University of Hawaii Honolulu - Ka Palapala Yearbook (Honolulu, HI)

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September 10, 1942 THC WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON lear Mr. Sinclair: Let ae offer ay eincert fellcltatione aa you aaeuxe your dutlea aa Preaidect of the Unireraity of Havall. Thla la a dlatiaguiahed honor. It would be a challenge under any circuaatancee; at the preaeat t'iae, however, it la aore than an ordinary challenge. I hope that by your courageoua leader«hip, you nay deaonatrate what the function of a unlraraity la when «tending in the apotlight of the theatre of war. • Var la not a natter of aralea and narlea alone. War la aoaethlng In which everyone partiolpatee; every inatltutlon oontributea to It; a unlverelty above aoat other Inatltutlon give of lte reaooreea in etaff and facilitlea to train sen for the reaponalbllltlea which highly trained peraonnel «mat carry in winning the war. I aa «ure that the Unlveralty of Hawaii ie making, and will continue to aake an outatanding contribution to the war effort. I hope that you will find great aatlafactlon in preening forward with the unlverelty1a lndlepenaable work. Tery elncerely youra, ; M. Sinclair, Seq., Oliver a it? ef Wmmlt,

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Pre.;idont Sinclair dolivcrs his inaugural address. Inauguration CRADLED beside the green round hills of Manoa, the amphitheater served as the scene of the formal inauguration of ge- nial, white-haired Gregg M. Sinclair as pres ident of the University of Hawaii. Although dwarfed in interest by spectacular events in the Pacific, the simple, dignified ceremony was not without significance. Despite war- time haste, the importance of the university's part in a nation at war was keenly felt by the presence of community leaders, notably mili- tary heads of the armed services Leading universities of the United States and Eng- land, because of the effect of the war upon transportation facilities, were represented by prominent local people who are alumni of the various institutions. The significance of this battlefront university s operation was noted by the messages received from both President Roosevelt and Lord Halifax Re- cently-inaugurated Governor Stainback pre- sided at the inauguration ceremony Fifty-two-year-old, Canadian-born Presi- dent Sinclair is the fourth president in the history of the University of Hawaii. A grad- uate of the University of Minnesota and Co- lumbia University. President Sinclair has spent several years in the Far East, mainly Japan. While looking back with pride at the thirty-five-year history of this university, he feels that its greatness lies in its future . . . a future pregnant with potentialities in a Pa- cific-centered civilization. . By its unique location this university has the best opportu- nity for the intelligent understanding of a changing Pacific-area. It has possibilities of becoming a ranking university.'' President Sinclair feels Hawaii needs no apologies for this university. The quality of our future ci- vilization will depend largely on our stu- dents. and perhaps the greatest part in mold- ing leaders will be played by President Sin- clair. I i 18

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President Sinclair's Inaugural Address (An Excerpt) THIS ceremony symbolizes the spirit ol America. Though besieged by external dangers, we show by our presence here an appreciation of and a belief in education. We Americans have at all times acted on the thesis that education is an essential to our way of life. . . This ceremony, therefore, is in keeping with our American heritage Despite the war and its dangers and hardships, we meet to re-dedicate ourselves to democracy's greatest agency ol self-perpetuation: educa- tion. America is great not alone by virtue of its natural resources and its political ide- ology; in part at least, its greatness has rc suited from universal common schooling and accessible institutions of higher learning. Education has enabled our people to dis- cover natures laws, to work in harmony with them, to utilize them to our advantage We shall see a new world, in which what we have known will be as outmoded and as strange as the life in the gay nineties seems to us today China and India have the masses of people, the resources, the intellec- tual and spiritual vitality to become domi- nant in their own right. We can see the be binnings there of the coming Industrial Revo- lution. but the common people do not yet have the education necessary to a utilization of the harnessing of power This point of view will come with the introduction of edu- cational systems adequate to the needs of modern life By its situation in the Pacific, and by its cosmopolitan attitude and racial complexion. Hawaii will play a part in this movement of the centuries, East and West, Occident and Orient. This is true, whether v e will or no . . In its thirty-five years of history as col- lege and university, the University of Hawaii has, indeed, made a worth-while beginning as an institution of higher learning—and I would here like to pay tribute to my three predecessors who have laid the foundation upon which we shall build—but its greatness lies in the future, a future pregnant with po- tentialities in a Pacific-centered civilization. V e must, therefore, be ever alert to our pos- sibilities both in interpretation and in ad- vanced research in the sciences and the hu- manities. . . . A university, to be worthy of the name, has three major functions, it should pass on the social heritage; it should prepare its students professionally, it should concern itself with graduate work and research. The college graduate in Hawai. to be an effective Ameri- can citizen, must have had the joy of explor- ing the social, the physical, and the natural sciences, philosophy, literature, and the arts. By contact with the best that has been thought and uttered in the world, the student may not make more money in his eight or ten hours of daily labor, but he does live a richer, more intelligent life Good American citizenship is predicated on knowledge and understanding; the college graduate should not be in much danger of being swept away by isms, the nostrums for current sock.. evils, he should have the perspective of the ages to guide him. With research, scientific and cultural vistas open out before us, and the continued progress of the arts and sci- ences. is assured. The University of Ha waii, therefore, should serve these needs with increasing effectiveness. The presidency of a state university is a position of honor and trust. In accepting leadership of the University of Hawaii, I do so with humbleness and with sincere appro ciation of the confidence placed in me by the Board ol Regents. I regard my service as a challenge, not alone to myself, but also to my associates ... to the many students. . to our alumni . to our legislators ... to the entire community of Hawaii . Let us look back with pride over the relatively short history of this, our University. Let us deter- mine to make this institution in the present a fortress of strength in our country's time of need. Let us look forward to a future of ex panding usefulness to Hawaii nei, to the United States of America in which we so proudly share a place, and to the world at large in an era of peace and prosperity when man again shall be free 20