Daniel Akaka

Daniel Akaka
Name	Daniel Akaka
Caption	Official portrait, 2009
State	Hawaii
Jr/sr	United States Senator
Term start	May 16, 1990
Term end	January 3, 2013
Predecessor	Spark Matsunaga
Successor	Mazie Hirono
State1	Hawaii
Term start1	January 3, 1977
Term end1	May 15, 1990
Predecessor1	Patsy Mink
Successor1	Patsy Mink
Party	Democratic
Birth name	Daniel Kahikina Akaka
Birth date	11 September 1924
Birth place	Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii
Death date	6 April 2018
Death place	Honolulu, Hawaii
Alma mater	University of Hawaii (BEd, MEd)
Spouse	Mary Mildred Chong
Religion	United Church of Christ
Branch	United States Army
Serviceyears	1945–1947
Battles	World War II

Daniel Akaka was an American educator and politician who served as a United States Senator from Hawaii for over two decades. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first Native Hawaiian to serve in the United States Senate and was known for his advocacy on issues related to indigenous peoples, veteran affairs, and education. His career in the United States Congress spanned from his election to the United States House of Representatives in 1976 until his retirement from the United States Senate in 2013.

Early life and education

Born in Honolulu in the then-Territory of Hawaii, he was the youngest of eight children. He attended the Kamehameha Schools, a prestigious institution for students of Native Hawaiian ancestry, before serving in the United States Army Corps of Engineers during World War II. After the war, he earned both a Bachelor of Education and a Master of Education from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He worked as a teacher and principal in the Hawaii Department of Education and later served as a program specialist for the United States Department of Education.

U.S. House of Representatives

Akaka was first elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1976, representing Hawaii's 2nd congressional district. He succeeded Patsy Mink after she made an unsuccessful run for the United States Senate. During his tenure in the House of Representatives, he served on influential committees including the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. He was a strong advocate for federal recognition of Native Hawaiians and for increasing funding for programs in the Pacific Islands.

U.S. Senate career

He was appointed to the United States Senate in May 1990 by Governor John Waihee following the death of Senator Spark Matsunaga. He subsequently won a special election in November 1990 to complete the term and was re-elected to full terms in 1994, 2000, and 2006. In the Senate, he served on several key committees, including the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, which he chaired from 2007 to 2011, and the Committee on Indian Affairs. He was also a senior member of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Political positions and legislation

A consistent liberal voice, his legislative focus was on veterans' benefits, indigenous rights, and environmental protection. He was the chief sponsor of the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2009, often called the "Akaka Bill," which sought to establish a government-to-government relationship between the United States and a reorganized Native Hawaiian governing entity. He co-sponsored the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 and was a leading proponent of preserving the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from oil drilling. He was also known for his opposition to the Iraq War and his support for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Later life and death

After choosing not to seek re-election in 2012, he retired from the United States Senate in January 2013 and was succeeded by Mazie Hirono. He returned to Hawaii, where he remained active in community affairs. He died of organ failure in April 2018 at the Straub Medical Center in Honolulu. His funeral services were held at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl Crater, and he was memorialized by colleagues including Senator Daniel Inouye and President Barack Obama.

Legacy and honors

His legacy is marked by his historic role as the first Native Hawaiian United States Senator and his decades of advocacy. The Daniel K. Akaka Senatorial Scholarship was established in his honor to support Native Hawaiian students. In 2018, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs renamed the Spark M. Matsunaga Ambulatory Care Center in Honolulu as the Spark M. Matsunaga and Daniel K. Akaka Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center. His papers are archived at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Category:1924 births Category:2018 deaths Category:United States senators from Hawaii Category:Democratic Party United States senators