John D. Waiheʻe III facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Waiheʻe
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| 4th Governor of Hawaii | |
| In office December 2, 1986 – December 2, 1994 |
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| Lieutenant | Ben Cayetano |
| Preceded by | George Ariyoshi |
| Succeeded by | Ben Cayetano |
| 8th Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii | |
| In office December 2, 1982 – December 2, 1986 |
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| Governor | George Ariyoshi |
| Preceded by | Jean King |
| Succeeded by | Ben Cayetano |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
John David Waiheʻe III
May 19, 1946 Honokaa, Territory of Hawaii, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Lynne Kobashigawa |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Andrews University (BA) University of Hawaii, Manoa (JD) |
John David Waiheʻe III, born on May 19, 1946, is an American politician. He was the fourth governor of Hawaii from 1986 to 1994. He was the first person of Native Hawaiian background to be elected governor of any U.S. state. After being governor, Waiheʻe became a well-known attorney and lobbyist, someone who tries to influence lawmakers.
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Early Life and Education
John Waiheʻe was born in Honokaʻa on the Island of Hawaii. He went to Hawaiian Mission Academy for high school. After that, he studied at Andrews University in Michigan. There, he earned two college degrees: one in business and one in history.
Later, he moved to Honolulu to attend law school. He studied at the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. He earned his law degree in 1976. John Waiheʻe is also an Eagle Scout. This is the highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America.
Starting in Politics
Waiheʻe began his political journey in 1978. He was a delegate at the Hawaiʻi State Constitutional Convention. This was a special meeting to update the state's main rules. He played a big part in creating the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. This office helps to improve the well-being of Native Hawaiians. He also helped make the Hawaiian language an official language of the state.
From 1981 to 1983, Waiheʻe served in the Hawaiʻi State House of Representatives. He was a member of the Democratic Party. After that, he was elected lieutenant governor of Hawaii. He served under Governor George Ariyoshi until 1986. In 2008, Waiheʻe was a delegate at the Democratic National Convention.
In 2011, Governor Neil Abercrombie chose Waiheʻe to join the Native Hawaiian Roll Commission. This group was formed to bring Native Hawaiian people together. This effort is known as Kanaʻiolowalu. Commissioner Waiheʻe has appeared in videos explaining this important work. He is proud of helping to make Hawaiian an official language. He also helped develop Kapolei as Oahu's second major city.
Serving as Governor
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John Waiheʻe successfully ran for governor with state senator Ben Cayetano. Cayetano became Waiheʻe's lieutenant governor. They were both re-elected in 1990 and served two terms together.
During his time as governor, Hawaii saw a big increase in tourism. There was also more foreign investment, especially from Japan. The topic of Hawaiian sovereignty became very important. This was because it was the 100-year anniversary of the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi. This was when Queen Liliʻuokalani was removed from power.
Waiheʻe left office in 1994. He had served the maximum two terms allowed by the Constitution of Hawaiʻi. He had helped write this constitution earlier in his career. His lieutenant governor, Ben Cayetano, won the election to become the next governor.
Life After Governorship
After leaving the governor's office, Waiheʻe worked for different law firms. These firms were based in Washington, DC. He also started his own law practice and lobbying firm. In 2002 and 2003, he thought about running for a seat in the United States House of Representatives. This seat became open after the death of Patsy Mink. However, Waiheʻe decided not to run in these special elections. Instead, he supported Patsy Mink's husband for the position.
See also
- List of first minority male lawyers and judges in Hawaii
- List of minority governors and lieutenant governors in the United States
