A Brief Biography
| Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole Garden Island 1995, Oct. 8, 1995. |
Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole was born on March 26, 1871 in Kukui’ula, at Ho’ai. Kuala in the Po’ipè area of Kaua’i. His parents were Kahalepouli, ruling chief and son of the last king of Kaua’i and Kinoiki Kekaulike, sister of Queen Kapi’olani. Historical accounts say that Kuhio was tagged with the nickname “Prince Cupid” by a French teacher when he was very young because of his chubby stature and good-natured personality. |
Kuhio grew up in the royal household of Kapi’olani and her husband, King Kalakaua on O’ahu, and was raised as part of the court. He was in line for the throne, when Queen Liliuokalani was deposed in 1893. |
| After Hawai’i was annexed as a Territory of the United States, Kuhio plunged into the political scene in the new territory. He became a prime mover behind the effort to establish county governments with elected officials. He was elected Hawaii’s delegate to U.S. Congress in 1902 and held the post for 10 consecutive terms. Prince Kuhio died in 1922 at the age of 50 at his Waikiki home. |
Kudos |
Garden Island Oct. 8, 1995 |
There was a special reception Monday evening given by Kaumuali’i and Ka’ahumanu orders in honor of prince Kuhio and his coadjutor, John Wise. It was held in the Lihu’e Armory and there were some 200 present. The program included some very excellent singing-some of it ancient Hawaiian, some of it more modern. Each district was called upon to supply its quota. A number of excellent speeches, largely of the after dinner variety, were interspersed with excellent fact. Both the Prince and John Wise were received with much favor and great applause. The uniforms and regalia of the entertaining orders added very much to the picturesque setting of the occasion. |
And an Obituary
Garden Island Jan. 11, 1922 |
Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole, Hawaii’s delegate to Congress, died of heart failure at 2:37 o’clock, Saturday morning at his residence at Kaimukai. He had been ill some weeks and for a number of days was confined to his bed under the care of physicians. Later he seemed to improve, so much so that his physicians thought he would be able to take a steamer for the mainland which sails tomorrow, where he was to enter a sanitarium. Friday night, however, the Prince grew suddenly worse and despite efforts of his physicians, he passed away at 2:37 o’clock Saturday morning. ...The closing hours of Prince Kuhio’s life were peaceful. He was in an unconscious state for some time due partly to an opiate administered early in the evening to ease the pain caused by the pressure upon the heart, due to congestion of the lungs... At the hour of his death there were many friends of the Prince and Princess in the home, some in and near the Prince’s chamber, others downstairs. There were Hawaiians present who had always been close to the royal family. The wishes of princess Kalanianaole had not been obtained, but it is known that the Hawaiians, who dearly loved their Prince, have expected that a state funeral, in keeping with their titular rank of the old monarchy, such as had been given to Queen Liliuokalani, his brother Prince David Kawananakoa. Princess Kaiulani and Dowager Queen Kapiolani, all of whom died after the monarchy was overthrown.. For 20 years he has represented Hawaii at Washington. In politics he was a Republican. His crowning effort at Washington was securing the passage by Congress of the Hawaiian Homes Act, under which he hoped to rehabilitate the fast dying-out Hawaiian race by putting them back on the soil to grow up with homes of their own in healthful surroundings. |