PHOTO COURTESY OF KAMEHAMEHA SCHOOLS
Gladys Brandt, shown above left in an undated photo greeting a baby, was remembered yesterday as a champion of education.
Brandt to be honored Revered kupuna and educator Gladys Kamakakuokalani Ainoa Brandt, who died Wednesday evening of cardiac arrest, will be honored Jan. 29 at historic Kawaiaha'o Church in a ceremony befitting her alii lineage.
at Jan. 29 ceremony
By Sally Apgar
sapgar@starbulletin.comYesterday, thousands mourned the passing of Brandt, 96, a lifelong educator and activist who fought for what she believed in and gave many Hawaiians newfound pride in their traditions and culture.
Lilikala Kame'eleihiwa, director of the University of Hawaii Kamakakuokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies, which was named after Brandt said: "Mrs. Brandt was a great Hawaiian warrior, descended from a lineage of ancient chiefs ... of Kalaniopu'u. Her regal manner reminds us that her ancestors were gods that walked upon the earth."
Kame'eleihiwa added: "She had an iron will to do pono, to be pono, to lead in pono. She raised the level of academic understanding of our people to new heights. She taught us that unceasing service to our people was the way you provided leadership. She was perhaps the best example of Hawaiian leadership."
U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye said that for many, Brandt "was our alii nui. She was a lady of great nobility, a woman of unlimited wisdom, one who was destined to lead and one who was constantly called on for advice and counsel. All of the laws that have restored pride and dignity to the native people of Hawaii can trace their origins to the wise counsel of this gracious alii nui."
U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka also praised Brandt as a leader and educator.
"Gladys Brandt championed education as paramount to the future and hope of the native Hawaiian people as we worked to heal the wounds of the past and work for justice. Education was the key, she emphasized, not anger, fear or ignorance. She was exactly right, and her wisdom and manao have nurtured and inspired me and generations of students, educators, public servants and leaders across Hawaii," Akaka said.
Active in the community almost to the end, Brandt played an important role in revealing the financial mismanagement of the trustees overseeing the $8 billion Kamehameha Schools. Brandt, who served as principal of Kamehameha's girls school and director of the high school, knew the institution and the players.
In 1997 she joined with four other prominent community leaders to write "Broken Trust," an essay that harshly criticized the trustees. Within days of publication the state attorney general began an investigation. By 1999 the trustees were ousted and organizational reforms were begun.
Kamehameha will observe a minute of silence in honor of Brandt today. A special memorial service to honor Brandt is being planned for next week on the school's Kapalama campus.
Kamehameha's Chief Executive Officer Hamilton McCubbin said: "Her many, many contributions to Kamehameha over the course of her lifetime have enriched and improved the lives of thousands of employees and students. She gave new meaning to Hawaiian leadership."
McCubbin said Brandt "nurtured leaders for tomorrow and, by her own example, demonstrated what it truly means to be alii."
Brandt was admitted to the Queen's Medical Center on Dec. 26 complaining of "feeling weak," said a family spokeswoman. She went into cardiac arrest Wednesday evening, and, in accordance with her wishes, extraordinary measures were not taken to revive her.
The family requests no flowers. Instead, contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society at 2370 Nuuanu Ave., Honolulu 96813, one of Brandt's favorite charities.
