Daniel Akaka

Daniel Akaka
李硕
Official portrait, 2006
United States Senator
from Hawaii
In office
May 16, 1990 – January 3, 2013
Preceded bySpark Matsunaga
Succeeded byMazie Hirono
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Hawaii's 2nd district
In office
January 3, 1977 – May 16, 1990
Preceded byPatsy Mink
Succeeded byPatsy Mink
Personal details
Born
Daniel Kahikina Akaka

(1924-09-11)September 11, 1924
Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii
DiedApril 6, 2018(2018-04-06) (aged 93)
Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.
Resting placeNational Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseMary Chong
Children5, including Alan
RelativesAbraham Akaka (brother)
EducationUniversity of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (BEd, MEd)
Signature
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/serviceUnited States Army
Years of service1945–1947[1]
Rank Corporal[1]
UnitUnited States Army Corps of Engineers
Battles/warsWorld War II
Daniel Akaka
Chinese李硕

Daniel Kahikina Akaka (/əˈkɑːkə/;[2] September 11, 1924 – April 6, 2018) was an American educator and politician who served as a United States Senator from Hawaii from 1990 to 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, Akaka was the first U.S. Senator of Native Hawaiian ancestry.[3]

Born in Honolulu, he served in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers during World War II. He attended the University of Hawaii, where he received his bachelor's and master's degrees. Originally a high school teacher, Akaka went on to serve as a principal for six years. In 1969, the Department of Education hired him as a chief program planner. In the 1970s, he served in various governmental positions.

Akaka was first elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1976 to represent Hawaii's 2nd congressional district; he served for 13 years. In 1990, he was appointed to the U.S. Senate to succeed the deceased Spark Matsunaga, subsequently winning the special election to complete Matsunaga's term. He would later be reelected to three full terms. In March 2011, he announced he would not run for reelection in 2012.[4]

After fellow U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye died on December 17, 2012, Akaka became the state's senior senator for 2 weeks until he left office on January 3, 2013. He was succeeded by fellow Democrat Mazie Hirono.[5]

  1. ^ a b "Once a Soldier... Always a Soldier" (PDF). Legislative Agenda. Association of the United States Army. 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 21, 2013. Retrieved January 26, 2013.
  2. ^ AP pronunciation guide
  3. ^ About Senator Akaka Daniel Kahikina Akaka, U.S. Senator of Hawaii Archived May 28, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ DePledge, Derrick (March 3, 2011). "The right time". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Archived from the original on November 6, 2015. Retrieved March 3, 2011.
  5. ^ Nick Grube (April 6, 2018). "Former US Sen. Daniel Akaka Dead At 93". Civil Beat. Honolulu, HI.

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