Contents

 

From Reuben D. Law’s book, The Founding and Early Development of The Church College of Hawaii (pp 37-43)

Edward L. Clissold: “Events Leading to the Establishment of the Church College of Hawaii”

“After the Oahu Stake was organized in 1935, frequent mention was made of the need of a church high school and college in Hawaii. President McKay, in his visits to the islands in 1936 and in 1941, encouraged the stake and mission leaders in laying plans for the establishment of a church school at Laie. Before much could be done, however, the war came on and plans were laid aside. After the war, the subject was raised again and often became the theme of discussions with visiting brethren, particularly Elder Matthew Cowley, who was a warm supporter of the idea.

“The first definite step toward the establishment of a school was taken in June, 1949, when President Ralph E. Woolley of the Oahu Stake appointed a committee of four members of the High Council: Clinton Kanahele, J. Franklin Woolley, Laurence Peterson and George Zabriskie to study the problem. A meeting of a number of interested persons was held July 13, 1949, at the [Honolulu] Tabernacle. Out of this meeting and the studies of the committee came the recommendation that a high school be established, preferably at Laie, where it might later expand into a junior college. This recommendation was passed on to the brethren but no immediate action was taken.

“In November, 1950, President Clissold of the Hawaii Mission conferred with President Woolley on the feasibility of using the old Waialee Training School as a temporary location for the proposed church school.

“President Woolley appointed a committee consisting of Fred E. Lunt, George Kekauoha, Elmer Jenkins and Ruby Enos, and asked these people to meet with the mission presidency to study the suitability of the Waialee plant. The committee reported favorably and a recommendation that this site be considered was relayed to the brethren through President Franklin Murdock who was visiting here at that time.

“In December, 1950, Clarence Silver of the Church Building Committee came to Hawaii on a vacation and was asked by the brethren to inspect the Waialee buildings and site. His report to the brethren was unfavorable and further delays ensued.

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Board of Education Appointed

“In June, 1951, the First Presidency called Frank McGhie, ‘to go to Hawaii to take preliminary steps toward the establishing of a junior college at Laie, Hawaii.’ At the same time the First Presidency appointed the following as a Board of Education ‘to have charge of church school work in Hawaii’: Members of the Oahu Stake Presidency, Hawaii Mission Presidency, President Edward L. Clissold, and the Bishop of Laie Ward. In its communication to the Board, the First Presidency asked that the school be opened in the autumn of 1951, if possible.

“The following month a survey was made through the bishops and mission authorities to learn the number of high school graduates among members of the church, the number contemplating higher education, etc. Brother Frank McGhie having arrived, the Board met with him on several occasions to hear the results of his survey and studies on Oahu and the other islands. On July 28, 1951, in a final meeting with Brother McGhie, the Board recommended that a junior college be established at Laie to open in September, 1952. Brother McGhie did not concur in this recommendation and returned to the mainland to make his report. Almost a full year elapsed with no further developments.

“In May, 1952, Edward L. Clissold, new president of the Oahu Stake, upon learning that Docter Wesley Lloyd of the Brigham Young University would return from Japan by way of Honolulu, suggested to the First Presidency that he be appointed to make a survey of the church school matter in Hawaii. Brother Lloyd was so appointed by letter and another survey was made throughout the stake and mission to ascertain the desire of the people with regard to the type of school, the number of possible students, and the location of the institution.

“On July 31, 1952, a group of stake and mission officers and members met with Doctor Lloyd at the Tabernacle. The consensus of this meeting was that a junior college, offering largely vocational courses, be established at Laie.

“The following month Brother Lloyd submitted a written report to the First Presidency of his studies here, concurring in the decisions reached at the meeting which he attended in Honolulu. He stated that the school could probably be opened in September, 1953.

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President McKay and President Clissold Confer

“In October, 1952, President Clissold, attending conference in Salt Lake City, conferred further with President McKay about the school and was asked to have the educational leaders of the Oahu Stake continue their study of the school situation.

“A month later a large group of stake members active in educational circles were called to meet with officers and representatives of the mission. Out of this meeting committees were appointed to report on the type of school, suggested curriculum, location, etc. It was agreed in the meeting that further progress would be slow until an official announcement was made by the First Presidency, and a man was appointed to be the head of the school. These recommendations were conveyed to the First Presidency in November.

“In January, 1953, the comprehensive reports drafted by the several committees appointed in November were sent to church headquarters. Acknowledgement of the amplitude of the data contained in the reports was received from the First Presidency.

“In June, 1953, President Clissold, being again in Salt Lake City, talked further with President McKay and was assured that a head of the school would soon be chosen and in addition, a director of religious education for Hawaii would be appointed. At this conference with President McKay, President Clissold, as manager of Zions Securities’ properties at Laie, requested permission to have a master plan drawn to control the expansion and development of the village. This was granted.

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Laie Master Plan Created

“Harold Burton, one of the church architects, came to Honolulu in November of 1953 to work on the Kailua and Hilo chapels. While here, authorization to have him draw the master plan for Laie was obtained from the First Presidency. The master plan was finished in the early part of 1954 and in May, President Clissold carried it to Salt Lake City where it was approved by the First Presidency. President McKay stated that a tentative selection of a head of the school had been made. At this time, it was urged that a survey committee be sent to the islands….”

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First Presidency Announces New College

On Wednesday, July 21, 1954, the office of the First Presidency released the news about the new college and the appointment of Dr. Reuben D. Law, Dean of the College of Education of Brigham Young University, as its president. The news was broadcast over radio and television and appeared in the city issue of the Deseret News.

The day following on Thursday, July 22, the write-up about the new college and the appointment of its president appeared in the Deseret News, the Salt Lake Tribune, the Daily Herald, and the BYU Universe. The word spread rapidly in Hawaii by radio, television and newspaper reports where the news was received with enthusiasm. Especially enthusiastic were the officials and members of the church in Hawaii, but civic and educational leaders of the Island Paradise also joined in the enthusiasm.

The survey committee, headed by President Law with Director Kenneth S. Bennion and Dean Clarence Cottam as members, left by plane for Hawaii July 26, stayed overnight in San Francisco, and arrived at the Honolulu International Airport at 3:15 pm on July 27, 1954, where a tremendous welcome was extended to them.

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Words of President Reuben Law

The following is quoted from the diary of President Reuben D. Law:

“We received the most heart-warming reception I have ever received from any people. So many leis were placed around our necks in Hawaiian fashion that they reached the top of our ears. I had to stretch my neck and raise my chin in order to speak. A beautiful Hawaiian girl, Kay Alexander, danced the appropriate version of the Hula Hula while the group sang ‘For You a Lei.’ We were deeply touched by this reception. Newspaper photographers and reporters took pictures, asked many questions about the new college, and gave excellent coverage of this event and of subsequent developments pertaining to the college.

“Among those present at the airport to welcome us were President Edward L. Clissold of Oahu Stake, Mrs. Clissold, President and Mrs. D. Arthur Haycock of the Hawaii Mission, President and Mrs. Benjamin Bowring of the Hawaiian Temple, Leimomi Colburn, Stake President of the YWMIA, and many many others…Before retiring at our hotel, Kenneth Bennion, Clarence Cottam and I kneeled together and I led in prayer, a practice which we continued each night and morning while we were together, each one taking a turn at praying every third time.”

Reuben D. Law, Diary, July 17, 1954, Honolulu, Hawaii.

Recognition is here given to the fact that the college president and members of the survey committee were, in the true spirit of Hawaii, feted, feasted, honored, entertained, and extended kindnesses and generous hospitality by wonderful, warm-hearted people to the extent that to report them individually in detail would unduly lengthen this account. However, they are deeply appreciated and are recorded with sincere feeling in the president’s diary.

Reuben D. Law, Diary, Volumes I and II, 1954-58

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Support from Many Island Entities

Of great help to the survey committee in its work was the generous use of time and automobiles by the Presidency of the Hawaii Mission and the missionaries and by the Presidency of Oahu Stake I taking the committee to various places in the mission and in the stake and in arranging and holding meetings at which the committee was given opportunity to speak to and with the people. Likewise, the Territorial Department of Public Instruction gave every encouragement and cooperation reasonably possible as did also the governor’s office and other governmental offices of the Hawaiian Islands and the City of Honolulu.

The president and other officers and staff of the University of Hawaii were highly cooperative, helpful, and encouraging in many ways. President Gregg M. Sinclair who earlier visited President David O. McKay in Salt Lake City and had also visited Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, was highly complimentary regarding the announced plan to establish a college and readily offered the cooperation of his institution. He indicated that, while such an attempt by certain groups might be viewed by him with some disfavor, he was happy to have the Mormons establish a college in Hawaii because he was sure it would be well established and well conducted according to desirable standards. Others at the university reflected and exemplified the same attitude as did later successors to President Sinclair, including President Paul S. Bockman and President Willard Wilson.

After returning to the mainland, the survey committee spent additional extensive time and effort from August 30 to September 13 further organizing, clarifying, and preparing the report in its finished form, and on September 13, 1954, President Law delivered the original copy of the Survey Report to the Office of the First Presidency, leaving it with Elder Joseph Anderson for President David O. McKay.

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© 2004 Brigham Young University Hawaii