Edward Nakamura

Edward H. Nakamura (October 9, 1922 – September 12, 1997) was a labor lawyer and judge. He served as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Hawaii from March 24, 1980 to December 28, 1989.

Biography

Nakamura was born on October 9, 1922 in Honolulu. He studied at the University of Hawaii, and was a member of the ROTC. When Pearl Harbor was attacked, he became a member of the Hawaii Territorial Guard, then the Varsity Victory Volunteers and the 442nd Regimental Combat team.[1] When the war was over he used his GI Bill to get a degree from the University of Chicago Law School. He graduated in 1951. Nakamura then joined Bouslog & Symonds, a labor law firm in Hawaii. He is best known for working with the ILWU during the McCarthy era, which put him under suspicion as a potential communist.[2]

Nakamura also served as a regent at the University of Hawaii.[2]

Nakamura was elected to the Supreme Court of Hawaii in 1980. He retired in 1989 after a career of criticizing abuses of power. Even in retirement, Nakamura would speak up about corruption and cronyism in local politics.[3]

Nakamura died during open heart surgery in Honolulu on September 12, 1997.[3]

Further reading

• Coffman, Tom. (2012). I Respectfully Dissent : a Biography of Edward H. Nakamura. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 9780824865740. OCLC 809317799.

References

1. Odo, Franklin. (2004). No sword to bury : Japanese Americans in Hawai'i during World War II. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. ISBN 9781592138036. OCLC 621403604.
2. Blair, Chad (2012-07-06). "Dissent, Patriotism and Ed Nakamura". Honolulu Civil Beat. Retrieved 2019-04-17.
3. Yuen, Mike (September 12, 1997). "Ex-Justice Nakamura dies". archives.starbulletin.com. Retrieved 2019-04-17.

Political offices
Preceded by	Justice of the Supreme Court of Hawaii 1980–1989	Succeeded by