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History of Punahou

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The Beginning
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Punahou’s rich history dates back to 1795, when the lands of Kapunahou were passed on by Kamehameha and eventually given to Hiram Bingham, one of the School's missionary founders. The School opened on July 11, 1842, and over its nearly 180 years, has educated generations of students and had a place in Hawai‘i’s history.

List of 8 items.

  • 1795 — 1802

    Kapunahou Given to Kame‘eiamoku
    In 1795, Kamehameha gives the lands of Kapunahou to Kame‘eiamoku as a reward for his loyalty. There were about 225 acres stretching from the slope of Round Top to where Central Union Church is now. Also included is a tract of 77 acres near Kewalo Basin.

    Land Passes to Son
    When Kame‘eiamoku dies, his son, Ulumaiheihei, receives the land. Renamed Hoapili (close friend) by Kamehameha, Ulumaiheihei lives at Punahou above the spring for 20 years.

    Liliha Inherits Kapunahou
    Hoapili gives Kapunahou to his daughter, Liliha, when he leaves O‘ahu to become governor of Maui.

  • 1820

    First Missionaries Arrive
    First company of missionaries arrives in Hawai‘i on the brig Thaddeus.

    Kawaiaha‘o Church Founded
    The stone, New England-style structure is constructed between 1836 and 1842; Reverend Hiram Bingham is the first pastor.

  • 1822

    Hawaiian Language Book Printed
    Elisha Loomis produces the first book printed in Hawaiian, a speller.

    The Mission Children
    The mission children have few toys, but enjoy walking on stilts, spinning tops, swinging and jumping rope. The boys wear short waistcoats and long, tight trousers, usually made of dark blue fabric. To allow for growth, the pants are made with two or three tucks in the legs that are let out as the boy grew taller. Boys wear shoes only on Sunday. The girls wear belted dresses and long, plain pantalets to their ankles.

  • 1823

    Second Company Arrives
    Second company of missionaries arrives.

  • 1825

    Early Converts
    Ka‘ahumanu and Kalanimoku accept Christianity and are admitted to the mission church.

  • 1826 — 1841

    A Perilous Journey
    Twenty American children from the age of five and up leave their parents and take ships to New England to be educated because there are no schools for them in Hawai‘i. Sometimes 15 years or more passed before they were reunited with their parents, and some families never saw each other again.

  • 1828

    Third Company Arrives
    Third company of missionaries arrives.

  • 1829

    Bingham Receives Lands
    Encouraged by Queen Ka‘ahumanu, Punahou lands of 224.68 acres and 77 acres at Kukuluae‘o are given by Liliha and Governor Boki to Hiram Bingham.

    Mission Schools Thriving
    More than 50,000 pupils are enrolled in mission schools.

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The Beginning
The 1830s
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Present Day

List of 10 items.

  • 1830

    Two Thatched Houses
    Ka‘ahumanu builds a thatched house for herself near the Punahou spring next to a smaller one that she builds for the Binghams. She also has laborers from the district build a wall to protect this area from grazing cattle.

  • 1831

    Lahainaluna Founded
    Lahainaluna Seminary (later High School) on Maui is established by missionaries for Hawaiians.

  • 1832

    Funds for Mission Children
    The annual amount to support a mission child in Hawai‘i is $40. The American Mission Board decides to give an allowance to aid parents in educating their children in America. For each boy an annual sum (up to the age of 18) of not more than $50 is allotted; for each girl the annual allowance is not more than $40.

  • 1833

    O‘ahu Charity School Opens
    O‘ahu Charity School is established for children of foreign residents with Hawaiian wives.

  • 1834

    First Hawaiian Newspaper
    Ka Lama Hawai‘i, the first Hawaiian newspaper, published at Lahainaluna Seminary.

  • 1836

    The Cereus Hedge
    Sybil Bingham plants the first night-blooming cereus, known in Hawai'i as panini o kapunahou, near the entrance of Punahou. The cacti are brought to Hawai‘i by a traveler from Mexico; their exotic blossoms still bloom on the Punahou walls during summer.

    Wall Built on Punahou Street
    E.O. Hall and H. Dimond direct the building of a wall along Punahou Street.

    Sandwich Island Gazette
    First English newspaper west of the Rockies is published.

    Hilo Boarding School Opens
    Hilo Boarding School is established by the missionaries for Hawaiians.

  • July 16, 1836

    Site Selected for School
    A resolution is made by the missionaries to use the Punahou lands for a school. Sybil and Hiram Bingham, Laura and Gerrit P. Judd, Levi Chamberlain, Reuben Tinker and Lowell Smith picnic at Punahou and pick out the site for the school.

  • 1837

    Learning in the Judd's Backyard
    Marcia M. Smith begins teaching the missionaries' children in the backyard of Dr. Gerrit Judd's house.

    Eighth Company Arrives
    Eighth and largest company of missionaries arrives.

    Girls' Seminary Founded
    School for girls opens at Wailuku, Maui.

  • 1838

    Plans and Cost Estimates
    O‘ahu missionaries plan for a school house, a teacher's house, a cook house, dining hall and adobe building for 30 scholars. Building costs are estimated at $400. Estimated expenses to run the school for a year are about $1,350.

  • 1839

    Budget Woes
    Not enough money is available to start the school.

    Translating the Bible
    The New Testament in Hawaiian is completed.

    Royal School Opens
    The Chiefs' Children's School, later named Royal School, is established for Hawaiian ali‘i under the leadershp of Mr. and Mrs. Amos Starr Cooke.

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The Beginning
The 1830s
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The 1880s
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The 1900s
The 1910s
The 1920s
The 1930s
The 1940s
The 1950s
The 1960s
The 1970s
The 1980s
The 1990s
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Present Day

List of 11 items.

  • 1840

    Education for All
    A system of public education is set up.

  • 1841

    Building E
    The Sandwich Islands Mission, in General Meeting, decides that a school should be started, appoints the trustees and principal and appropriates money for the first structure to be built of adobe. The original E-shaped building, predecessor of Old School Hall, serves as cafeteria, kitchen, dormitory and classroom.

  • 1841 — 1854

    First Principal Named
    Daniel Dole named the first principal of Punahou School.

  • 1842

    Tamarind Tree Planted
    The tamarind tree in the north corner of Building E’s Ewa Court remains one of the oldest surviving links to the School's founding.

    “Good Punahou Soil”
    The School's adobe building, described many years later by one its first students, Sanford B. Dole, was “made of good Punahou soil, its timbers and rafters out of the Manoa forests, its roof of thatch from the sides of Round Top, and its plastered and whitewashed exterior and interior from the coral limestone and beach sand of the Kewalo reefs.”

    Early Curriculum
    Six-hour school days are devoted to reading, writing, arithmetic, geography, spelling, history, grammar, Latin and drawing.

    Tuition
    Tuition costs $12 per term, with three terms per school year.

  • July 11, 1842

    Punahou School Opens
    The first pupils: Mary Jane G. Armstrong, 6; Richard B. Armstrong, 5; Wm. N. Armstrong, 8; James P. Chamberlain, 7; Levi T. Chamberlain, 5; Maria J. Chamberlain, 10; Martha Ann J. Chamberlain, 9; Mary C. Dimond, 6; Samuel N. Emerson, 10; Wm. S. Emerson, 8; Charles F. Gulick, 8; John T. Gulick, 10; Orramel H. Gulick, 12; Wm. H. Gulick, 7; Sophia E. Hall, 6. Seven more students arrive in a month. By the end of the first year, 34 children from the Sandwich Islands and Oregon missions are enrolled.

  • 1844 — 1854

    Early Educators
    William H. Rice serves as teacher, builder and farmer; Mary S. Rice is matron and teacher; Marcia Maria Smith, who started in 1842, serves as matron and teacher for 11 years.

  • 1845

    Rice Hall Completed
    Constructed as a boarding facility and home to Mr. and Mrs. Rice, the building is later demolished in 1907.

    Chapel Services
    The children who board at Punahou attend the Seamen's Chapel on Sundays. They wear clothes with white collars and laced shoes. Miss Smith, their teacher, wears a dress made of nine yards of blue muslin, a neckerchief, a veil on her hat and a small shawl.

  • 1846

    Old School Hall Breaks Ground
    Construction of Old School Hall begins on a foundation of reef rock and stone from Rocky Hill.

    Education Department Founded
    Department of Public Instruction oversees school system of Hawai‘i.

    Ahuimanu Founded
    College of Ahuimanu, later St. Louis School, is founded by the Catholic mission.

  • 1848

    Dole Hall Finished
    The lower story is used by the Dole family and the upper floor by female boarders.

    Punahou Gazette
    Weekly school paper is published, soon followed by The Critic.

    Music
    Students play a mellophone, bass viol, flutes and an accordion.
    Final Company Arrives
    The last company of missionaries arrives in the Islands.

    Food at School
    Students help grow some of the food they eat, including taro, corn, bananas, cucumbers, carrots, watermelon, beans and arrowroot.

  • 1849

    Open Door Admissions
    Punahou opens its doors to all students, regardless of race or religion.

  • June 6, 1849

    First Charter of Incorporation
    A charter was granted by the Hawaiian government to the Trustees of Punahou School, seven in number, empowering the Mission to fill future vacancies in the corporation. This was the first step to establish Punahou as an independent educational institution in the Kingdom of Hawaii.

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The Beginning
The 1830s
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The 1880s
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Present Day

List of 9 items.

  • 1850

    Games
    Dancing, marbles, chess and cards are not allowed; football is unknown. Boys play Prisoner's Base, aipuni (a form of baseball), wicket, swimming, running and jumping matches, and tug of war. The boys use kukui and hau branches, peeled and dried in the sun, for bats. There are wrestling matches and running races with students from Royal School. Girls swim in the pond, and also play a games of hoops called "graces" with the boys. Both boys and girls like horseback riding.

  • 1851

    Old School Hall Opens
    The "new spacious school house" is built for about $6,000.

    Photo attributed to Charles Burgess. This campus view from 1863 shows the new schoolhouse on the right, Building E on the left and the small adobe home that Hiram and Sybil Bingham built in 1831.

    Debating Society
    First debate of the Punahou Juvenile Debating Society.

    Honolulu Free School
    O‘ahu Charity School renamed the Honolulu Free School.

  • 1852

    Weekly Star
    The Weekly Star takes the place of the Gazette and the Critic.

  • May 23, 1853

    School Charter Increased
    In anticipation of the future growth of the Kingdom, a new and enlarged charter was applied for and granted by the government to the Trustees of "the Punahou School and Oahu College." This granted the formation of Oahu College, which would offer two years of advanced coursework and delay students' departures for U.S. colleges. It also permitted taking gifts or grants up to a yearly value or income of $30,000.

  • 1854

    Second President Named
    Edward Griffin Beckwith is Punahou's second president. He teaches mathematics, natural sciences, English literature and intellectual philosophy.

    Smallpox Epidemic
    Families whose homes are burned move to grass huts at Punahou.

  • 1855

    Alumnus Returns
    William DeWitt Alexander, graduate of Punahou and Yale, named professor of Greek at Punahou.

  • 1856

    Shell Hunting
    Punahou boys hunt for shells, especially land shells, and go mountain climbing.

  • March 10, 1857

    From Punahou to Oahu College
    By resolution of the privy council, the corporate name of the institution was altered to read, "The Trustees of the Oahu College."

  • 1859

    Samuel Chapman Armstrong Graduates
    Son of missionaries, Armstrong served as a Union general in the Civil War in command of several black regiments. A crusader for racial equality, he founded Hampton Institute (later Hampton University) in Virginia, devoted to educating freed slaves and Native Americans.

    US Library of Congress Reproduction No.: LC-DIG-cwpb-05892. Gen. S. Chapman Armstrong, Founder of Hampton Institute, published between 1860 - 1870.

    Octagon Built
    The "Octagon" served as the president's house and also had a small office and library.

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The Beginning
The 1830s
The 1840s
The 1850s
The 1860s
The 1870s
The 1880s
The 1890s
The 1900s
The 1910s
The 1920s
The 1930s
The 1940s
The 1950s
The 1960s
The 1970s
The 1980s
The 1990s
The 2000s
The 2010s
Present Day

List of 8 items.

  • 1860 — 1864

    Enrollment
    There are 74 pupils in three courses: English, Classical and Collegiate.

    Third President Named
    Cyrus Taggart Mills serves as third president.

    Christmas
    First Christmas tree is decorated during this period.

  • 1861

    Pipes and Shingles
    Eight hundred feet of three-inch iron pipes are ordered at the cost of $260 so that water can be piped to the center of each courtyard from the spring. Shingles replace the old thatch on the roofs.

  • 1862

    Mrs. Mills
    The trustees vote to give her $500 per annum as a teacher. She teaches physical geography, physiology, geology, natural theology, botany, evidences of Christianity, Milton's "Paradise Lost," chemistry, drawing and calisthenics. Reverend and Mrs. Mills later establish Mills College in California.

  • 1864

    Alumni Association
    First Alumni Association forms.

  • 1864 — 1871

    Fourth President Named
    William DeWitt Alexander begins a seven-year term; he is the first Punahou alumnus to serve as president.

  • 1865

    Dancing
    Some of the girls practice dance steps in their rooms, as do the boys. Mr. Mills finds out about it and "gives the scholars a lecture."

  • 1866

    Hawaiian Language Book
    Mr. Alexander publishes a simplified Hawaiian grammar so that the students might be useful in later mission work.

    Hawaiian Herald
    The short-lived Hawaiian Herald is O‘ahu's first daily newspaper.

    25 Years Old
    Punahou's 25th anniversary celebrated by 150 people at College Hall (Old School Hall).

  • 1868

    Student Body
    One-fifth of the students are from missionary families.

    Punahou Bus
    The trustees decide that a span of horses should be purchased for the Punahou bus, and that it will run twice a day to the corner of Kukui and Nu‘uanu Streets. The fare is $1.25 a week.

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The Beginning
The 1830s
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The 1850s
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The 1870s
The 1880s
The 1890s
The 1900s
The 1910s
The 1920s
The 1930s
The 1940s
The 1950s
The 1960s
The 1970s
The 1980s
The 1990s
The 2000s
The 2010s
Present Day

List of 10 items.

  • 1870

    Plan of Punahou School Grounds
    This map of Punahou reflects the missionary vision, to create a learning community that can sustain itself and teach useful skills

  • 1871 — 1875

    Fifth President Named
    William Payson Church appointed fifth president.

  • 1872

    Spring Runs Dry
    Punahou spring dries up for one year.

    Enrollment
    76 students are enrolled in the School.

    Girls Athletics
    Girls do calisthenics using wands. The girls make their gymnasium suits of brown linen trimmed in red, waists with long sleeves and high necks, and bloomers down to their ankles. Once the girls have bloomers, they can play baseball.

    Damon Speech Contest Begins
    Reverend Samuel Damon, a trustee of the School, creates the competition in honor of his son William F. "Willie" Damon, who died from typhoid at 23.

  • 1874

    Students and Lunalilo's Death
    When King Lunalilo dies, the women wailing at the palace are heard at Punahou. All of the pupils are taken to pay their respects to the king, who is lying in state covered by a long, yellow feather cloak, while kahili are waved over him.

    Kohala Girls' School Founded
    Missionaries Elias and Ellen Bond open the school with 13 students.

  • 1875

    Girls Compete in Baseball
    Punahou Nines beat Royal School Nines, two teams of female baseball players; girls continue to play baseball until softball is introduced in the early '50s.

    First Typewriter
    The typewriter is introduced in Honolulu by Dillingham Co.

    Spelling Tournament
    Honolulu’s first spelling tournament is held in the dining room of the Hawaiian Hotel, the only one in town; Punahou teacher Frances Church wins.

  • 1875

    Chores and Earning Money
    Each boarder has a regular chore — sweeping, cleaning, washing the buses or currying and harnessing the horses. For boys who need spending money (and most do), there are many ways of earning it. Extra work, such as weeding, is paid seven cents an hour. The bell ringer receives 25 cents a week. Two boys, who drive the cows in from the upper pasture and milk them, are paid 75 cents a week.

  • 1875 — 1878

    Sixth President Named
    Amasa Pratt is named sixth president.

  • 1877

    Salaries Rise to $850
    Each "lady teacher" is given a raise in salary to $850 a year, of which $6 per week pays for room and board at the School.

  • 1878

    D. Howard Hitchcock Enters Punahou
    A landscape painter and leading member of the Volcano School, he traveled and exhibited across the U.S. and Europe; he is now considered the first Hawai‘i-born artist to gain wide recognition.

    First College Graduates
    Oahu College's first graduating class consists of six students.

    In Class and Outside
    Students form a line and march to class in military formation, keeping time with a drummer. After classes, students slide with barrel staves on the dry grass of Rocky Hill.

  • 1878 — 1883

    Seventh President Named
    William Ladd Jones selected as seventh president.

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The Beginning
The 1830s
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The 1850s
The 1860s
The 1870s
The 1880s
The 1890s
The 1900s
The 1910s
The 1920s
The 1930s
The 1940s
The 1950s
The 1960s
The 1970s
The 1980s
The 1990s
The 2000s
The 2010s
Present Day

List of 12 items.

  • 1880

    Prince Kuhio Enters Punahou
    A prince of the Kingdom of Hawai‘i, he was jailed in 1895 for his participation in a rebellion against the Republic of Hawai‘i; he went on to represent the Territory of Hawai‘i as elected delegate to the U.S. Congress from 1903-1922.

    Lower Pasture Sold
    Punahou's lower pasture is divided into lots and sold to raise money for the School. Prices range from $200 to $5,000, for a total of $21,000. Other land is leased to B.F. Dillingham for $1,000 a year, plus pasturage and 20 quarts of milk a day from his dairy.

    St. Louis School
    St. Louis School (formerly College of Ahuimanu) founded.

  • 1881

    A Volcano Field Trip
    Students visit the great Hilo lava flow of 1880-1881 and cook their breakfast on it!

    Smallpox Epidemic
    The School is partially closed because of a smallpox epidemic.

  • 1882

    Sun Yat-sen Enrolls
    Sun Yat-sen enters Oahu College from ‘Iolani School. Steeped in the ideals of democracy and social and political change — and supported by faculty member Francis W. Damon and others — he eventually leads the 1911 Overthrow of the Manchu Dynasty, marking the end of feudal China.

  • 1883

    Bingham Hall Completed
    A three-story brick or stone structure, the "Main Building" contains a large dining room, library, music parlor and dormitories.

    Punahou Preparatory School Opens
    Punahou Preparatory School opens at the Armstrong family home on Richards Street with 50 pupils. Miss Lulu L. Moore is principal, with Miss Cherilla Storrs as assistant. Later, Jennie R. Ashford becomes principal (1883-1884).

  • 1883 — 1890

    Eighth President Named
    William Carter Merritt is the eighth president.

  • 1884

    Bishop Hall of Science Built
    Building is later used for manual arts training and demolished in 1959.

  • 1884 — 1887

    New Preparatory School Principal
    Emma V. Hall named principal of Preparatory School.

  • 1885

    First President's House
    The original home is built between Old School Hall and Dole Hall.

    Bishop Estate
    Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop dies, leaving her extensive land holdings to endow the Kamehameha Schools.

    Frank Barwick
    President Merritt hires a shipwrecked sailor, Frank Barwick, to drive one of Punahou's horse-drawn buses. During the 38 years he remains at Punahou, Mr. Barwick supervises the boys, helps with dramatic productions and becomes superintendent of buildings and grounds. In later years, the grades 2-4 playground is named after him.

  • 1887

    Kamehameha Schools Founded
    The school is originally established on the grounds of the current Bishop Museum.

  • 1887 — 1889

    New Preparatory School Principal
    Nancy J. Malone is new Preparatory School principal.

  • 1888

    Swimming Tank
    Construction is finished on a 47-foot-long, spring-fed cement "swimming tank," the first on O‘ahu.

    Grading System Revised
    Marking and promotion of students is done during the year rather than at public recitations; the public is invited to attend and examine classwork.

    Don, the Gray Bus Horse
    One dark night, Don enters Harry Baldwin's room on the first floor of Dole Hall and eats the sack of grain that Harry keeps there for his horse. The boarders didn't wake up, but President Merritt hears the noise, rushes over and meets the horse standing in the doorway!

  • 1889 — 1893

    New Preparatory School Principal
    Margaret Brewer named Preparatory School principal.

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The Beginning
The 1830s
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The 1930s
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The 1950s
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The 2010s
Present Day

List of 15 items.

  • 1890

    Song and Colors Selected
    "O‘ahu wa" becomes first school yell, while buff (beach) and blue (ocean) are chosen as school colors.

    Shakespeare Club
    Shakespeare Club forms on campus.

  • 1890 — 1899

    Music
    The 1890s Music Department consists of a single instructor who teaches vocal, piano and chorus.

  • 1890 — 1900

    Ninth President Named
    Frank Alvan Hosmer becomes ninth president.

  • 1891

    Football Begins
    First football team is made up of students and faculty members.

    50 Years Old
    Punahou celebrates its Semicentennial Anniversary. A large company, including Her Majesty Queen Lili‘uokalani, assembles to watch athletic games. General Samuel Armstrong gives an oration in Kawaiaha‘o Church. A public reception is held, followed by a lu‘au for 1,000.

  • 1892

    Hiram Bingham III Departs
    Bingham leaves Punahou for two final years at Phillips Academy Andover. He later becomes a professor of South American history at Yale, where he discovers the largely forgotten Inca city of Machu Picchu, bringing the site to world attention. He also serves as U.S. Senator from Connecticut from 1924 to 1933.

  • 1893

    Changes in Curriculum
    The U.S. trend toward freer electives is followed, with an emphasis on music and art. Science, English, French and German continue to be taught. A Business Department and Normal classes send graduates into their careers without further schooling. A five-year course broadens opportunities for the students at the secondary level. Algebra, Latin and French are added to the Preparatory School curriculum.

  • 1893 — 1894

    New Preparatory School Principal
    Emma B. Macleod named Preparatory School Principal.

  • 1894

    Palm Drive
    First palm for Palm Drive is planted.

    Pauahi Hall Construction
    More than 100 students are jammed into Old School Hall, prompting Trustee Charles R. Bishop to arrange for the construction of Pauahi Hall. Named for his late wife, Princess Bernice Pauahi Paki, the building is constructed of blue lava rock quarried from Judd Hillside. It opens in 1896.

    New Preparatory School Principal
    Margaret Brewer named Preparatory School principal.

  • 1895

    Honolulu High School Opens
    Formerly Fort Street English Day School, the new Honolulu High is later renamed McKinley High.

    New Preparatory School Principal
    Samuel P. French appointed Preparatory School principal.

  • 1896

    Art Collection
    Punahou's prized art collection is started.

  • 1896 — 1944

    Admissions Policy Reversed
    Open door admissions are reversed, with quotas set for students of Asian descent; this "embarrassing policy" is later dismantled by Punahou President John Fox.

  • 1897

    Ring Tournaments
    Nine rings are suspended at intervals on a course near Palm Drive. The contestants on horseback are armed with wooden spears. Each boy rides his horse at top speed along the course, collecting as many rings on his lance as possible. The first champion, in 1892, is Charlie Hyde.

  • 1898

    Typewriters on Campus
    The Business Department boasts four “typewriter machines.”

    Enrollment
    346 students are enrolled, including 99 at the College.

  • 1898 — 1941

    Mary Persis Winne
    Students were still arriving on horseback when Mary Persis Winne came at Punahou. For 43 years — through annexation, the Great Depression and two world wars — she taught and led the elementary program. She was an early advocate of child-centered learning, and introduced remedial reading, aptitude testing and the first staff psychologist.

  • 1899

    Oahu College Map
    This map, estimated to be from 1899, was found in the memorabilia of Frank Hosmer, president from 1890 - 1900. It was reproduced in 1939 by Ian Smith '41.

    Upper Pasture Sold
    The upper pasture is cut into building lots and sold under the name "The College Hills Tract."

    Enrollment
    Enrollment in the College is 145 and in the Preparatory School, 300.

    From the President's Report, 1899-1900
    "It is hoped that in the new preparatory edifice the antiquated blackboard will be banished and, as in Pauahi Hall, there will be substituted dark shades of the same tints that prevail in the room. Olive green walls with dark olive dado and a pale pink sky, seem to present the most favorable conditions. Headaches are less frequent among students in such surroundings."

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The Beginning
The 1830s
The 1840s
The 1850s
The 1860s
The 1870s
The 1880s
The 1890s
The 1900s
The 1910s
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The 1930s
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The 1950s
The 1960s
The 1970s
The 1980s
The 1990s
The 2000s
The 2010s
Present Day

List of 13 items.

  • 1900

    Buff and Blue
    The School's first annual is issued.

    Bubonic Plague
    Fear of the bubonic plague keeps some students away from campus.

  • 1900 — 1902

    Tenth President Named
    Arthur Maxon Smith is appointed as tenth president.

  • 1901

    Literary Society
    Oahu College Literary Society publishes an annual.

  • 1902

    Oahuan
    June issue of the monthly literary magazine Oahuan becames the yearbook.

    Alma Mater
    Wilhelm Gartner '03 writes alma mater, "Oahu wa," to the tune of "My Maryland."

  • 1902 — 1921

    Eleventh President Named
    Arthur F. Griffiths is named eleventh president (and only 24 years old).

  • 1902 — 1921

    A Time of Growth
    Arthur F. Griffiths oversees major growth to the campus during his 20-year presidency. Cooke Library, Alexander Field, a swimming tank and tennis courts are built; Bishop Hall is expanded and Old School Hall restored; campus acreage is tripled as the wild slopes of Rocky Hill are cleared for dormitories and the president's home. All these improvements are dependent on charitable gifts, as tuition covers just a third of the cost of an education.

  • 1903

    Drama
    The graduating class performs the Danish verse drama, "King René’s Daughter."

  • 1904

    Class Traditions
    The first school dance is held in Pauahi Hall; class gifts to the school began.

  • 1905

    Alumni Association
    300 attend an alumni meeting; a Fruit Festival is held for the next three years.

  • 1906

    Dramatics Club
    Dramatics Club is founded.

  • 1907

    Alexander Field Dedicated
    For several decades, the original field is considered to be the best all-around school athletic field in Honolulu.

    President's House Rebuilt
    The home is rebuilt after fire damages the original. O.G. Traphagen, the Minnesota architect who built the first Waikiki hotel, the Moana, designs the current structure.

    New Rice Hall
    Formerly the Rice family home and boarding facility, the second iteration of Rice Hall opens as a dormitory.

    Second Dole Hall
    Originally home of the Dole family and boarders, the new Dole Hall is built as a dining hall.

    UH Roots
    A college (later the University of Hawai‘i) opens at Thomas Square.

    New Preparatory School Principal
    Charles Tabor Fitts is named Preparatory School principal.

  • 1908

    Cooke Library Built
    Punahou's first dedicated library built to address concerns about a shortage of books.

  • 1909

    Baseball Official
    Boys baseball becomes official ILH sport.

    Pictured in 1904 is one of the earlier teams.

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Present Day

List of 9 items.

  • 1910

    Boy Scouts in Hawai‘i
    D. Howard Hitchcock organizes Boy Scout Rainbow Troop 1.

  • 1912

    Cooke Art Gallery
    Honolulu’s first art museum was in an annex of Cooke Hall, which housed the Cooke family’s private art collection before it was transferred in 1925 to the newly built Honolulu Academy of Arts.

  • 1913

    Swimming
    Girls compete with boys in interscholastic swim meets; boys swimming adopted by ILH in 1917, but girls swimming not added until 1945.

    Castle Hall Reopens
    Castle Hall rebuilt after a fire destroys the original wooden building from 1911. The new structure is made of concrete and serves as girls' dormitory until 1961.

    The Tank
    Originally built by the City of Honolulu as a water tank, The Tank is transformed over the years to be a WWII military storage site, an air raid shelter, a stand-by blood bank and a storage area for the School.

    Girls PE Replaces Competitive Sports
    Girls interscholastic sports, deemed too strenuous, is replaced by a physical education program.

    Academy Established
    Distinct from Oahu College, the Academy offers three courses of study: College Preparatory, General and Commercial.

  • 1914

    Elbert Tuttle Graduates
    From 1960 to 1967, he served as chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, the federal court that desegregated the South; he was awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom for his work in civil rights cases.

    Class of 1914
    Oahu College's "largest class in history" graduates 38 members.

    Social Service
    Hui Pauahi, for older students, and Junior Crusaders, for younger ones, are community service groups.

    Carnival Roots
    Carnival Week fundraiser invites parents of boarders to rent rooms on campus; the sleepover generates $19 in profit.

  • 1915

    Boys Athletics
    Boys play quoits, soccer, football, track, baseball, tennis, swimming, water polo; they win interscholastic championships in football, baseball, track.

    Basketball
    ILH boys basketball competition begins between Punahou, St. Louis, Kamehameha and McKinley.

    New Springs
    Unusually heavy rains during the winters of 1915 and 1916 cause three new springs to appear on the Punahou campus! The largest bubbles up in the new tennis court. Another apears at the backstop on Alexander Field, and another in the library basement. Together, they produce a flow of 200,000 gallons a day. Ditches are dug to carry off the surplus water.

    Curriculum Developments
    Latin, stenography and typing, and military instruction are offered, among other courses.

    Mothers' Association
    Punahou Mothers' Association organized.

    Cars on Campus
    Automobiles begin to appear regularly on campus.

  • 1916

    75 Years Old
    75th Anniversary Pageant; 4,348 students have attended Punahou by this date.

    Tuition
    Average tuition per pupil is $55; the cost of educating each for a year is $114.

    Acting President Named
    Levi C. Howland serves as acting president, acting principal and assistant to the president (1916-1931).

    Acting Preparatory School Principal
    Mary P. Winne is acting principal of Preparatory School.

  • 1917

    Student Government
    First Punahou student government formed.

    Academy Principal Named
    Ernest T. Chase named Academy Principal (1917-1918, 1919-1924).

    New Preparatory School Principal
    Charles T. Fitts is principal of the Preparatory School.

  • 1918

    Reorganization
    The School moves from two units (Preparatory School and Academy) to three: Elementary (1-6), Junior Academy (7-9), Senior Academy (10-12).

    Elementary School Principal Named
    Mary P. Winne becomes principal of the Elementary School.

    Students in WWI
    139 Punahou women and men serve in World War I; eight die.

  • 1919

    Music School Begins
    Promoted by President Griffiths, the Music School is formed as an independent institution and housed in a renovated portion of Old School Hall.

    Ka Punahou
    Ka Punahou becomes the student newspaper.

    Junior Academy Principal Named
    Arthur E. Robinson takes position of Junior Academy Principal.

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Present Day

List of 11 items.

  • 1920 — 1922

    First Clean Sweep
    Punahou teams win all five interscholastic championships: football, basketball, baseball, track and swimming.

  • 1922

    Beatrice Kapua‘okalani Hilmer Krauss Graduates
    The first women to receive a degree in agriculture from UH, she was known internationally for her research in Hawaiian ethnobotany.

    Sau Ung Loo Chan Graduates
    The first Asian-American woman to graduate from Yale Law School, she practiced in Shanghai and Hong Kong before returning to Hawai‘i, where she became the first Asian female lawyer and a tireless advocate for the underprivileged.

    Elizabeth Waterhouse Pool Dedicated
    The 1888 "swimming tank" is replaced by this larger pool.

    Foreign Language Schools Banned
    Law bans foreign language schools; law ruled unconstitutional in 1927.

    PTA Emerges
    Mothers' Association becomes Hawai‘i's first Parent Teacher Association.

  • 1922 — 1929

    Twelfth President Named
    Arthur Hauck is twelfth president.

  • 1923

    Girls Athletics
    Griffiths Gym built, which spurs the growth of girls sports; Girls Athletic Association is formed.

    Pictured: The Girls Athletic Association paved the way for girls sports in 1930, when this photo was taken, and through to today.

    Campus Day
    A tradition begins as the entire student body works on campus improvements — from digging ditches to painting walls to polishing trophies.

    Shop for Manual Arts
    J.B. Castle shop is built for manual arts.

  • March 12, 1923

    Insurance Map of Oahu College
    This map was created by Bishop Insurance Agency, Ltd. and details values of the buildings and contents on campus at that time.

  • 1924

    New Academy Principal
    Samuel A. Rutledge is Academy Principal.

  • 1925

    Armstrong Hall Built

    Land for Punahou Farm
    The 90-acre Honolulu Military Academy in Kaimuki is purchased for Punahou farm program.

    Curriculum Developments
    Speech program is developed, and a program of intelligence testing begins.

    New Academy Principal
    Victor M. Aitkin named Academy Principal.

  • 1926

    Dance Recital
    Punahou's first spring dance recital, "Dream of India," features 90 girls.

    New Junior Academy Principal
    John S. Slade serves as Junior Academy Principal.

  • 1927

    Buster Crabbe Graduates
    Crabbe competed in two Olympic Games, winning the 1928 bronze and 1932 gold medals in swimming; throughout the 30s and 40s, he was a Hollywood action hero, playing Tarzan and Flash Gordon roles.

    Students Build Bleachers
    The original wooden bleachers for Alexander Field are constructed by students.

  • 1928

    Student Government
    Student government completely overhauled.

    Acting President Named
    Roger T. Twitchell named Acting President.

    Life on Campus
    "Old Clothes Day" outlawed.

  • 1929

    Thirteenth President Named
    Oscar F. Shepard is thirteenth president.

    Shepard's Day
    Boy students dress in their best formal clothes, naming the day "Shepard's Day."

    John W. Gardner Graduates
    As Secretary of HEW (Department of Health, Education, and Welfare) under President Johnson, Gardner was known as the architect of the Great Society, responsible for launching Medicare. He was a Stanford professor, prolific author and organizer, and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

    Dillingham Hall Completed
    The 640-seat auditorium is designed to accommodate a growing student body, replacing the cramped auditorium in Pauahi Hall.

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Present Day

List of 9 items.

  • 1930

    Tennis
    Boys tennis competitions begin through the Oahu Tennis League.

    Pictured: Tennis player Bill Hoogs ’36 takes to the court in 1936.

    Aerial Photo of Manoa Valley
    This aerial photo taken during the 1930s shows Central Union church prominently. In the center of the photo, the Punahou campus and Rocky Hill are clearly visible, especially Dillingham Hall and Bishop Hall.

    Boxing
    Boxing ring built on campus.

    Human Relations Education
    For two successive years, Mrs. Mary B. Wallace conducts a six-week series of conferences with students, teachers and parents in the field of human relations. Her audiences are "stirred to new realization of their privileges and obligations, and of the understanding of self that underlies successful living."

    Hawai‘i School System
    Nine high schools and 16 junior high schools located across Hawai‘i.

  • 1931

    Holokū and May Day
    The Holokū Ball and other May Day programs are staged near the Lily Pond.

  • 1932

    Jean Erdman Departs
    Erdman leaves Punahou to attend Sarah Lawrence. Influenced by "barefoot dancing" in P.E., she forged a celebrated modern dance career, serving as principal dancer for the Martha Graham Dance Company, and later dancer and choreographer of her own company. She was married to the mythologist and writer Joseph Campbell.

    Dome Repainted
    Pauahi Hall's dome receives first annual buff and blue repainting.

    Carnival and Variety Show
    Small-scale versions of Carnival and Variety Show held; the events net $240, used to publish the Oahuan.

  • 1933

    Alexander Hall Built
    A new administration building serves the merged Academies.

    Reorganization
    The Junior and Senior Academies are partially united, making the upper six grades a more compact unit for administration and teaching. The position of principal in each of the academies is abolished (until 1941). The president and a dean take all administrative responsibilities.

    Paintbrush Trophy
    Football rivalry between Punahou and Roosevelt heats up in 1933 when Pauahi Hall's blue dome segments are repainted in Roosevelt colors, and Punahou fans retaliate by slathering the Roosevelt campus with paint. Brawls and ongoing vandalism are finally quelled with a truce: whoever wins the big football game gets to display the "paintbrush trophy," jointly created in 1948 by both student bodies. The rivalry ends in 1969 as the two schools move into separate athletic leagues.

  • 1934

    Economic Difficulties
    As the Great Depression spreads, tuition is reduced, and two cuts in teachers' salaries made.

    Punahou Official Name
    Funding for a full college never materializes, and Punahou reverts to its original name and mission, dropping Oahu College.

  • 1935

    Francis B. Wai Graduates
    A captain in the U.S. Army, Wai was killed in 1944 during the U.S. amphibious assault on Leyte, Philippines. In 2000, he posthumously received the Medal of Honor — the only person of Chinese descent to receive the award.

  • 1936

    Wilcox Hall Opens
    Built as the boys' dormitory, Wilcox Hall features a rooftop solar water heater with a 500-gallon tank — the world's largest — and furniture constructed by students in the Castle School of Manual Arts.

    Montague Hall Built
    Punahou Music School moves into a state-of-the-art facility.

    Carnival Rides Introduced
    A merry-go-round and Ferris wheel are rented from E.K. Fernandez.

  • 1937

    Aerial View of Punahou
    This photo, taken from the Diamond Head side of campus, shows the ring of buildings surrounding Rice Field. From right front: Rice, Dole and Castle halls, C.R. Bishop Hall, Dillingham Hall, Bingham and Alexander Halls. The dome on Pauahi Hall singles it out at the back edge of campus.
     
    New Theory and Practice
    Miss Elizabeth Collins of the Smith College Education Department, Miss Mary Winne, Miss Bessie Stillman, Miss Anna Gillingham and Mrs. Elizabeth Slingerland help to train the elementary teachers during various periods from 1931 to 1938. The goal is to ensure that children in the early grades are taught to read using specific methods — determined by examinations and observations — that work best for each of them. New furniture and green paint make the classrooms look different.

  • 1939

    Library Collections
    Cooke Library houses 60,000 books.

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Present Day

List of 15 items.

  • 1940

    Punahou Seal
    Cereus and words "Honolulu, Hawaii" added to the seal.

    Reorganization
    Department chairs established.

    Assistant to President Named
    Walter L. Curtis named assistant to the president.

  • 1941

    Art Class Drawing of Punahou Campus
    This wonderful drawing of campus was created by the Art II class, as noted on the drawing. Students were: Betty Lou Baldwin '42 McDowell, Mary Braithwaite '42 Price, Winnie Ching '41 Chau, Bill Lam '41, June Lewis '41 Salter-Mathieson, Peral Martin '41 Anderson, Judy Stevens '42 and Jo Ann Williams '42. The class advisor was Helen Hitchcock '24 Maxon, whose painting of this artwork, hangs in Cooke Library.

    Curriculum Developments
    College prep classes are augmented with Pacific history, business mathematics, music appreciation and journalism.

    New Elementary School Principal
    F. Deal Crooker is named principal of the Elementary School.

    100 Years Old
    Punahou's Centennial is celebrated with a pageant for 11,000 guests, followed by a lu‘au a week later.

    From PTA to Lokahi
    Punahou PTA becomes the Lokahi.

  • June 1, 1941

    Campus Map for Centennial Lu'au
    This map, drawn by James B. Mann, civil engineer and surveyor, shows the plans for the centennial Lu'au, with the tent location indicated on the field near Wilder Avenue. Note that entrances are labeled from A to F! this also shows the number of small faculty and staff homes on the Diamond Head side of campus.

  • December 7, 1941

    Attack on Pearl Harbor
    The bombing leads to the American entry into World War II.

    Explosion on Campus
    An explosion breaks windows in Montague and Pauahi halls at 9 p.m. when an anti-aircraft shell lands on the lawn between the two buildings.

  • December 8, 1941

    Punahou Occupied
    U.S. Army Corps of Engineers take over Punahou at 1 a.m., remaining for four years. Many students are evacuated to the mainland.

  • 1942

    Classes Resume
    Classes are held in private homes and at the University of Hawai`i Teachers' College. Everyone carries gas masks, and there are regular air raids.

  • 1943

    First Female Trustees
    Margaret Hockley Kai and Helen Hitchcock Maxon become Punahou's first female trustees.

    War Work
    Students make kits for servicemen; buy war stamps to purchase planes and hospital equipment; and work in an ambulance unit, as night firemen and hospital aides, and in the pineapple fields.

  • 1944

    Fourteenth President Named
    John F. Fox is selected as fourteenth president of Punahou.

    A Big School
    Under John F. Fox's leadership, enrollment triples to 3,700, resulting in economies of scale that push tuition below mainland prices and attract a diverse student body.

    New Academy Principal
    John S. Slade is Academy Principal.

  • 1945

    New Junior Academy Principal
    Victor L. Johnson is Junior Academy Principal.

    New Academy Principal
    Walter L. Curtis begins long tenure as Academy Principal.

  • September 10, 1945

    Punahou Deoccupied
    U.S. Army Corps of Engineers leave the Punahou campus. The City of Honolulu allows the entire student body to march from the University of Hawai`i to Punahou.

  • 1946

    Changes Underway
    "Survey of Parental Opinion" is made by Dr. Fox as a basis for new policies. Educational consultant Dr. N.L. Englehardt visits to help plan Punahou's future.

  • March 14, 1946

    Campus After War Years
    After classes returned to campus in 1945, this map shows the first changes. Note the addition of the Pavilion next to the Lily Pond and the Kindergarten buildings near Wilder Avenue.

  • 1947

    Journey across America
    In the summer of 1947, Frank Belding, Punahou director of athletics and social studies teacher, led 37 boys on an 11-week camping trip across America. An epic, pioneering experiment in outdoor education, the 12-16 year olds traveled 11,000 miles, toured 14 national parks and 7 national forests, and traversed 30 of the existing 48 states, with stops in Mexico and Canada.

    New Elementary School Principal
    Douglas E. Lawson is Elementary School Principal.

    Class Traditions
    The tradition of painting class numerals on the side of Rocky Hill begins.

  • 1948

    Junior School Improvements
    Learning with a purpose is emphasized, with integrated subject areas and firsthand experiences such as field trips. Academic achievement and personal-social adjustment through homeroom counseling continue to improve. The Student Council provides leadership experience for many students.

    New Elementary School Principal
    Donald D. Reber is appointed principal of Elementary School.

  • 1949

    Updated Housing
    On-campus housing improved.

    Curriculum Developments
    Vocational training is phased out in favor of college prep.

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Present Day

List of 12 items.

  • 1950

    Campus with Lower Elementary Buildings
    This campus map shows the addition of the Lower Elementary buildings near Old School Hall.

    Dillingham Tennis Courts
    Six courts anchor a thriving tennis program.

    Winne Units and Damon Library Built
    Designed by celebrated architect Vladimir Ossipoff to house the Junior School (K-8), the Winne Units are considered a model of contemporary educational planning. Construction is completed in three phases by 1955.

    Reorganization
    Punahou splits into Junior School (K-8) and Academy (9-12).

  • 1951

    Home for the Band
    The "Triangle" Band Building is built.

    Arcadia Given to Punahou
    Arcadia, built in 1909 by Judge and Mrs. Frear, bequeathed to Punahou (Frear Hall).

  • 1952

    Alumni Gym Built
    The converted WWII airplane hangar features one full-length basketball court; the gym is later replaced by Hemmeter Fieldhouse.

    Barwick Playground Opens
    Designed for young children, the playground incorporates the historic Banyan tree.

    Dorm Life
    Wilcox Hall — located in remote Rocky Hill where noise is contained — houses 37 boy boarders, while girls live in Castle Hall.

    Third Dole Hall
    The new building serves as the dining space for all students, faculty and staff.

    Forrest Hall Opens
    Reconstructed Forrest Hall replaces the old Griffiths Hall as a P.E. facility.

    Dance School Begins
    Punahou Dance School started under the leadership of Josephine Flanders.

    Carnival Keeps Growing
    Carnival moves from Rice Field to Chamberlain Field to accommodate growing crowds; the event makes $12,415.

    Memorial Center Dedicated
    Plaques lining the Memorial Wall honor the sons of Punahou who lost their lives in WWI, WWII, Korea and Vietnam.

  • 1953

    Allan Burns Graduates
    This Emmy Award-winning screenwriter and producer created The Munsters, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, and other TV hits from the '60s and '70s.

    Skyrockets Herald Win
    Punahou wins first Interscholastic football championship since 1924.

    Aquacade
    Neptune's Folly features swimming, diving, music and a cast of 280.

  • 1954

    Arts Education
    Drama and dance productions, music performances and visual arts remain important elements of the Punahou experience.

  • 1955

    Enrollment
    Enrollment is 2,389.

  • September 1, 1955

    Campus Directory Map
    The significant work on campus between 1950 and 1955 is shown in this map: The redirection of roadway from the main gate, now called Chamberlain Drive; the addition of Wilbur J. McNeil Observatory and Science Center (completed later in 1956); the Band Building near Alexander Field; Dillingham Tennis Courts above Alexander Field; the Gym, including the work on the Elizabeth Waterhouse Memorial Swimming Pool (previously called the Tank); the Memorial Court and new Dole Hall (cafeteria); the Mary Persis Winne Units replacing the old Rice and Dole halls; Barwick Playground; the addition of the L buildings near the K buildings, formerly labeled as Kindergarten; and the Basketball Courts near Wilder Avenue.

  • 1956

    Cross Country
    Boys cross country starts as a club sport.  A decade after becoming a club sport, boys Cross Country runners line up with Dole Hall on the left and Dole Tennis Courts behind. That year, in 1965, the unchallenged team surged to a first-place finish during the Inaugural State Championships.

    Wilbur J. MacNeil Hall Built
    Serves as an observatory and science center for 40 years. Designed by architect and Trustee Emeritus Ernest Hara (1928), the building had nine classrooms, a 462-seat auditorium and an observatory tower.

    Charitable Giving
    At Thanksgiving, the students gather a truckload of clothing for an orphanage in Vietnam. Grades 7-8 raise $2,600 for a children's hospital in Japan.

  • 1957

    Griffiths Hall Built
    When the first Griffiths Hall is renamed Forrest Hall, a new building is constructed in a former corral.

    Termites in Dome
    Iconic dome is removed from Pauahi Hall; it is replaced during extensive renovations in 1990.

    Reorganization
    Academy class deans system established.

  • 1958

    Bingham Hall Rebuilt
    The original Bingham Hall is demolished and replaced with a modern Bingham Hall.

    Curriculum Amps Up
    Following the era of "Sputnik," Dr. Fox proposes an 18-point program. Intellectual development through intensive academic work is emphasized.

    Art Exhibition
    For the fourth year, hundreds of students, faculty and parents view an art show in Castle Hall.

    AP Classes Added
    Advanced Placement (college-level) courses introduced in the Academy.

    Carnival Malasadas
    A Carnival tradition begins when Punahou faculty Miki Bowers ’45 spearheads new malasada and corn-on-the-cob booth.

  • 1959

    La Pietra Acquired
    La Pietra given to Punahou by Mr. and Mrs. Walter Dillingham.

    MLK at Punahou
    Dr. Martin Luther King speaks at Punahou.

  • February 19, 1959

    Carnival on Punahou Campus
    This fun photo of campus in February shows the Punahou Carnival set up on Chamberlain Field, along with parking! Note that the old Bingham Hall and Home Economics buildings are gone from the Academy side of campus. The new Griffiths Hall is visible and the foundation for the new Bingham Hall is apparent between Griffiths and Pauahi.

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The Beginning
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List of 12 items.

  • 1960

    Science Fair
    Science Fair held at Punahou; Punahou students win top honors at the State Science Fair.

    Language Study Expands
    French, Spanish and German become six-year courses, while Japanese, Russian, Latin and Mandarin are two-year courses.

  • 1961

    Volleyball Begins
    Punahou fields its first official varsity boys and girls volleyball teams

    Castle Hall Remodeled
    After decades as a girls dormitory, Castle Hall external lanai were enclosed and classrooms created for a growing school population. During this transition time of the boarding program closing, girls lived in Wilcox Hall for two years until 1963.

  • 1962

    Charles Lacy Veach Graduates
    A U.S. Air Force fighter pilot and NASA astronaut, he flew on two space shuttle missions in 1991 and 1992.

    Physics Honors
    American Institute of Physics names Punahou a top-10 school for outstanding physics programs.

  • 1963

    Boarding Program Discontinued
    The boys boarding program ended in 1961 and Wilcox Hall became a girls dormitory for two years, opening the following year as the renovated kindergarten.

    Holokū Tradition Begins
    Senior girls begin wearing formal white holokū for graduation.

  • 1964

    Exchange Student Arrives
    First exchange student, Erik Holtendahl, travels to Punahou from Germany.

    Accreditation
    First Western Association of Schools and Colleges accreditation received.

    PTA Grows
    With 3,824 members, Punahou PTA is the nation's second largest.

  • 1965

    Charlie Wedemeyer Graduates
    A multi-sport athlete at Punahou, Wedemeyer played football for Michigan State and coached a high school team after being diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease. His inspirational life story was chronicled in the PBS documentary One More Season and the CBS movie Quiet Victory.

    Holokū Pageant Transformed
    The annual spring pageant is recast by Punahou faculty David Eldredge ’49 to authentically showcase Hawaiian music and dance.

    Orchestra Home
    New Junior School Orchestra Building built.

    Cooke Library Dedicated
    The new library features 36,000 square feet for its huge collection.

    Middle-School Manners
    A Manners Committee begins to function in grades 7 and 8.

    Maurice Chevalier at Punahou
    The popular French entertainer speaks at Punahou.

    Last Campus Graduation
    413 graduating seniors receive diplomas on campus; commencement henceforth is held at Neal S. Blaisdell Center.

  • February 15, 1965

    Punahou Campus with Cooke Library
    This photo also shows campus during Carnival (and compared to 1959, it has grown!) Additionally, the completion of Bingham Hall and the new Cooke Library are evident, as well as the baseball diamond on Chamberlain Field.

  • September 1, 1965

    New Roadways on Campus Map
    The Directory Map of 1965 shows the addition of Thurston Memorial Chapel (completed the next year) and the major change in the interior roadways. Note that the interior loop road from Punahou Street, which began at Nehoa Road, now ends at the Chapel, and, of the lower portion of the loop, only the section near Bishop Hall and Dillingham Hall remain.

  • 1966

    Golf
    HHSAA state golf tournament begins; in the 1980s, the boys varsity team opens its ranks to girls.

    125 Years Old
    Punahou's 125th anniversary celebrated with small-scale ceremonies.

  • 1967

    Aerial View of Campus Buildings
    The labels on this aerial photo give a good summary of the campus at this point in history, including the recent addition of the Orchestra Building near Alexander Field.

    Thurston Memorial Chapel Dedicated
    Built into the Lily Pond, the 500-seat chapel serves as the spiritual heart of Punahou.

    Arcadia Retirement Residence
    Retirement center is built on the School's Frear property.

    Carnival Revenues
    Carnival makes $97,000.

  • 1968

    Fifteenth President Named
    Roderick F. McPhee becomes Punahou's fifteenth president.

    Audio-Visual Instruction
    Facilities for creating and using audio-visual instructional materials included in the new Cooke Library. A listening center, recording center and language laboratories are provided. Each classroom is equipped with an overhead projector, and teachers have access to other audio-visual media.

    Camp Timberline
    First group of sixth graders head to Camp Timberline for a week.

    Academy Principal Named
    Winston Healy, Jr. is named Academy principal.

  • 1969

    Edgy Lee Graduates
    A documentary filmmaker, Lee's work received an Academy Award and awards from international film festivals; her films include Papakolea – Story of Hawaiian Land, Waikiki – In the Wake of Dreams, The Hawaiians – Reflecting Spirit and ICE: Hawaii's Crystal Meth Epidemic.

    Foundation for Study in Hawai‘i and Abroad Begins
    Siegfried Ramler establishes partnership between Punahou and the Keio Schools in Japan. His outreach organization grows, bringing students to campus each summer to learn English, and sending Hawai‘i youngsters abroad to learn French, Japanese and Mandarin.

    ROTC
    ROTC becomes voluntary.

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List of 10 items.

  • 1970

    New Awards Created
    President's Honor Awards instituted.

    Scheduling Experiments
    Different scheduling patterns are tested in the Academy.

    Director of Development
    A new director of development position created.

    ILH Reorganized
    The Interscholastic League of Honolulu changed to include only private schools.

  • 1971

    Second Clean Sweep
    Punahou achieves its second-ever clean sweep, winning championships in football, basketball, baseball, track and swimming; the first happened in 1920-1921.

    Modular Schedule Adopted
    Academy Principal Winston Healy Jr. implements one of the school's most far-reaching curriculum changes — the modular schedule. The traditional five-day week is upended, replaced with a six-day cycle and variable class schedules based on 15-minute blocks. This innovation adds complexity to scheduling, but encourages collaboration and interdisciplinary teaching, and increases course offerings for students.

    New Director of Instructional Services
    Siegfried Ramler selected for newly created position of director of instructional services and coordinator of curriculum.

  • 1972

    Girls Athletics Growing
    Girls cross country program starts and girls basketball ILH competition begins.

    Pictured: Susie Mills speeds toward the finish line during a quarter-mile relay in 1977.

    Nainoa Thompson Graduates
    Trained by a traditional navigator from the island of Satawal, Thompson became the first Hawaiian since the 14th century to practice the ancient Polynesian art of non-instrument navigation, sailing the double-hulled Hokule‘a throughout the Pacific and beyond.

    Henry Marsh Graduates
    A miler in high school, he becomes one of the greatest U.S. steeplechasers of all time and a four-time Olympic competitor; he was inducted into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 2001.

    Glassblowing
    First glass shop is built, forerunner of today's studio.

    Bishop Hall and Sullivan Open
    New Bishop Hall and Sullivan Administration Building completed.

    Alumni Across America
    Rod and Sharon McPhee attend 20 mainland alumni reunions.

    Perfect Game
    Glenn Goya pitches perfect game to win state baseball championship.

    First Computer on Campus
    Academy Math Department receives $25,000 gift: a Hewlett Packard 2100A computer.

  • 1973

    Football Record
    Mosiula Tatupu sets ILH rushing record that stands until 1990.

    Soccer Champs
    First HHSAA boys soccer state championship held; Kathy Kelley '75 Carey plays on the varsity team, planting the seed for a girls program two years later.

    Pictured: Kathy Kelley ’75 Carey practices her moves on the field in 1975.

  • 1974

    Campus View
    This 1974 aerial view shows the new Bishop Hall and Sullivan Administration Building.

    New Junior School Principal
    Duane Yee is named principal of the Junior School.

  • 1975

    PTA and Alumni Heads
    Separation of PTA and alumni coordinator position (now two jobs).

  • 1976

    Steve Case Graduates
    An entrepreneur and investor, Case is best known as co-founder and former CEO of America Online (AOL); he later heads a Washington, DC-based venture capital firm and chairs the Case Foundation.

    Dance School Enrolls 500
    Dance School participation has grown from 50 students to 500.

    Teacher Workshops
    Madeline Hunter, educational consultant from UCLA, gives workshops for Junior School teachers.

    Kindergarten Music
    A music specialist begins working with the youngest learners.

    Modular Schedule Trickles Down
    Junior School adopts some aspects of the variable schedule.

  • 1977

    Fund-raising for Sports
    Punahou launches largest fund-raising campaign in Hawai‘i's history to renovate P.E. and athletic facilities.

    Top 10
    LA Times calls Punahou one of the "ten best schools in the U.S."

  • 1978

    Castle Art Center Opens
    The multi-purpose space houses ceramics, glassblowing and the 2-5 Alexander P.E. Pavilion.

    Tennis Courts Built
    Nancy Spalding Memorial Tennis Courts completed.

    Students Travel to China
    First group of Punahou students visits China.

  • 1979

    Paddling Official Sport
    Ancient sport of paddling adopted by IHL.

    Pictured: Although the date is unknown, the position of the paddlers’ top hands, gripping the side rather than top, hints at the photo’s age

    Barack Obama Graduates
    Following a career as community organizer and attorney, Obama won a term as U.S. Senator from Illinois; in 2008, he was elected 44th President of the United States, and reelected in 2012, becoming the first African American to hold the office.

    After-School Care Piloted
    Junior School surveys parents about after-school care, and tests a program.

    Religion in School
    Chapel Committee reviews the goals for religious education.

Jump to:

The Beginning
The 1830s
The 1840s
The 1850s
The 1860s
The 1870s
The 1880s
The 1890s
The 1900s
The 1910s
The 1920s
The 1930s
The 1940s
The 1950s
The 1960s
The 1970s
The 1980s
The 1990s
The 2000s
The 2010s
Present Day

List of 10 items.

  • 1980

    Inaugural Athletic Hall of Fame
    15 alumni inducted into the newly created Athletic Hall of Fame.

    Thurston P.E. Center
    Asa Thurston P.E. Center opens, with gym, racquetball courts, showers, more.

    Fund-raising Goal Reached
    $10 million fund-raising goal reached for massive renovation to the P.E. and athletics complex.

    After-School Era Begins
    After-school care is established at Dole Hall.

    New Supervisor Position Created
    Grades 3-4 supervisor's position established at Winne.

  • 1981

    Girls Track and Field
    Girls track and field athletes win the first of 12 consecutive state championships.

    Pictured: Kim Pennington ’82 Roll grabs the baton from Anna Kay ’82 for a first-place finish in the distance medley. Winning the state championships, the 1981 girls Track team passes the baton to future winning teams. (Photo by Keith Fujiyama ’80.)

    Campus with Athletics Renovations
    Following the major campaign to renovate athletics facilities, the changes are easily visible in this aerial photo. J.B. Castle Hall, Armstrong Hall and the basketball courts are replaced by the Thurston Athletic Complex. The Alumni Gym is replaced by the Hemmeter Fieldhouse and Waterhouse Swimming Pool is expanded. Note also the addition of the three Spalding Tennis Courts at the upper Manoa end of campus, and the covering of the Alexander Tennis Courts next the Chapel for use as glassblowing, ceramics and jewelry, and an open PE pavilion.

    Athletic Hall of Fame
    Athletic Hall of Fame adds 37 honorees.

    Physical Education Complex Dedicated
    Includes the new Waterhouse Pool, Hemmeter Fieldhouse, PFA Heath Center and Hara Mall.

    Youngest Computer Users
    Computer instruction begins in the Junior School, starting in kindergarten; by 1983, the Logo computer language is taught at grades 1-4.

    Curriculum Developments
    Cyclical curriculum review established.

  • 1982

    Campus Drawing
    This drawing of campus by Alison Moritsugu '80 hangs in the Sullivan Administration Building, offering a wonderful perspective on the campus at the time.

    New P.E. Complex Honored
    American Association of School Administrators awards Punahou highest architectural honors in U.S. for P.E. facilities.

    Just for Fun
    Winne children like to explore lily pond, climb the banyan tree on Barwick Playground, and play soccer, football, jacks and jump rope.

  • 1983

    Alexander Field and Atherton Track Renovated
    Alexander Field is leveled and planted with new grass, while dirt lining Atherton Track field is replaced with all-weather Mondo surface.

    President's Home Updated
    Major repairs of President's Home completed; renovations receive architectural awards.

    Alumni House Opens
    Alumni Association moves from Sullivan Administration Building to a former private residence atop Rocky Hill.

    Wang Computers
    Wang computer system installed; paper records digitized using these early computers.

  • 1984

    Pierre Omidyar's Graduating Class (Attended 1979-1981)
    The founder and chairman of eBay turned his massive fortune into philanthropic work and investigative journalism; The Chronicle of Philanthropy includes him among the world's most generous donors.

    Computer Center Opens
    Richard and Linda Kelley Computer Center in Bishop Hall dedicated.

    Exemplary Private School
    Punahou receives Exemplary Private Schools award from the Council for Advancement of Private Education.

    First Apple Computers
    Grades 1-4 receive 12 computers from an Apple education grant emphasizing database and thinking skills.

  • 1985

    New Counseling Department
    Counseling Guidance Department established.

    Logo Training for Teachers
    Teachers from Hawai‘i and the mainland come to Punahou to learn about the Logo computer language.

    Halley's Comet
    A faculty course, "Comet, Stars and Mind," prepares for the return of Halley's Comet.

  • 1986

    Drama Department Created
    A formal Drama Department is established.

    Morita-Sony Media Center Dedicated
    Located in Cooke Library, it features 48 listening stations; Sony Chair Akio Morita attends opening.

    Dole Renovations
    Newly renovated Dole Hall reopens.

    Physical Plant Facility Opens
    Garage, mechanical shop and carpentry shop support operations and grounds crews.

    Vice-President Named
    Paul Wysard is named first non-trustee vice-president.

    Food Initiative
    Initiative prompts organic gardening and healthy eating across the campus.

  • 1987

    Orchestra Program Grows
    Orchestra program expands to five groups in the Academy and Junior School.

    Whole Language
    K-4 faculty studies and implements integrated language arts, or "whole language."

    Fitness Gains Importance
    Fitness -- not just athleticism -- becomes an important part of the P.E. program.

  • 1988

    Kindergarten Classrooms
    The classroom annex Wilcox F added to the Wilcox Hall kindergarten home; class sizes reduced to 25.

  • 1989

    Kayaking Introduced
    Hawai‘i becomes first state to offer interscholastic kayaking.

    Pictured: Senior Nathan Tann finishes first during the Olympic Kayak K-1 heat 1989. (Photo by Ken Ige, Honolulu Star-Bulletin.)

    Cooke Hall Renovated
    A stained glass ceiling is uncovered, believed to have been covered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers during World War II.

    Alumni Lu‘au
    Alumni Lu‘au Pavilion constructed.

    Old School Hall Renovated
    Built in 1851, the four-room structure remains the oldest on campus.

    Community Service
    Community Service Program established.

    Curriculum Developments
    DASH science program and italic handwriting start in K-2.

    Wo International Center Established
    Foundation for Study in Hawaii and Abroad (FSHA) is merged into the new Wo International Center.

    Wo Center Director Named
    Siegfried Ramler named director of Wo International Center.

Jump to:

The Beginning
The 1830s
The 1840s
The 1850s
The 1860s
The 1870s
The 1880s
The 1890s
The 1900s
The 1910s
The 1920s
The 1930s
The 1940s
The 1950s
The 1960s
The 1970s
The 1980s
The 1990s
The 2000s
The 2010s
Present Day

List of 11 items.

  • 1990

    A Winning Record
    Athletic Director Ralph Martinson retires after 30 years; under his leadership, Academy teams won 207 state championships, including 66 in swimming, 49 in tennis and 39 in track and field.

    Pictured: “This is not about me. It’s about so many other people. ... I consider myself a very lucky man, and Punahou is a very special place to be,” said Martinson.

    Dance Genres
    Ballet, tap, hula, acrobatics, musical comedy and jazz are taught at the Dance School.

    Julia Ing Learning Center Opens
    The K-4 library and multimedia facility dedicated with a new song and special cheer.

    Dolores F. Martin Scholarships established.

    Orchestra at Carnegie Hall
    Orchestra members travel to NYC to play Carnegie Hall.

    150 Years Old
    Punahou: The History and Promise of a School of the Islands commemorates the sesquicentennial anniversary.

  • 1991

    Athletic Hall of Fame
    Athletic Hall of Fame inducts 17 alumni.

    Pauahi Hall Renovated
    Major interior renovations completed and dome replaced.

    Dance Space Renovated
    Conners Pavilion housing the Dance School updated.

    Playground Equipment
    High-tech "jungle gym" purchased for Barwick Playground.

    Luke Distinguished Lecture Series
    Inaugurated speech delivered by former Ambassador Winston Lord.

    Automated Catalog
    Automated systems replace the library card catalogs.

    Psychosocial Education Launched
    The new department offers classes and camps for building empathy, including Camp Kuleana, 9th-grade Guidance, Introduction to Counseling Psychology, Peer Helping and more.

    Punahou Graduate in Orbit
    Astronaut Charles Lacy Veach is in orbit for eight days.

    Carnival Revenues
    Carnival grosses a record $1,214,885.

  • 1992

    Water, Water Everywhere
    For 150 years, the School has pumped its own water from an artesian well located under the maintenance shop on Piper's Pali. Well water is pumped up from a fresh water lens 325 feet below ground to a storage tank on Rocky Hill. The School uses 150,000 gallons a day, mostly for irrigation systems and athletic facilities.

    Technology Fair
    Punahou holds its first Technology Fair.

    Punahou 2020
    The School maps a future that aligns with later realities, including support for socioeconomic diversity, professional development and a global perspective.

  • 1993

    Campus Map
    This campus map shows the addition of Wo International Center and the Alumni House on Rocky Hill.

    Wo Center Building Completed
    The new facility for Wo International Center opens.

    Curriculum Trends
    Portfolios gain popularity as assessment tools.

    Computer Labs Open
    Tech stations created in Castle Hall for Grades 5-6 and in Cooke Library.

  • 1994

    Sixteenth President Named
    Dr. James Kapae‘alii Scott '70 named Punahou's sixteenth president, and the first alumnus president in over 100 years.

    Kaui Hart Hemmings Graduates
    Her debut novel The Descendents was made into an Academy Award-winning movie of the same name, directed by Alexander Payne and starring George Clooney.

    Dillingham Hall Renovated
    Scene shop, costume shop, drama workshop and air conditioning added.

    Art Collection Grows
    John Young donates rare art and artifacts to Wo International Center.

    Campus Gets Connected
    Castle Hall is first classroom building to be networked; administrators and teachers install cables on weekends through conduits from the former intercom system; faculty and staff learn to browse the web using Netscape search and dial-up access.

  • 1995

    Punahou Invitational Run
    40th annual Punahou Invitational Run draws more than 200 runners from 27 schools.

    Scholarships
    200+ endowed scholarships distribute more than $1 million in financial aid; non-endowment aid supplements the scholarship funding.

    Curriculum Developments
    Integrated curriculum creates new classes, such as "Culture and Literature of Asian and Western Societies" and "Mind, Nature and Philosophy."

    Graduation Requirements Expand
    Moral and ethical education/community service and creative problem solving/critical thinking added.

    Director of Instruction Named
    Diane Anderson named director of instruction.

  • 1996

    New Life in Lily Pond
    Lily Pond undergoes reconstruction and replanting.

    Tuition
    Tuition for grades 7-12 is $8,750.

    Faculty Support
    Faculty Learning Fellowship Program launches.

    New Wo Center Co-Directors
    Bob Torrey and Hope Kuo Staab named Wo International Center Co-Directors.

    Internet Age Arrives
    Intranet mail and web server moves to campus; Internet and intranet connections fully operational using newly installed fiber-optic network.

  • 1997

    Science Center Breaks Ground
    Groundbreaking for new Punahou Science Center (Mamiya); MacNeil Hall demolished to make way.

    Hi-Tech Campus
    700 computers are used on campus, including most classrooms; an extensive Punahou website is up and running.

  • 1998

    New Junior School Principal
    Michael Walker named Junior School Principal.

    New Academy Principal
    Greg Foster named Academy Principal.

    New Wo Center Director
    Hope Kuo Staab appointed Wo International Center Director.

  • 1999

    Girls Golf
    First separate HHSAA girls state golf championship held on island of Hawai‘i.

    Pictured: Golfers contemplate their strategy on the green in 2000.

    Science Center Opens
    Classes begin in state-of-the-art facility (Mamiya), featuring hands-on labs, workshops and "transparent" walls.

    Apple Laptops Tested
    Mac notebooks given to 4th graders in a pilot program to test their impact on learning.

    A Memorable Baccalaureate
    Academy English Faculty David McCullough Jr. delivers a riveting baccalaureate address to the Class of 1999, foreshadowing the firestorm he sets off with a later address. In 2012, concerned about narrow concepts of success, he delivers his "You Are Not Special" speech to graduating seniors of Wellesley High School. The remarks go viral, with more than two million YouTube views and a subsequent bestselling book.

  • September 11, 1992

    Iniki Hits
    Hurricane Iniki lashes Kaua‘i with 145 mph winds, leaving six dead and $1.8 billion in damages across the islands.

Jump to:

The Beginning
The 1830s
The 1840s
The 1850s
The 1860s
The 1870s
The 1880s
The 1890s
The 1900s
The 1910s
The 1920s
The 1930s
The 1940s
The 1950s
The 1960s
The 1970s
The 1980s
The 1990s
The 2000s
The 2010s
Present Day

List of 11 items.

  • 2000

    Service Learning Award
    Punahou named a National Service Learning Leader School.

    Brain Science and Education
    Neuroscience and learning explored during a visit from Educational Counselor Kenneth Wesson.

    New Academy Principal
    Kevin Conway named Academy Principal.

    Thrift Shop Packs Up
    After 50 years, the PFA-sponsored Thrift Shop closes.

  • 2001

    Travels to China and Europe
    Wo International Center begins summer trips for teachers, with 19 faculty visiting schools in China; School Year Abroad program sends Punahou juniors to China, France, Italy and Spain.

  • 2002

    One to One Computing Program Launched
    All 4th graders get Apple laptops to keep through the upper grades; new computers are issued to each incoming 4th-grade class.

    Designing Case Middle School
    "Teaming" concept guides the design, which envisions flexible spaces and realigned student/teacher groupings; construction of campus is underway.

    Astronaut Lacy Veach Day of Discovery
    First annual Astronaut Lacy Veach Day of Discovery is held.

    Luke Center for Public Service Begins
    Program goals focus on creating a "private school serving a public purpose."

    Luke Center Director Named
    Carole Iacovelli appointed director of Luke Center for Public Service.

  • 2003

    Sailing Added
    Sailing joins Punahou's water sports, and ILH becomes the nation's first to host a sailing championship.

    Pictured: With Diamond Head looming in the distance, Punahou students set sail in 2010, putting the blue in buff and blue.

    Sportsmanship
    Punahou for Good Sports program initiated.

  • 2004

    Case Middle School Under Construction
    This view of the construction work on Case Middle School shows the major change in the roadway. The six classroom buildings of the complex are almost complete, while foundation work on the three creative learning centers is underway. Additionally, this angle shows the consolidation work on the maintenance and operations facilities in the foreground.

    Dance for Everyone
    The Dance School offers its first class exclusively for boys.

    New Home for Luke Center
    The new building for Luke Center for Public Service opens next to the Lily Pond, nestled in the Chapel courtyard.

    Case Middle School Opens
    Case Middle School opens its doors to 6th graders, joined by 7th-8th graders in the spring term; the elaborate 9-building complex includes Kuaihelani Learning Center, Gates Learning Center, and Twigg-Smith Pavilion.

    SMART Boards
    SMART Boards introduced to Academy classrooms, adding to technology that permeates the School.

    Hawaiian in Curriculum
    Hawaiian values and practices are woven into the curriculum, including outdoor education trips and a strengthening of Hawaiian Studies.

    CapSEEDS Introduced
    Graduating seniors required to complete a CapSEEDS project.

  • December 17, 2004

    Obama Speaks at Punahou
    Barack Obama '79, then U.S. senator-elect from Illinois, speaking in Thurston Memorial Chapel, encourages students to "dream big."

    Photo Credit: David Franzen

  • 2005

    LEED Gold to Case Middle
    Case Middle School achieves LEED Gold certification (2nd-highest rating).

    First PUEO Class
    PUEO brings the first cohort of 40 disadvantaged, public school 6th graders to campus for academic enrichment and mentoring; the students return each summer through graduation.

  • 2006

    PAA Turns 100
    Punahou Alumni Association celebrates its 100th anniversary.

    Community Hub
    The Athletic Department hosts 500 events each year, including 150 non-Punahou events and 8-10 statewide and international competitions in tennis, cross country, water polo, basketball, track and field, wrestling and volleyball.

    Social Entrepreneurship
    The Daniel H. Case III ’75 Social Entrepreneurship program launches.

    Curriculum Developments
    Punahou partners with the DOE and Honolulu Academy of Arts to develop world history curriculum.

    Luke Center Director Named
    Carri Morgan is named director of Luke Center for Public Service.

  • 2007

    Michelle Wie Graduates
    The international golfer and media star was the youngest player (13) to make the cut at an LPGA tour event; went professional at 15; shot the lowest round ever recorded by a woman in a men's PGA tour event; and won her first major at the 2014 U.S. Women's Open.

    Sustainability Fair Begins
    First Sustainability Fair features 25 exhibits.

    Band at Rose Parade
    Punahou Marching Band and Color Guard appear in Tournament of Roses Parade for the third time.

  • 2008

    Football Win
    The Buff 'n Blue win its first state title in football.

    Pictured: The team thrusts their trophy skyward in celebration of their victory.

    SI Ranks Punahou #1
    Punahou athletics ranks first in the nation by Sports Illustrated in both 2008 and 2009.

    Athletic Hall of Fame
    Athletic Hall of Fame inducts 15 Punahou alumni.

    Flanders Dance Pavilion Opens
    Featuring 4,800 square feet of studio space.

    Solar Power
    Campus goes solar with seven photovoltaic installations capable of generating 460 kilowatts.

    Director of Instruction Named
    Bruce Schauble is named Director of Instruction.

  • 2009

    Apple Award
    Punahou named an Apple Distinguished School; the honor also received in 2012-2013 and 2013-2015.

    POTUS Shaka
    Hawai‘i viewers are treated to a shaka from President Barack Obama ’79 as the Punahou Marching Band passes the reviewing stand during the inaugural parade in Washington, D.C.

    Carnival Revenues
    Carnival gross sales reach $1.8 million and net profit about $450,000, used to support financial aid.

Jump to:

The Beginning
The 1830s
The 1840s
The 1850s
The 1860s
The 1870s
The 1880s
The 1890s
The 1900s
The 1910s
The 1920s
The 1930s
The 1940s
The 1950s
The 1960s
The 1970s
The 1980s
The 1990s
The 2000s
The 2010s
Present Day

List of 13 items.

  • 2010

    Carissa Moore Graduates
    Taking the surfing world by storm, she won the ASP Women's World Tour in 2011 and 2013 and was inducted into the Surfers' Hall of Fame.

    Innovations in Design and Learning
    The Omidyar K–1 Neighborhood opens, featuring solar panels, a windmill, bioswale and cisterns; the sustainable design links with a curriculum focused on outdoor learning and exploration.

    LEED Platinum to Omidyar K-1
    Omidyar K-1 Neighborhood wins top-ranking LEED Platinum certification.

    SGLI Launched
    Student Global Leadership Institute welcomes its first participants from around the world.

    ITLII Launched
    Institute for Teaching, Learning and Instructional Innovation begins.

    Brain Symposium
    Punahou hosts its first annual Brain Symposium for educators.

  • 2011

    Aerial View of Punahou School
    This aerial view was taken after the completion of Omidyar K - 1 Neighborhood, and the significant efforts over the years to add PV panels where possible on campus to realize energy efficiencies. These panels are readily visible in this photo. also note the additio of the wo Tennis Courts above the Presidents Home.

  • 2012

    Design Thinking Spreads
    From curriculum to planning, faculty and staff use design thinking to generate innovative solutions.

    New Wo Center Director
    Emily McCarren is named director of Wo International Center.

  • 2013

    Football Champs
    State football title goes to Punahou.

    Pictured: It’s smiles all around for the state champs.

    Alumni across the Globe
    Nearly half of Punahou’s 30,000 farflung alumni live outside Hawai‘i.

    Athletic Hall of Fame
    18 Punahou athletes inducted into Athletic Hall of Fame.

    Website Revamped
    New website is rolled out.

    Lessons from Hokule‘a
    Pledge signed to link classroom lessons to the Worldwide Voyage of Hokule‘a and Hikianalia; several alumni and faculty/staff members sail on segments of the 48,000-mile journey.

    A Home for Bees
    Apiary is constructed on Rocky Hill.

    K-6 Language Immersion
    After-school Mandarin Immersion Program launches for K-6; Hawaiian and Japanese follow.

  • 2014

    Wins for Tennis and Track and Field
    Boys track and field team wins its 77th ILH title since 1911; boys varsity tennis team wins its 47th state title since 1958, while the girls win their 41st state title.

    Pictured: The Track team consistently raises the bar for excellence in their sport as evident in their long series of wins.

    A New Vision for 2-5 Campus
    Plans for reimagined 2-5 complex unveiled, including a Learning Commons and integrated indoor/outdoor spaces.

    Winne Dismantled
    First wings of Winne Units deconstructed and Piper's Pali realigned to the edge of campus.

    New Roles for Educators
    Teacher-driven instruction fades as student-centered inquiry guides classrooms and curriculums. Derived from the Socratic method, inquiry helps students ask questions, come up answers, and acquire knowledge, not just content.

    Professional Programs Created
    Professional Programs at Punahou established to replace Institute for Teaching, Learning and Instructional Innovation.

    Dean of Professional Programs Named
    Ruth Fletcher is appointed Dean of Professional Programs.

  • 2015

    120 Teams, 22 Sports
    Over 120 intermediate, junior varsity and varsity teams compete in 22 different sports; over 70% of students (grades 7-12) participate.

    PUEO Funded for 10 More Years
    PUEO receives $6 million, 10-year grant to continue preparing disadvantaged students for college.

    New Wo Center Director
    Chai Reddy named Wo International Center Director.

    New Academy Principal Named
    Emily McCarren moves from Wo International Center to serve as Academy Principal.

    New Junior School Principal Named
    Paris Priore-Kim appointed Junior School Principal.

    Enrollment and Tuition
    3,750 students; tuition for K-12 is $20,700.

    Punahou Commemorated the 175th Anniversary
    of its founding with events all over the world and special projects such as the anniversary book, KAPUNAHOU, and theWorldWideToast.

  • 2016

    The School Launches the Public Phase of Ku‘u Punahou
    The School launches the public phase of Ku‘u Punahou, a $175 million comprehensive campaign to transform teaching and learning at Punahou.

  • 2017

    Academy Introduces G-Term
    Academy introduces G-Term, including trips to Taipei and Cuba organized by Wo International Center.


    Formation of K - 12 Makery/Engineering/Technology Department
     

  • 2018

    Dr. James Kapae‘alii Scott ’70 Retires
    Dr. James Kapae‘alii Scott ’70 retires from president of Punahou School after 25 years of service.


    Punahou’s Hiroshima Peace Scholarship Program Celebrates 10 Years
    The School celebrates the 10-year anniversary of the Hiroshima Peace Scholarship program, which was founded by retired Academy Japanese faculty, Hiromi Peterson.


    Commencement at Stan Sheriff Center
    New tradition begins as Commencement takes place at Stan Sheriff Center on the University of Hawai‘i, Mānoa campus

  • 2019

    Dr. Michael E. Latham ’86- 17th President of Punahou School
    Dr. Michael E. Latham ’86 begins his tenure as the 17th president of Punahou School on July 1, after an accomplished academic career as an educator and college administrator.

    Ku‘u Punahou
    Our generous community propelled our Ku‘u Punahou Campaign beyond our goal, raising more than $176 million to fund our highest priorities. With more than 12,800 donors, the Campaign was a monumental effort with an indelible lasting impact.


  • 2020

    The school year began amidst the global COVID-19 pandemic, which spread across the United States in March 2020, requiring students and faculty to quickly switch to a distance learning model after Spring Break 2020. Punahou returned to in-person learning in October 2020

  • 2023

    Punahou renewed its Mission statement for the first time since 1985. The new Mission and Values statements reflected a yearlong process of listening to students, faculty, staff, families, and alumni, who shared their perspectives about Punahou and its future. Inspired by the powerful words of Mary Kawena Pukui, a teacher at Punahou during the 1930s, the mission is a response in the voice of Punahou’s students and an expression of the timeless values shared by all children of the new spring.

  • 2024

    The new Mary Kawena Pukui Learning Commons (formerly Cooke Library) project was announced to widespread enthusiasm. Named in honor of the visionary Hawaiian scholar and educator, the building will be a state-of-the-art intellectual hub for the Academy students when it opens in 2026.

List of 1 items.

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