Posted on: Tuesday, February 18, 2003
Thoughts on George Chaplin
Advertiser Staff
"He's part of the history and the making of the state of Hawai'i. He contributed a lot to the citizenry. I enjoyed him as a warrior."
— Former Honolulu Mayor Frank Fasi, who feuded with Chaplin for years over the now-defunct joint operating agreement between The Advertiser and the Honolulu Star-Bulletin
"George just had a genuineness and an honesty that you rarely find. He always wanted truth and honesty to prevail."
— Laurence Vogel, president and CEO of Y. Hata & Co. and longtime friend
"I think that was a major factor in his love of Hawai'i, where everybody is a member of the minority. He understood the problems of somebody who's top dog too long."
— Former Bishop Trust Co. chairman Robert Midkiff, of Chaplin's experience growing up Jewish in the South
"He did everything on this old-style typewriter, a Remington. It was amazing to see increase in technology at The Advertiser, and here's George with the plinkety-plink of his typewriter. He was just a wonderful guy. He really crossed generations from the old-style journalists to the modern era."
— Rabbi Avi Magid, of Temple Emanu-El
"He turned it around in very short order, Thurston Twigg-Smith along with him. He hired women as well as men, and he hired non-Caucasians. He became very active in the community."
— Helen Chapin, retired Hawai'i Pacific University vice president who wrote two books on Hawai'i's newspapers, on Chaplin working to reverse The Advertiser's reputation of being out of touch with the working-class community
"George always saw himself as a public-spirited person. He would always say there are more important things than a news story, which sounds heretical to some journalists now."
— John Griffin, who served as editorial page editor under Chaplin
• • •
George Chaplin's community service
- chairman of the Governor's Conference on The Year 2000 (in 1970)
- co-editor of the book HAWAII 2000 (University Press of Hawaii, 1973)
- chairman, Hawaii Commission on The Year 2000
- co-chairman of the Committee on Alternative Economic Futures for Hawai'i
- charter member of Goals for Hawaii and co-chairman of its Racial Tensions Commission
- chairman of the regents' search committee for a new president at the University of Hawai'i
- chairman of the Governors' Advisory Council on Foreign Language and International Studies
- a director of the nonprofit Economic Corporation of Honolulu
- a charter director of the University of Hawai'i Research Corporation
- board member of the Institute for Religion and Social Change
- a director of the Japan-American Society of Honolulu
- a director of the Jewish Federation of Hawaii
- a director of the Pacific and Asian Affairs Council
- a member of the Hawai'i delegation, Japan-Hawaii Economic Council
- a director of the Honolulu Symphony Society
- a director of Hawaii Imin (Japanese immigrants') Centennial Corporation
- a founder and vice president of the Coalition For A Drug-Free Hawaii
- chairman of the board of governors of the East-West Center for Technical and Cultural Interchange
- chairman of the 25th anniversary year of Temple Emanu-El
In the professional arena:
- past president of the American Society of Newspaper Editors after serving as secretary, treasurer and vice president
- a former chairman of the American Media Subcommittee of the U.S.-Japan Conference on Cultural and Educational Interchange
- a member of the U.S. Delegation to the Shimoda Conference in Japan
- a director of the American Committee of the International Press Institute
- a representative of the World Press Freedom Committee for missions to Sri Lanka, Hong Kong and Singapore
- a Pulitzer Prize juror for two years
- a member of the Society of Nieman Fellows
- a former Member of the Society of Professional Journalists (Sigma Delta Chi)
- a former member of the National Conference of Editorial Writers
- a member of the World Future Society
Decorations and awards:
- Japan's Order of the Rising Sun
- Italy's Star of Solidarity
- Israel's Prime Minister's Medal
- The Judah Magnes Gold Medal from Hebrew University of Jerusalem
- named by the Honolulu Press Club to its Hall of Fame
- Clemson University Distinguished Alumni award
- University of Hawai'i Trustees' Award for Distinguished Leadership
- honorary doctorates from Clemson (humanities) in 1989 and from Hawaii Loa College in Hawai'i (humane letters) in 1990
- presented the Meritorious Citation of the Navy League of the U.S. for starting a nationwide campaign in 1962 to raise money to build the USS Arizona Memorial
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