Frederick William Kahapula Beckley (1874–1943)

Frederick William Kahapula Beckley Jr. (May 7, 1874 – December 20, 1943) was a Native Hawaiian politician, historian, and educator. He was the last official interpreter of the Hawaii Supreme Court during the

Kingdom of Hawaii The Hawaiian Kingdom, or Kingdom of Hawaiʻi ( Hawaiian: ''Ko Hawaiʻi Pae ʻĀina''), was a sovereign state located in the Hawaiian Islands. The country was formed in 1795, when the warrior chief Kamehameha the Great, of the independent island ...

and was the first professor of

Hawaiian language Hawaiian (', ) is a Polynesian language of the Austronesian language family that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language o ...

at the University of Hawaii.

Biography

He was born on May 7, 1874, in Honolulu, the son of

Frederick William Kahapula Beckley Sr. Frederick William Kahapula Beckley Sr. (November 26, 1845 – January 7, 1881) was a Hawaiian high chief, who served as Governor of Kauaʻi from 1880 to 1881. Biography He was born at Waimea, on November 26, 1845, to William Charles Malulani K ...

and Emma Kaili Metcalf. He was descended from chiefly lineages from both his parents, and his ancestors included High Chief

Hoʻolulu Hoʻolulu (1794–1844) was a member of the nobility during the formation of the Kingdom of Hawaii. He was a trusted advisor to King Kamehameha I, also known as "Kamehameha the Great", and was one of the select few to know his secret resting place. ...

and Captain

George Charles Beckley George Charles Beckley (March 5, 1787 – April 16, 1826) was an English captain, trader, and military adviser. He was one of the earliest foreigners to have a major impact in the Kingdom of Hawaii, where he eventually became a noble, and was o ...

, both advisors of King Kamehameha I. His father died in 1881 and his mother remarried in 1887 to Moses Kuea Nakuina, who became Beckley's stepfather. At an early age, he became interested in

and history. He was educated at Saint Louis School,

Kamehameha Schools Kamehameha Schools, formerly called Kamehameha Schools Bishop Estate (KSBE), is a private school system in Hawaii established by the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Estate, under the terms of the will of Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, who was a formal membe ...

, and Oahu College. Beckley served as the last official interpreter of the

Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

prior to the Overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii. Afterward, he continued working as a translator and was interpreter for the Territory of Hawaii's First Circuit Court from 1906 to 1914. In 1900, he ran for the Hawaii Territorial House of Representatives representing

Maui The island of Maui (; Hawaiian: ) is the second-largest of the islands of the state of Hawaii at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2) and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is the largest of Maui County's four islands, which ...

as a candidate of the Home Rule Party, led by former royalist revolutionary Robert William Wilcox. While in the legislature, he served as Vice-Speaker in 1901 and 1902 was

Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hunger ...

from 1903 to 1904. He later joined the Hawaii Republican Party. In later life, he became an educator. He taught Hawaiian history and language at McKinley High School and served as the first professor of Hawaiian language at the University of Hawaii in 1922. He married Alice L. K. Heanu on October 2, 1902. They had nine children. Beckley died on December 20, 1943.

References

Bibliography

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Beckley, Frederick William Kahapula Jr. Native Hawaiian politicians Educators from Hawaii Historians of Hawaii Hawaii Republicans 1874 births 1943 deaths Kamehameha Schools alumni Territory of Hawaii officials Interpreters University of Hawaiʻi faculty Punahou School alumni Home Rule Party of Hawaii politicians Members of the Hawaii Territorial Legislature 20th-century American politicians Saint Louis School alumni