm that specialized in urban renewal projects.
In the late 1950s, Hulten began to promote the idea of a state-run interisland ferry system. He said the system would be an economic plus for the Islands and could employ hundreds of people.
Hulten was elected to the Senate in 1962 and continued to push the ferry plan. In 1965 the Legislature passed a measure that would set up the system, but the state was unable to find a vessel to lease.
In addition to his political and business careers, Hulten was an active member of the Catholic Church.
Hulten is survived by his wife, Helen; sons, John Jr. and Thomas; daughter, Virginia Klein; 11 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and brother, Clarence.
Visitation will be 6 p.m. Wednesday at St. John Vianney Catholic Church, with a service at 7 p.m. Donations may be made to the St. John Vianney Education Foundation.
