Here’s another fabulous old photo and a test for the sleuthing skills of readers.
According to the caption, it’s the First Distinguished Service Award Community Dinner, held January 22, 1941, at the Pacific Club in Honolulu. The award dinner was sponsored by the Junior Chamber of Commerce.
Click on the photo for a greatly enlarged version.
I see my dad, John Lind. He’s seated at the far left, towards the back of the table on the left. He’s the fourth person seated along the table on the left, counting from the back of the room, facing the camera. At the time, he was 28 years old and had been in Hawaii several months short of two years.
Interesting that the group is not all white. Things were already changing in Hawaii, I guess.
The challenge is putting some other names to these many faces of Hawaii’s business community at the time. Are there some politicians also showing face at the dinner? Could be.
If you’re able to add a name to a face, please leave a comment below.
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Ian, I’d love to read a book about your dad, his life and times, written in the historical context. I don’t think anything else quite like this exists in terms of illuminating this part of life in Hawaii during that period.
Surely, the more interesting question is: How many nonwhite faces are required to bring about real change?
Real change would include the other have of the human race – women!
Incredible depth of field in this photo, something not often found in consumer digital media, at least to this degree.
I’m not sure how much of a change is indicated by there being non-white faces amongst those in attendance. I could count only 3 clearly Asian ones and, this event occurring 10+ months before Pearl Harbor, I doubt they were there the following year.
Still, it’s a testament to your Dad that, even for his young age and short stay in Hawaii, he appears to have begun making his mark.
That’s Kam Tai Lee in the dark suit on the far left (third from left, starting at the front of the table at the far left of the photo), a banker and Territorial Treasurer in the ’50’s. Riley Allen in the center.
Thanks for that I.D.!
Ian:
Funny you should put this up, because the program that you see there is continuing on today. The Three Outstanding Young People honor program is happening at the Ala Moana Hotel on the 22nd of January. Hosted now by the Honolulu Filipino Chapter, it is the same award that was given out here in these photographs in 1941.