George R. Ariyoshi
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George Ryoichi Ariyoshi (良一 有吉, born March 12, 1926), served as the third Governor of Hawaii from 1974 to 1986. He assumed the governorship when John A. Burns was declared incapacitated. When he was elected, Ariyoshi became the first American of Asian descent to be elected governor of a state of the United States. He also holds the record as the longest-serving state governor in Hawaii, a record that will likely never be broken because of term limits. Ariyoshi is now considered an elder statesman of the Hawaii Democratic Party.
Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Japanese immigrant parents, Ariyoshi graduated in 1944 from McKinley High School. As World War II drew to a close, he served as an interpreter with the U.S. Army Military Intelligence Service in Japan. Upon returning stateside, he first attended the University of Hawaii at Manoa, then transferred to Michigan State University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1949. He then went on to receive his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School.
Ariyoshi's political career began in 1954 when he was elected to the territorial house of representatives. He was later elected to the territorial senate in 1958, then to the State Senate in 1959. He served in the senate until 1970 when he ran for and was elected Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii in 1970 with Governor Burns. When Governor Burns fell ill in October 1973, Ariyoshi assumed his constitutional role as acting governor.
In the election of 1974, he was elected governor in his own right, with Nelson Doi as his first lieutenant governor. He was re-elected in 1978 with Jean King as lieutenant governor and in 1982 with John D. Waihee III as lieutenant governor. Ariyoshi's administration was marked by fiscal conservatism as the post-statehood economic boom came to an end. He guided the state through its first economic recession. Barred by term limits from seeking another term in 1986, Ariyoshi was succeeded by Waihee. After leaving public office, he served in a variety of corporate and non-profit capacities.
External links
- Profile (http://www.nga.org/governors/1%2C1169%2CC_GOVERNOR_INFO^D_349%2C00.html)
- Bulletin of Ariyoshi's Family (http://www.starbulletin.com/2004/11/22/features/)
- Editorial Column (http://starbulletin.com/98/12/03/editorial/smyser.html)
- The Hawaii connection (http://www.weekender.co.jp/LatestEdition/010713/baby.html)
- Donn Ariyoshi (http://starbulletin.com/96/12/09/features/donnelly.html)
| Preceded by: John A. Burns | Governor of Hawai‘i 1974 - 1986 | Succeeded by: John D. Waihee III |