DR. HUBERT EVERLY / 1915-2008
Educator nurtured UH program
Hubert Everly, who opened enrollment at the University of Hawaii's College of Education and created opportunities for generations of Hawaii teachers, died Friday, UH officials said yesterday. He was 93.
Everly was dean when the Teachers College became the UH College of Education in 1959 and is credited with building the college.
Everly was renowned for his ability to get money from the Legislature. In 1966, after being told there were no funds for new buildings, Everly relabeled a proposed project as an "annex" to the existing Wist building. Wist Annex 2 was renamed Everly Hall in 2006.
Under Everly's leadership, the college expanded with degrees in administration, library science and counseling in addition to teaching.
The University Laboratory School, where Everly served as principal from 1948 until 1956, became a research center under the Curriculum Research and Development Group, which Everly also created.
But Everly was most proud of opening enrollment at the college and doing away with strict quotas on admissions, said former dean Randy Hitz.
"He saw public education as the force that would help the common person and minorities really improve their lives," Hitz said.
Expanding enrollment allowed immigrant students from the plantations, who came from public schools, to get degrees and return to teach in Hawaii public schools, said Amy Agbayani, the director of Student Equity, Excellence and Diversity at UH-Manoa.
Thirty years ago, Everly supported and provided an administrative home to Agbayani's program, "Operation Manong," which encouraged bilingual education and helped immigrant students get into college.
"He was ahead of his time," Agbayani said.
Everly retired in 1979, but remained active as president and a board member of the Hawaii Education Association, Hawaii State Retired Teachers Association and as a trustee of the state Employees Retirement System.
In a video produced for the college's 2006 Recognition Dinner where he received a lifetime achievement award, Everly said: "I would like to be remembered as an educator. When I look into the obituaries, I see obituaries for 'former this/former that.' I want to be remembered as Everly the Educator."