Hawaii’s struggle
to become 50th state
remains vivid memory

It's hard to believe there was a time when Hawaii's residents couldn't vote for the president of the United States or choose our own governor.

It takes a person with a long memory to recall these facts of life in the islands.

There were tens of thousands of Hawaii residents, like myself, who were second-class citizens. Those were the years before statehood; before we became first-class citizens.

I was a young Star-Bulletin reporter at that time. I then became press secretary to two governors of the territory of Hawaii. The next governors were the chief executives of the state of Hawaii.

I was fortunate to have served under the last territorial governors: Samuel Wilder King and William F. Quinn.

How did Hawaii become the 50th State? In the beginning, there was Prince Jonah Kuhio. He was Hawaii's vote-less delegate to Congress in Washington. Kuhio introduced the first statehood bill to Congress.

Next came Victor Houston, another vote-less delegate to Congress. He also introduced a statehood bill. Their bills got nowhere.

Their successors carried on the statehood struggle. I was personally acquainted with them and worked under them.

Joseph Rider Farrington was publisher of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. As a delegate to Congress, he continued the statehood fight. He died in office.

Next was Samuel Wilder King. He was able to bring to Hawaii the first congressional investigating committee to study the entire statehood subject.

The investigating committee concluded its work with a report that raised questions about Hawaii's readiness for statehood.

The committee listed such questions as: the islands' distance from the mainland United States; the lack of a substantial middle class; the large population of citizens of Japanese ancestry; the alleged control by a small group (the "Big Five") over the political and economic life in the islands.

In the meantime, on the home front, Riley H. Allen, editor of the Star-Bulletin, valiantly continued the statehood fight.

Eventually, the statehood campaign reached its final phase. When the end came, it came with dazzling speed and drama.

On March 11, 1959, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Hawaii Statehood Bill by a vote of 323-89. The next day, March 12, the U. S. Senate passed its bill by the vote of 76 -15.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower on March 18 signed the statehood bill into law.

Territorial Gov. Bill Quinn became the first governor of the new state.

The victory celebration erupted: Church bells rang, men and women gave prayers of thanks, all government officers were closed, all schools shut down.

The Star-Bulletin published the news "STATEHOOD" in the largest type ever on the front page.

Now, at last, we had become first-class Americans.

On Saturday -- Aug. 21 -- Hawaii celebrates its 45th year as a state. We can enjoy Admission Day, a state holiday, in our beloved Aloha State.