Punahou School (known as Oahu College until 1934) is a private,

co-educational Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to t ...

college preparatory school A college-preparatory school (usually shortened to preparatory school or prep school) is a type of secondary school. The term refers to public, private independent or parochial schools primarily designed to prepare students for higher education ...

Honolulu Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island ...

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

. More than 3,700 students attend the school from

kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cent ...

through

12th grade Twelfth grade, 12th grade, senior year, or grade 12 is the final year of secondary school in most of North America. In other regions, it may also be referred to as class 12 or Year 13. In most countries, students are usually between the ages of 17 ...

. Protestant missionaries established Punahou in 1841. In 2006, it was ranked the greenest school in America. In 2017, Punahou's sports program was ranked second nationally in the MaxPreps Cup standings. Punahou's student body is diverse, with student selection based on both academic and non-academic considerations.

History

In 1795, King

Kamehameha I Kamehameha I (; Kalani Paiea Wohi o Kaleikini Kealiikui Kamehameha o Iolani i Kaiwikapu kaui Ka Liholiho Kūnuiākea; – May 8 or 14, 1819), also known as Kamehameha the Great, was the conqueror and first ruler of the Kingdom of Hawaii. T ...

took the land known as ''Ka Punahou'' in battle. Along with Ka Punahou, he gave a total of of land (from the slope of Round Top to the current Central Union Church, which included a tract of

Kewalo Basin Kewalo Basin is a commercial boat harbor that serves as home to some of Honolulu's commercial fishing fleet, and charter and excursion vessels that serve the Hawaii tourist market. Pre-European contact, the area was historically used for human sac ...

) to chief Kameeiamoku as a reward for his loyalty. After Kameeiamoku died, the land passed to his son, Ulumāheihei Hoapili, who lived there for 20 more years. When Hoapili left to become governor of Maui, he gave the land to his daughter,

Kuini Liliha Kuini Liliha (–1839) was a High Chiefess (aliʻi) and noblewoman who served the Kingdom of Hawaii as royal governor of Oʻahu island. She administered the island from 1829 to 1831 following the death of her husband Boki. Early life She was ...

. Liliha and her husband, Oahu Governor Boki, gave Ka Punahou to Reverend Hiram Bingham, one of the first Protestant missionaries in Hawaii.

Queen Kaahumanu Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

was a strong supporter of the mission and built a house for herself near Bingham. A portion of the stone wall she had built to protect the compound from roaming

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult mal ...

has been preserved. Punahou School was originally a school for the children of missionaries serving throughout the

Pacific region The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

. It was the first school west of the

Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico in ...

and east of Asia with classes in English only. The first class was held on July 11, 1842, and had 15 students.

Daniel Dole Daniel Dole (September 9, 1808 – August 26, 1878) was a Protestant missionary educator from the United States to the Hawaiian Islands. Life Daniel Dole was born September 9, 1808, in Skowhegan, Maine. His father was Wigglesworth Dole (1779� ...

was Punahou's first principal. Punahou has educated members of the Hawaiian royal family, but is not to be confused with the Royal School. It was known as ''Oahu College'' from 1853 to 1934. During World War II, the

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers , colors = , anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day) , battles = , battles_label = Wars , website = , commander1 = ...

commandeered much of the Punahou campus. Castle Hall (the girls' dormitory when Punahou had boarding students) was used as a command center, buildings were connected with tunnels, athletic fields were used as parking lots, and the library was cleared to become sleeping quarters and an officer's mess. The cereus hedge on the campus lava rock wall was topped with barbed wire. Punahou students volunteered in hospitals and raised enough in war bonds to purchase two bombers and a fighter (among other airplanes), which were named after alumni who had fallen in service. In the 1970s, Punahou's upper field and gymnasium were used for the

Superstars A superstar is a widely acclaimed celebrity. Superstar or superstars may also refer to: People * Warhol superstars, the associates of Andy Warhol * WWE Superstar, a branding term referring to a WWE wrestler * Superstar Billy Graham (born 1943) ...

nationally televised athletic competitions. On August 7, 1972, the campus was added to the

National Register of Historic Places listings in Oahu __NOTOC__ This is a list of properties and districts on the Hawaiian island of Oahu that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Oahu is the only major island in Honolulu County. The location of the city of Honolulu, Oahu is the mo ...

Traditions

Punahou Preparatory School, Honolulu (1909 postcard)

Many traditional events take place on campus. On the first Friday and Saturday of each February, the junior class hosts the Punahou Carnival. Proceeds from the carnival contribute to the Financial Aid program. The event is an entertainment highlight each year in Honolulu. The

Holoku A Mother Hubbard dress is a long, wide, loose-fitting gown with long sleeves and a high neck. It is intended to cover as much skin as possible. It was devised in Victorian western societies to do housework in. It is mostly known today for its lat ...

Pageant is an annual celebration of the Hawaiian culture and arts. Students perform Hawaiian dances in traditional costumes, from the lovely

hula Hula () is a Hawaiian dance form accompanied by chant (oli) or song (Mele (Hawaiian language), mele). It was developed in the Hawaiian Islands by the Native Hawaiians who originally settled there. The hula dramatizes or portrays the words of t ...

to the intimidating ha'a. The annual Sustainability Fair began in 2007 and included on-campus conservation challenges and off-campus coastline preservation. On Rice Field, classes set up canopies to showcase sustainable undertakings and projects, often including local produce sales and informational handouts. To celebrate the school's

homecoming Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni or other former members of an organization to celebrate the organization's existence. It is a tradition in many high schools, colleges, and churches in the United States, Canada and Liberia. ...

, students, faculty, and teachers surround a 20-foot letter P, and ignite it at dusk. This event, the "Flaming P", is preceded by a spirit week, where students dress and parade creatively. Seniors write and perform a Variety Show. This play involves most of the class, over 300 students. Seniors also have

prom A promenade dance, commonly called a prom, is a dance party for high school students. It may be offered in semi-formal black tie or informal suit for boys, and evening gowns for girls. This event is typically held near the end of the school yea ...

at the

Sheraton Waikiki Hotel The Sheraton Waikiki Hotel is a resort hotel in Honolulu, Hawaii on Waikiki Beach. It was built in 1971 and is currently owned by Kyo-Ya Management Company, Ltd. and operated by Marriott International. The hotel was featured in The Brady Bunch s ...

, Skip Day at the Kikila Estate and Pounders Beach, and senior lunch. With each student attired in either a blue blazer or a formal white Hawaiian dress, senior year ends with

baccalaureate Baccalaureate may refer to: * ''Baccalauréat'', a French national academic qualification * Bachelor's degree, or baccalaureate, an undergraduate academic degree * English Baccalaureate, a performance measure to assess secondary schools in England ...

ceremonies at Central Union Church, and commencement at

Stan Sheriff Center The SimpliFi Arena at the Stan Sheriff Center is a 10,300-seat multi-purpose arena in Honolulu CDP,Luau on campus that the newly graduated class can enjoy with other alumni. The annual luau also functions as a major fundraising event for the school. Throughout most of the school's history, elementary schoolchildren have been allowed to attend in

bare feet Barefoot is the state of not wearing any footwear. There are health benefits and some risks associated with going barefoot. Shoes, while they offer protection, can limit the flexibility, strength, and mobility of the foot and can lead to h ...

Aloha shirt The aloha shirt (), also referred to as a Hawaiian shirt, is a style of dress shirt originating in Hawaii. They are collared and buttoned dress shirts, usually short-sleeved and made from printed fabric. They are traditionally worn untucked, but ...

s were once restricted to Fridays, but dress codes were relaxed considerably during the 1970s. G-Term is an effort for students to explore extracurricular opportunities over the week after students return from winter break. Students can choose from on- and off-island classes.

Location

All schools in

(public and private) have an urban residential location. Nearby buildings include apartment buildings, private houses, a retirement home, a Catholic school (

Maryknoll School Maryknoll School is a private, coeducational Catholic school serving children in kindergarten through twelfth grade in Honolulu, Hawaii. The school is located on the island of Oahu and is administered by the Diocese of Honolulu in association with ...

), several small churches, and two hospitals. Punahou shares the entrance to

Manoa Valley Mānoa (, ) is a valley and a residential neighborhood of Honolulu, Hawaii. The neighborhood is approximately three miles (5 km) east and inland from downtown Honolulu and less than a mile (1600 m) from Ala Moana and Waikiki at . Neighbo ...

with the

University of Hawaii A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...

main campus and a few other schools such as

Mid-Pacific Institute Mid-Pacific Institute is a private, co-educational college preparatory school for grades preschool through twelve with an approximate enrollment of 1,538 students, the majority of whom are from Hawaii (although many also come from other states and ...

. Punahou students are a few minutes away from the trail to

Manoa Falls Manoa Falls is a 150-foot waterfall along the Manoa Falls Trail in Honolulu, Hawaii. Swimming in the pool below the waterfall is highly discouraged because there is a threat of becoming infected with Leptospirosis, a disease causing mild to modera ...

, the beaches at

Ala Moana Ala Moana (meaning ''path to the sea'' in Hawaiian) is a commercial, retail, and residential district of Honolulu, Hawaii. It is located between Waikiki and Moiliili to the east, and Kakaako and Honolulu Harbor to the west. King Street, to th ...

and

Waikiki Waikiki (; haw, Waikīkī; ; also known as Waikiki Beach) is a neighborhood of Honolulu on the south shore of the island of Oahu in the U.S. state of Hawaii. Waikiki is most famous for Waikiki Beach, which is one of six beaches in the district ...

downtown Honolulu Downtown Honolulu is the current historic, economic, and governmental center of Honolulu, the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. It is bounded by Nuuanu Stream to the west, Ward Avenue to the east, Vineyard Boulevard to the nor ...

Lyon Arboretum The Harold L. Lyon Arboretum is a arboretum and botanical garden managed by the University of Hawaii at Manoa, University of Hawaii at Mānoa located at the upper end of Manoa, Mānoa Valley in Hawaii, Hawaii. Much of the Arboretum's botanical c ...

, and the

National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (informally known as Punchbowl Cemetery) is a national cemetery located at Punchbowl Crater in Honolulu, Hawaii. It serves as a memorial to honor those men and women who served in the United Stat ...

Punahou's location provides many opportunities for off-campus learning: field trip destinations for middle school students have included the

Bishop Museum The Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, designated the Hawaii State Museum of Natural and Cultural History, is a museum of history and science in the historic Kalihi district of Honolulu on the Hawaiian island of Oʻahu. Founded in 1889, it is the lar ...

Waikiki Aquarium Waikiki (; haw, Waikīkī; ; also known as Waikiki Beach) is a neighborhood of Honolulu on the south shore of the island of Oahu in the U.S. state of Hawaii. Waikiki is most famous for Waikiki Beach, which is one of six beaches in the district ...

Waikiki Shell The Tom Moffatt Waikiki Shell is a venue for outdoor concerts and other large gatherings in the Waikiki area of Honolulu, Hawaii. Built in 1956, the Tom Moffatt Waikiki Shell seats 2,400 persons and the lawn area has capacity for an additional 6,0 ...

Waikiki Natatorium War Memorial The Waikiki Natatorium War Memorial is a war memorial in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, built in the form of an ocean water public swimming pool. The natatorium was built as living memorial dedicated to "the men and women who served during the great war"A ...

Kawaiahaʻo Church Kawaiahaʻo Church is a historic Congregational church located in Downtown Honolulu on the Hawaiian Island of Oʻahu. The church, along with the Mission Houses, comprise the Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site, which was designated a U.S. Natio ...

Sea Life Park Sea Life Park Hawaii is a marine mammal park, bird sanctuary and aquarium in Waimānalo near Makapuʻu Point, north of Hanauma Bay on the island of Oahu in Hawaii, United States. The park first opened in 1964, and includes exhibits that let visit ...

USS Arizona Memorial The USS ''Arizona'' Memorial, at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii, marks the resting place of 1,102 of the 1,177 sailors and Marines killed on during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and commemorates the events of that day. The ...

Valley of the Temples Memorial Park Valley of the Temples Memorial Park is a memorial park located on the windward (eastern) side of the Hawaiian island of Oahu at the foot of the Koolau mountains, near the town of Kāneohe. Thousands of Buddhist, Shinto, Protestant and Cathol ...

Fort Ruger Fort Ruger is a fort on the island of Oahu that served as the first military reservation in the Territory of Hawaii. Named after Civil War General Thomas H. Ruger and built in and around Diamond Head Crater, the fort was established by the Unite ...

at Diamond Head,

Hanauma Bay Hanauma (; ) is a marine embayment formed within a tuff ring and located along the southeast coast of the Island of Oahu in the Hawaii Kai neighborhood of East Honolulu, in the Hawaiian Islands. Hanauma is one of the most popular tourist destina ...

Honolulu Museum of Art The Honolulu Museum of Art (formerly the Honolulu Academy of Arts) is an art museum in Honolulu, Hawaii. The museum is the largest of its kind in the state, and was founded in 1922 by Anna Rice Cooke. The museum has one of the largest single col ...

Honolulu Zoo The Honolulu Zoo is a zoo in Queen Kapiʻolani Park in Honolulu, Hawaii. It is the only zoo in the United States to be established by grants made by a sovereign monarch and is built on part of the royal Queen Kapiʻolani Park. The Honolulu Z ...

Iolani Palace Iolani is a masculine Hawaiian name meaning "royal ''hawk''." It comes from the Hawaiian words ''ʻio'', meaning "Hawaiian hawk," and ''lani'', meaning "royal." It may refer to: *ʻIolani School, a private school located in Hawaii *ʻIolani Palac ...

Hawaii State Capitol The Hawaii State Capitol is the official statehouse or capitol building of the U.S. state of Hawaii. From its chambers, the executive and legislative branches perform the duties involved in governing the state. The Hawaii State Legislature—com ...

, and the beaches on Oahu's North Shore. Clubs and classes often organize trips to neighboring islands, especially to

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...

and the

Kohala Coast The districts of the Big Island. From Northernmost, clockwise; North Kohala (highlighted), Hilo,_ Hilo,_South_Hilo,_Hawaii">Hilo,_Puna,_Hawaii">Puna,_ Hilo,_South_Hilo,_Hawaii">Hilo,_Puna,_Hawaii">Puna,_Kau,_Hawaii">Kaū,_South_ Hilo,_South_Hilo ...

on the Big Island.

The school in recent years

Tuition was $26,000 for the 2019–20 school year, not including student activity fees. Locals have long regarded Punahou as an expensive school, but its tuition is less than that of Harvard Westlake School or

Sidwell Friends School Sidwell Friends School is a Quaker school located in Bethesda, Maryland and Washington, D.C., offering pre-kindergarten through high school classes. Founded in 1883 by Thomas W. Sidwell, its motto is ' ( en, Let the light shine out from all), al ...

, which charge over $35,000. Tuition does not cover the entire cost of educating a student, and the school's endowment makes up the difference. Punahou reported its endowment at $239 million in 2014. The land's raw value is considerable for a private school: land values in lower Manoa Valley routinely exceed $1 million per .3 acre, making Punahou's 76 acres worth as much as its endowment. Although these figures are high among mainland U.S. private schools, Honolulu's

Iolani School Iolani is a masculine Hawaiian name meaning "royal '' hawk''." It comes from the Hawaiian words ''ʻio'', meaning "Hawaiian hawk," and ''lani'', meaning "royal." It may refer to: *ʻIolani School, a private school located in Hawaii *ʻIolani Pala ...

has a comparable endowment (twice the endowment per pupil), and

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 ...

has a $5 to $9 billion endowment (30 times the endowment per pupil) with a larger physical plant.

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 ...

has

Seabury Hall Seabury Hall is a private college preparatory school in Makawao (on the island of Maui). It is affiliated with the Episcopal Church. It was founded in 1964 and serves middle and high school students. Seabury Hall has been designated as a U.S. Dep ...

, which has twice the endowment per pupil. In the class of 2015, three graduates went to Harvard, three to Princeton, and two to Yale, with 22 total at Ivy League schools. Seven attended Swarthmore, Wellesley, Amherst, Tufts, or Vassar. Four attended Stanford, two Berkeley, four MIT, 16 Boston University, and 12 New York University, with 23 total at UAA schools. Students in that class also chose TCU, UND, Vanderbilt, Villanova, RPI, RIT, Michigan, Northeastern, Boston College, Olin Engineering, Norwich Military College, NYU/Shanghai, Erasmus/Rotterdam, Yonsei/S. Korea, Waseda/Japan, and Edinburgh/UK. Six decided to train at a US military academy. Schools throughout California, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and Nevada are also popular among graduates, and many students choose to attend local schools like the

and Chaminade. The class of 2012 had 30 of Hawaii's 70

National Merit Semifinalists The National Merit Scholarship Program is a United States academic scholarship competition for recognition and university scholarships administered by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC), a privately funded, not-for-profit organizati ...

. The class of 2013 had 20 semifinalists, and five of the state's ten

National Merit Scholars The National Merit Scholarship Program is a United States academic scholarship competition for recognition and university scholarships administered by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC), a privately funded, not-for-profit organizati ...

. Punahou's 33

Presidential Scholars The United States Presidential Scholars Program is a program of the United States Department of Education. It is described as "one of the Nation's highest honors for students" in the United States, United States of America and the globe. The pr ...

were graduates of the classes of '64, '66, '70, '71, '75, '78 (two), '79, '82, '84 (two members), '85, '86 (two), '91, '92 (two), '93, '95, '96, '98, '01, '02, '04 (three), '05, '06, '08, '11, '16 (two), '17, and '21. In 2006, it was ranked the greenest school in America. In 2017, Punahou's sports program was ranked second nationally in the MaxPreps Cup standings. Punahou's student body is diverse, with student selection based on both academic and non-academic considerations. The school is a founding member of the

Mastery Transcript Consortium The Mastery Transcript Consortium (MTC) is an international group of private and public secondary schools working to create a new type of Transcript (education), secondary school transcript, referred to as a " Mastery Transcript." Elements of th ...

, and uses a

competency-based learning Competency-based learning or competency-based education is a framework for teaching and assessment of learning. It is also described as a type of education based on predetermined "competencies," which focuses on outcomes and real-world performance ...

framework in some courses. A recent study of the class of 1979 showed that 15 had a PhD, 22 had an MD, 39 had a JD, 18 had the MBA, 10 had the DDS, DMD, DVM, or ND (about one quarter of the class reaching terminal degrees). 4 were officers in the US armed services. 12 had degrees from Harvard, Yale, or Princeton, 14 from Stanford, 17 from UC Berkeley, and 26 total from Ivy League schools.

Facilities

About 5,000 faculty, students, and staff work in 44 buildings on 76 acres. The Robert Thurston Memorial Chapel on campus was building designed and built in 1966 by architect

Vladimir Ossipoff Vladimir ‘Val’ Nicholas Ossipoff (russian: Владимир Николаевич Осипов; November 25, 1907 – October 1, 1998) was an American architect best known for his works in the state of Hawai'i. Biography Early life and s ...

and feature textile screens made by local artist Ruthadell Anderson. The school is built over a

natural spring A spring is a point of exit at which groundwater from an aquifer flows out on top of Earth's crust (pedosphere) and becomes surface water. It is a component of the hydrosphere. Springs have long been important for humans as a source of fresh w ...

, the Thurston Chapel wall meets at a pond formed by the spring and features a low hung

stained glass Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...

Case Middle School

Before plans were made for a new middle school complex,

America Online AOL (stylized as Aol., formerly a company known as AOL Inc. and originally known as America Online) is an American web portal and online service provider based in New York City. It is a brand marketed by the current incarnation of Yahoo! Inc. ...

founder and alumnus

Steve Case Stephen McConnell Case (born August 21, 1958) is an American businessman, investor, and philanthropist best known as the former chief executive officer and chairman of America Online (AOL). Case joined AOL's predecessor company, Quantum Computer ...

('76) donated $10 million. This led to construction of a new middle school for grades six through eight, Case Middle School, named for Case's parents. The project earned a

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a green building certification program used worldwide. Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), it includes a set of rating systems for the design, construction ...

Gold certification and a Project of the Year award in

Hawaiian Electric Company Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc. (HEI; ) is the largest supplier of electricity in the state of Hawaii, supplying power to 95% of Hawaii's population through its electric utilities: Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc., Hawai'i Electric Light Comp ...

's Energy Efficiency Awards. Sensors shut off air conditioners if windows are opened to let in the breeze; the buildings are designed to make full use of the

tradewinds The trade winds or easterlies are the permanent east-to-west prevailing winds that flow in the Earth's equatorial region. The trade winds blow mainly from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and from the southeast in the Southern Hemisph ...

, with the help of the

Venturi effect The Venturi effect is the reduction in fluid pressure that results when a fluid flows through a constricted section (or choke) of a pipe. The Venturi effect is named after its discoverer, the 18th century Italian physicist, Giovanni Battista V ...

. There are also sensors in place that turn the lights on or off depending on whether motion is detected, and dim the lights on sunny days and brighten them on cloudy ones. Air conditioning is provided by three ice-making plants, one for each grade level's section. The units freeze and accumulate ice at night when electricity is cheaper, and allow the ice to melt during the day to cool the air. Case Middle School consists of nine buildings with a total cost of roughly $50 million, made possible solely through donations.

Omidyar K-1 Neighborhood

In late 2010 a new five-building indoor/outdoor section of campus opened for Punahou's youngest students. It was constructed and operated with sustainable living as a principal goal, and the curriculum has a focus on sustainability. With solar energy, efficient landscaping, rain catchment and ecofriendly materials, the complex received a platinum rating from the U.S. Green Building Council. Teachers are encouraged to personalize their classroom spaces, and each of the 12 rooms has its own outdoor area that is one-third the size of the interior space to which it is attached. The total cost was $26 million. Individual buildings are named the Mountain House, Forest House, and City House, and historic Wilcox Hall retains its traditional name. Board of Trustees member and

eBay eBay Inc. ( ) is an American multinational e-commerce company based in San Jose, California, that facilitates consumer-to-consumer and business-to-consumer sales through its website. eBay was founded by Pierre Omidyar in 1995 and became a ...

founder

Pierre Omidyar Pierre Morad Omidyar (born Parviz Morad Omidyar, June 21, 1967) is a French-born Iranian-American billionaire. A technology entrepreneur, software engineer, and philanthropist, he is the founder of eBay, where he served as chairman from 199 ...

('84) donated $6 million to the project. Punahou School Round Top 2

Athletics

Punahou's athletics program is the most successful in Hawaii. It has won more state championships than any other high school in the nation. In 2008 and in 2009, ''Sports Illustrated'' ranked Punahou's sports program the best in the country. Punahou football plays the second half of its season at the

Aloha Stadium Aloha Stadium is a closed multi-purpose stadium located in Halawa, Hawaii, a western suburb of Honolulu (though with a Honolulu address). It is the largest stadium in the state of Hawaii. , the stadium ceased fan-attended operations indefinitely ...

(where the

Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...

and

Aloha Bowl The Aloha Bowl was a National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Bowl Subdivision (then known as Division I-A) college football bowl game played in Honolulu, Hawaii at Aloha Stadium. History The Aloha Bowl was established in 1982 by Mackay ...

were played). In fall 2014, the varsity football team ranked as high as 15th in the nation. Athletic facilities include the Olympic-size Waterhouse Pool, a football field, a baseball diamond, two softball diamonds, and an eight-lane track. The school also has a fieldhouse for competitive athletics, an open-air weightlifting facility, a gymnasium for physical education and intramural sports, and a tennis center with eight hard surface courts. Rocky Hill has been used as a live firing range for

JROTC The Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC -- commonly pronounced "JAY-rotsee") is a federal program sponsored by the United States Armed Forces in high schools and also in some middle schools across the United States and at US military ...

and competitive target sports. Air riflery uses an indoor firing range. Students need two athletic credits to graduate, which is a total of four semesters. They can earn these credits through P.E. and ILH sports. Students compete in 22 sports, including

air riflery An air gun or airgun is a gun that fires projectiles pneumatically with compressed air or other gases that are mechanically pressurized ''without'' involving any chemical reactions, in contrast to a firearm, which pressurizes gases ''chemical ...

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

bowling Bowling is a target sport and recreational activity in which a player rolls a ball toward pins (in pin bowling) or another target (in target bowling). The term ''bowling'' usually refers to pin bowling (most commonly ten-pin bowling), though ...

, canoe paddling, cross country,

cheerleading Cheerleading is an activity in which the participants (called cheerleaders) cheer for their team as a form of encouragement. It can range from chanting slogans to intense physical activity. It can be performed to motivate sports teams, to ente ...

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping wi ...

gymnastics Gymnastics is a type of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, dedication and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, shou ...

judo is an unarmed gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponi ...

kayaking Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving over water. It is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle. A kayak is a low-to-the-water, canoe-like boat in which the paddler sits fac ...

riflery Shooting sports is a group of competitive and recreational sporting activities involving proficiency tests of accuracy, precision and speed in shooting — the art of using ranged weapons, mainly small arms ( firearms and airguns, in forms suc ...

sailing Sailing employs the wind—acting on sails, wingsails or kites—to propel a craft on the surface of the ''water'' (sailing ship, sailboat, raft, windsurfer, or kitesurfer), on ''ice'' (iceboat) or on ''land'' (land yacht) over a chosen cour ...

, soccer, softball, swimming (sport), swimming and Diving (sport), diving, tennis, track and field, volleyball, water polo, and scholastic wrestling, wrestling. Punahou has approximately 120 sports teams. The school is a member of the Interscholastic League of Honolulu. Punahou teams earned 20 championships in 2009–10, out of about 30 varsity I teams fielded.

State championships

Other programs and honors

Punahou requires all students (K-12) to attend chapel once a week, where each homeroom is assigned its own seating and attendance is taken. In addition, students attend a mandatory weekly assembly to listen to announcements or watch student performances. Academy students have required coursework in History of Asia, Asian History, followed by History of the United States, US History and History of Europe, European History. Punahou also offers French, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Latin, and Hawaiian as languages starting in middle school. Students have access to a jewelry studio, a pottery studio, glass-blowing facilities, technology departments, a dance pavilion, and a dedicated music building. The campus has spaces for school-wide initiatives, e.g., for public service and international studies. The high school yearbook, ''The Oahuan'', has won awards from the American Scholastic Press Association. ''Na Opio'' is the yearbook for K-8. ''Ka Wai Ola'' is the school's long-running student literary publication. ''Ka Punahou'' is the student newspaper, and ''Punahou Bulletin'' is the alumni magazine. Punahou has a strong history of academic competition with its math, debate, and academic bowl teams, and at times has had organizations for computing, chess, and gaming. Punahou's

program was once known for its award-winning close order drill team with multi-person aerials using M1 Garand rifles. Enrichment activities have included cultural clubs, dance and theater, funding and service committees, outdoor, environmental, and hiking clubs, pep clubs, and clubs based on sports such as martial arts and synchronized swimming. There are men's, women's and mixed choruses, a concert orchestra, and various band groups. ''Hui Le'a Nani'' ("heavenly singers") is the elite choral group. Academy Clubs include (*=probationary): Academic Team,* Anime & Manga, Asante Ambassadors,* Astronomy Club, Book Club, Chess Club, Chinese Club, Civil Engineering Club,* Club Hospital Helpers,* Cycling Club, Design Thinking,* Easter Seals Club, Environmental Surf Club, European Culture Club,* Fellowship for Christian Athletes, Filipino Club, Film Club, Film Makers Club,* Free Movement Club,* Friends Granting Wishes,* Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA), Glass Club, Global Grindz Club,* Go Club, Hale Hawaii, Happy Club,* Hawaii Humane Society Club,* Hinano Hiking Club, Historical Film Club,* Hui O Aloha, IMAGEnation,* Impact and Inspire Club,* INK, Japanese Okinawan Club, Key Club, Korean Club, Lacrosse Club, Lemon Club,* Let's Do Stuff While Making Friends and Getting Exercise (LDSWMFGE), Math Team, Medical Science Club, Military History Club, Mock Trial, Mud Club, Music Club, Nature Nuts,* Neuro Club,* Nihonjin Club, Operation Smile,* Pa'i'ai Club, Pilates,* Polynesian Club, Punahou App Development Club,* Punahou Bible Study, Punahou Interact Club, Punahou Young Life Club, Punavision, Ranger Club, Robotics, Russian Club, Screen Printing Club,* Service-Learning Club, Social E,* Speech & Debate Team, Spoken Word and Poetry Club, Tea Society, TEDx, and Ultimate Frisbee Club. The Punahou marching band travels periodically, and participated in the Second inauguration of Barack Obama, 2013 Presidential Inauguration, the 2012 New Year's Day Parade, London New Year's Day Parade, the First inauguration of Barack Obama, 2009 Presidential Inauguration, the 2007 New Year's Day Tournament of Roses Parade, Rose Parade, and the 2015 Rose Parade. In 2013, 54 members of the school symphony played four concerts in China. 115801 Punahou is a minor planet named in the school's honor.

Sexual assault allegations and litigation

In April 2020, several former Punahou girls' basketball players filed a lawsuit over alleged abuse committed by their former coach Dwayne Yuen. Days later, the school disclosed additional sexual assault allegations dating back to the 1970s involving a former faculty member and baseball coach. In January 2021, the school Termination of employment, terminated the employment of a high school teacher based on allegations of sexual misconduct involving a former student. The teacher had been suspended from teaching and banned from campus since late November 2020 pending an internal investigation, which he did not cooperate with. The investigation found that the allegations were credible.

Notable students and faculty

(Numerical claims are substantiated in the main article on alumni. * indicates the class year of an attendee who did not graduate with the class.)

In public leadership

Punahou has produced many leaders in the government of

. Barack Obama ('79) was the 44th President of the United States. He attended Punahou from 5th grade until graduation. Sanford Dole (1864) was President of the brief Republic of Hawaii, then Governor of Hawaii. Walter Frear (1881) and Lawrence M. Judd (1905) were also Governors. Democratic Lt. Governor Brian Schatz ('90) was appointed U.S. Senator to complete Daniel Inouye's final term. Republican U.S. Senator Connecticut Hiram Bingham III (1892) was also elected governor of Connecticut. Otis Pike ('39*), Democratic Congressman from New York, chaired the Pike Committee investigating Richard Nixon. Republican Charles Djou ('88) recently finished Neil Abercrombie's term as Congressman from Hawaii. At least three other Punahou graduates have represented Hawaii in the U.S. House. President Dwight Eisenhower appointed Judge Elbert Tuttle (1914) to lead the federal court that desegregated the South (the Fifth Circuit Four). United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, HEW Secretary John W. Gardner ('29*) was President Lyndon Johnson's architect of the Great Society. Tuttle and Gardner were awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Sun Yat-Sen, the Founding Father of the Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic of China (esteemed by Taiwan as well as pre- and post-communist mainland China), attended Punahou (''Oahu College'') for a semester of study after graduating from

, billionaire founder of ebay, and of The Intercept and other public-affaires sites. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Omidyar Omidyar attended Punahou School in Honolulu for a couple of years. (He now serves on its Board of Trustees).[11] H Punahou School Front Gate

In athletics

Alexander Cartwright III (1869) and his classmates were some of the earliest players of baseball (Alexander Cartwright, Jr., the official inventor of the game, spent the end of his life in Honolulu). The school claims at least one former pitcher and a former first baseman in major league baseball, and nine minor-leaguers. All-American Glenn Goya ('73) was an NCAA batting title winner. Justin Wayne played Major League Baseball. Five-time women's golf LPGA event winner Michelle Wie graduated in 2007. Professional Golfers' Association of America, Professional Golfers Association event winner Parker McLachlin graduated in 1997. Five-time Association of Tennis Professionals doubles winner Jim Osborne (tennis), Jim Osborne graduated in 1965. At least three alumni have been surfing world champions, including the five-time women's world tour winner Carissa Moore ('10). DeForest Buckner ('12) was a 2016 first-round draft pick by the San Francisco 49ers and Pro-Bowl selection; his classmate Ka'imi Fairbairn ('12) is the Houston Texans' placekicker. Linebacker Manti Te'o ('09) was a 2012 Heisman Trophy finalist. Punahou has also produced seven National Football League, NFL linemen and four running backs, including Mark Tuinei ('78), who played 195 games over 15 years (team record) for the Dallas Cowboys, winning three Super Bowls and playing in two

s. Ray Schoenke ('59*) played 145 games for the Cowboys and Redskins over twelve years. Charley Ane ('49) was a

er and twice-NFL championships, NFL champion team captain, whose son, Charlie Ane, Kale Ane ('71), is the current Punahou football coach, after a career in the NFL. The elder Ane's brothers, Herman Clark ('48) and Jim Clark ('48), also played professionally. The four combined for a total of 260 NFL games over 20 seasons for the Packers, Chiefs, Lions, Redskins, and Bears. Pro Bowler and Super Bowler Mosi Tatupu ('74) played 199 games and redefined the importance of special teams. Punahou's high school All-Americans have played football for Stanford, Michigan State (twice), Santa Clara, and Notre Dame (twice); All-American college football players have played at Harvard (twice), Navy, Stanford, Northwestern, Notre Dame, and Oregon. Punahou has a tradition of sending athletes to the Olympic Games, with alumni contributing five gold, seven silver, and two bronze medals, competing in many of the modern games ('20, '24, '28, '32, '52, '68, '72, '76, '84, '88, '92, '96, '00, '04, '08, '12, '16, '21), and on every U.S. team since 1968 (Moscow '80 would have been the second of four Olympics for Henry Marsh (athlete), Henry Marsh ('72) if not for the 1980 Summer Olympics boycott, U.S. boycott). Warren Kealoha ('25*) was the youngest gold medalist in swimming when he won the first of two gold medals. Taylor Crabb and Carissa Moore competed in 2021, with Moore winning gold in the first Olympic surfing competition. Punahou teachers and trustees have also won medals at the Olympic Games (see Punahou School alumni).

In academia

John W. Gardner taught at Stanford and Hiram Bingham III at Harvard, Princeton University, Princeton and Yale. Barack Obama lectured on Constitutional Law at the University of Chicago. Punahou alumni include endowed professors at UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Stanford, UCLA, Duke University, Duke, University of Illinois, Illinois, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Purdue, and Boston University, and research professors of medicine at UCSF, UCLA, UCSD, University of Southern California, USC, Stanford, Harvard, Columbia University, Columbia, Duke University, Duke, University of Indiana, Indiana, University of Texas, Texas, University of Maryland, Maryland, University of Pittsburgh, Pitt, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Walter Reed, and Baylor College of Medicine, Baylor. John Lie (professor), John Lie ('78) wrote six books on Asian cultures, Patrick Vinton Kirch ('68) wrote nine books on Polynesian cultures, and Fred Hoxie ('65) wrote 20 books on Native American peoples. Jesuit Father Robert Spitzer, SJ, Robert Spitzer, SJ ('70) was the president of Gonzaga University. General George Forsythe ('66*), formerly the academic vice dean at West Point, is the president of Westminster College (Missouri). Marie Mookini ('74) was an admissions officer for Stanford University and then for programs at Stanford's Stanford Graduate School of Business, Graduate School of Business for over two decades in total. William Richards Castle, Jr. (1896) was a Harvard Overseer
Elizabeth Bennett Johns
('55) has been a Guggenheim Fellow. Mount Rex is named for atmospheric science pioneer Lt. Cdr. Dan Rex ('33*). William Ouchi ('61) wrote a book on Japanese business that is one of the top-100 most widely held books in U.S. libraries. Other prominent works by alumni (over 1000 citations for a single work, at scholar.google.com) are on leadership (Gardner '29*), plasma deformation (Killeen '42*), stability of silicates (Holdaway '54*), bird evolution (Steadman, '54), neuralgia vaccine (Gershon '56), coronary disease (3x, Labarthe '57), communicative acts (2x, Harnish '59*), dynamic choice (3x, Porteus '60), markets and bureaucracies (5x, Ouchi '61), floating point computation (Walther, '62), heart physiology (3x, Lederer '65), assay methods (Bennett, '66), marital conflict (4x, Cummings '68), gender equality (Roos '68), immunology (Umetsu '69), intraoperative melanoma (Wong '71), equal employment law (Krieger '72), bacteria viability (Oliver, '73), AIDS vaccination (2x, Michael '75), autophagy assays (Terada '75), virus expression (3x, R. Chung '78), stem cells (2x, Mankani '79), immunotherapy (Yuen '79), tumor pathogenesis (2x, D. Chung '80), legal construction of race (Haney-Lopez '82), nation building (Latham '86), and criminal records (Devah Pager, Pager '89). Samuel C. Armstrong (1859) and Elbert Tuttle were awarded Honorary Degrees from Harvard. Armstrong founded a normal school (which later became Hampton University) to educate African-Americans and later Native Americans. He was also the founder of the Hampton University Museum, the country's oldest African-American museum and Virginia's oldest museum. Punahou has a connection to Mills College through Punahou's former president, Cyrus Mills, who helped found Mills with his wife, Punahou teacher Susan Tolman Mills. Queenie B. Mills was a Kindergarten director who helped design the Head Start Program, Head Start program.

In the arts

IMDb.com lists over 100 credits for Carrie Ann Inaba ('86) (''In Living Color'', ''Austin Powers in Goldmember'', ''Dancing with the Stars'') and 150 for Kelly Preston ('80) (''Jerry Maguire'', ''For Love of the Game (film), For Love of the Game'', ''Only You (1992 film), Only You'', ''Twins (1988 film), Twins''). Sarah Wayne Callies ('95), has starred in ''Prison Break'', ''Colony'', and ''The Walking Dead (TV series), The Walking Dead''. Al Harrington (actor), Al Harrington ('54) starred in the original ''Hawaii Five-O (1968 TV series), Hawaii Five-O'' and plays a recurring character in the revived series. Joan Blondell ('25*) has a Hollywood Walk of Fame star after 52 years in films and was a nominee for best supporting actress in 1951. Buster Crabbe ('27), who had won a gold medal in the 1932 Olympics, portrayed Tarzan, Flash Gordon, and Buck Rogers in film. Gerry Lopez ('66) is well known for surfing, but is also known as Subotai in ''Conan the Barbarian (1982 film), Conan the Barbarian''. Teri Ann Linn ('79) provided the beauty in ''The Bold and the Beautiful'' for over eight years. Scott Coffey ('81) appeared in ''Ferris Bueller's Day Off'' and was in two films with Naomi Watts (''Tank Girl (film), Tank Girl'', ''Mulholland Drive (film), Mulholland Drive'') before writing and directing her indie bio pic, ''Ellie Parker''. Amanda Schull ('96) had the lead role as an aspiring ballerina in ''Center Stage (2000 film), Center Stage'' and featured in Suits (American TV series), ''Suits''''. Three alumni danced for the early Martha Graham. Leilani Jones (actress), Leilani Jones ('75) won a Tony Award on Broadway and was on the original casts of ''Grind (musical), Grind'' and ''Little Shop of Horrors (musical), Little Shop of Horrors''. Ann Harada ('81) starred on Broadway in ''Avenue Q'' and ''Cinderella (2013 Broadway production), Cinderella'', and on TV in ''Smash (TV series), Smash''. Drew Matich '(82) has produced TV shows such as ''Fairly Legal'', ''In Plain Sight'', ''Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles'', ''Beautiful People (US TV series), Beautiful People'', ''Joan of Arcadia'', and ''Dawson's Creek''. Rod Lurie ('80) has directed and produced a dozen films (''Straw Dogs (2011 film), Straw Dogs'', ''The Contender (2000 film), The Contender'') and two major TV series (''Line of Fire (2003 TV series), Line of Fire'', ''Commander in Chief (TV series), Commander in Chief''). Kevin McCollum ('80*) directs a Broadway production company that claims 18 Tony Award-winning plays, and a Pulitzer Prize for Drama, three awarded personally (''In the Heights'', ''Avenue Q'', ''Rent (musical), Rent''). Allan Burns ('53) was a 6-time Emmy Award-winning writer and creator, known for such shows as ''The Munsters'', ''Get Smart'', ''Mary Tyler Moore Show'', and ''Rocky and Bullwinkle''. Ken Peterson ('26) animated ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film), Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'', ''One Hundred and One Dalmatians'', and ''Sleeping Beauty (1959 film), Sleeping Beauty''. John Kneubuhl ('38), a Samoan royal, was a writer on ''Wild, Wild, West'', ''Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek'', ''Hawaii Five-O (1968 TV series), Hawaii Five-O'', ''Gunsmoke'', ''Mannix'', and 40 other shows. Bruce Broughton ('62) is a film composer (''Silverado (film), Silverado'', ''Tombstone (film), Tombstone'', ''The Rescuers Down Under'') and a 10-time Emmy-winner for TV themes (''JAG (TV series), JAG'', ''Tiny Toon Adventures''). Iris Yamashita ('83*) was nominated for best original screenplay with ''Letters from Iwo Jima''. Scott Moore (screenwriter), Scott Moore ('85) co-wrote ''The Hangover'', for which he received a BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay, BAFTA Best Original Screenplay nomination, and ''Bad Moms'', which he also co-directed. Kaui Hart Hemmings ('94) was author of ''The Descendants''. The Kingston Trio had two Punahou alumni as founders, Dave Guard ('52*) and Bob Shane ('52), producing five #1 albums on Billboard Magazine, Billboard's charts, ten top-40 hits, and a #1 Grammy-winning single. The group won a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Robin Luke ('59) was a Rockabilly Hall of Fame act. Hawaiian slack-key guitar is represented by the popular music of Henry Kapono Kaaihue ('67) of Cecilio & Kapono. Melody., Melody Ishikawa ('00) had three top-ten albums in Japan, Tané McClure ('77*) did much of the The Terminator, Terminator soundtrack, and Teri Ann Linn's ('79) debut CD went gold on the European charts.

In the military

General Samuel C. Armstrong led a rifle company that repelled parts of Pickett's Charge at the Battle of Gettysburg, and led U.S. Colored Troops. Captain Francis Wai ('35) was awarded a posthumous Medal of Honor, Killed in Action in the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Admiral Thomas G. W. Settle ('14*) received the Navy Cross in World War II. General Donald Prentice Booth ('22*) received the Distinguished Service Medal (U.S. Army) in World War II and the Cold War. General Battle of the Notch, Ned Moore ('24) received the Distinguished Service Cross (United States) in the Korean War. General Sidney Wooten ('24*) received the DSC in World War II and, with classmates Ned Moore and General Walter K. Wilson, Jr. ('24), the DSM during the Cold War. General Philip Lindeman ('26) received the DSC in World War II and DSM in the Vietnam War. General Tom Stayton ('26) received the DSM posthumously in Vietnam. General Walter Jensen ('27) earned the DSM during the Vietnam War. Admiral Gordon Chung-Hoon ('29*) received the Navy Cross in World War II. General Patton 360°, Kelley Lemmon Jr. ('31*) and General Stanley Larsen ('33) received the DSC in World War II and DSM in Vietnam. Admiral Chester Nimitz, Jr. ('32*) received the Navy Cross in World War II. William Robertson Desobry ('36) received the DSM in Vietnam, and General Ross T. Dwyer ('37) received the DSM (Navy) in Peacetime. General 2nd Armored Division (United States), George Cantlay ('38) received the DSM in Vietnam and a Peacetime DSM (Defense). General George Patton IV ('42*) received the DSC in the Vietnam War and a Peacetime DSM. Admiral Kleber Masterson, Jr. ('50*) received a DSM (Navy) in Vietnam. Many of the students were children of high level commanders stationed in the Pacific, such as Chester Nimitz Jr., Chester Nimitz, Jr. and George Patton IV. Admiral Grant Sharp '(56) and Admiral Stephen Clarey ('58) had fathers who would become Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet. General Stephen Fuqua, Jr.'s ('28*) father was Chief of Infantry and Colonel Wallace Greene III's ('50) father was Commandant of the Marine Corps. The school can claim at least fifteen Brigadier Generals, eleven Major Generals, six Lieutenant Generals, thirteen Rear Admirals, and three Vice Admirals. Stanley Larsen was the first commander of the I Field Force, Vietnam, Field Force, Vietnam and commander of the Sixth United States Army. Ross Dwyer was commander of the 1st Marine Division (United States), 1st Marine Division and George Cantlay was commander of the 2nd Armored Division (United States), 2nd Armored Division. Donald Booth was commander of the Fourth United States Army. Kleber Masterson, Jr. commanded the United States Second Fleet. Admiral Thomas H. Copeman III ('77) was Commander, Naval Surface Forces Pacific and Commander, Naval Surface Forces Atlantic. Colone
Farrant Turner
('13), Major Alex McKenzie ('29), and Major John Johnson ('31) commanded the Nisei 100th Infantry Battalion, a.k.a. the "Purple Heart Battalion." Johnson was Killed in Action at the Battle of Monte Cassino. The destroyer is named after Punahou football star, Gordon Chung-Hoon, who was assigned to the . Lt. Michael T. McCormick (1964) was shot down in Vietnam War in 1973, recovered in 2002, and now rests in Arlington National Cemetery. West Point graduates Generals Rufus Anderson Lyman, Albert Lyman (1906*) and Rufus Anderson Lyman, Charles Lyman (1908) were the first ethnic Hawaiians to attain that rank. General C. B. Stewart ('30) was a Ph.D. in nuclear physics and General Frances Mossman ('50) has her J.D. Admiral Alma Lau (Grocki) ('77) was a member of the 2nd United States Naval Academy, Naval Academy class to admit women. Many Punahou teachers in its history have been military reservists or ex-military. Former computer and math teacher Henry Wells Lawrence was one of the first pilots to respond to the Attack on Pearl Harbor.

Others

Agnes Baldwin Alexander (1895) was an author and Hands of the Cause, Hand of the Cause in the Baháʼí Faith. In 2007, Cox Enterprises passed to two former Punahou students who are highly philanthropic like their mother Barbara Cox Anthony, who ''twice'' married Punahou alumni; daughter, Blair Kennedy ('68*), a former schoolteacher, is now the second wealthiest woman in Australia; son James C. Kennedy ('65*) was Atlanta's philanthropist of the year 2007, and 61st on the Forbes 400 list 2012. Charles Gates, Jr. ('39) has donated $147 million through his Gates Family Foundation (Gates last appeared on the Forbes 400 list in 2006). As mentioned above, the philanthropic founders of AOL and

were Punahou students, with both still listed on the 2012 Forbes 400. USA Today reported that

's ('84*) total charitable contributions exceeded $1 billion. Charles L. Veach ('62) was an astronaut on two shuttle missions. Nancy Cordes ('91) is a senior CBS News White House correspondent and anchor. Emily Chang (journalist), Emily Chang ('98) is the anchor and executive producer of Bloomberg news shows. Punahou students were crowned Miss Hawaii or Miss Hawaii USA in 1977, 1981, 1997, 1999, and 2004 (with Judi Anderson ('76) becoming Miss USA and Brook Mahealani Lee ('89*) becoming Miss Universe). Punahou students appear across the political spectrum, from Ronald Reagan's "favorite economist" and former Enron board member Wendy Lee Gramm ('62); Ryan Henry ('68) and Robert Silberman ('75), Deputy Under Secretary of Defense and Assistant Secretary of the Army, respectively, for George H. W. Bush; to centrist Ray Schoenke ('59*), a former Democratic candidate for Maryland Governor who founded the American Hunters and Shooters Association (an alternative to the National Rifle Association); to Jerry Berman ('58), chief counsel of the ACLU. Ellery Chun ('27) invented the Aloha Shirt.

Punahou in fiction and literature

* "He started his scholarly investigation while still at Punahou, although he later took his B.A. at Yale, his M.A. at Harvard, his Ph.D. from Oxford and his D.Litt. from the Sorbonne. He received honorary degrees from eleven major universities, but when he died in 1914 the Honolulu ''Mail'' announced simply: 'The great scholar was educated at Punahou.' None of the rest really mattered." (James A. Michener, James Michener, ''Hawaii'') * "Gramps grabbed me by the arm. 'Hell, Bar,' he whispered, 'this isn't a school. This is heaven.'" (Obama, ''Dreams from My Father'') * "I wanted a station wagon like the family in ''The Brady Bunch.'' I wanted to go steady with someone like Marcia or Jan, girls who dressed mod and spoke cool. My new school was full of girls like Marcia and Jan. I'd just started seventh grade at Punahou" (Wright, ''Punahou Blues'') * In the ''Descendants,'' Matt (George Clooney's character) accuses Sid of being "a hundred miles away from Smartville." Sid responds that he is "Vice President of the Punahou chess club". * In ''Hawaii Five-0 (2010 TV series), Hawaii Five O'', Charlie Fong, the "extremely capable lab technician", is a Punahou graduate. * "As part of chapel every year, the school held a special memorial day ceremony. ... The JROTC cadets dressed in full gear and stood at attention the whole time. Arm in arm, a boy and girl from each grade level ... walked slowly down the aisle with a wreath of flowers ... while the names of all of those in the Punahou family, former students of the school who had been killed in war, were read off. ... By the end, the entire floor at the front of the chapel was filled with flowers." (Lum, ''Letting Go'') * "We had attended high school together at Punahou, the most exclusive private school in Hawaii." (Charley Memminger, ''Aloha, Lady Blue'') * "'What do people do here in the evening? The movies?' 'Just at present,' the girl told him, 'everybody visits Punahou ... to see the night-blooming cereus. It's the season now, you know.'" (Biggers, ''House Without a Key'')

Alma Mater

Oʻahu A Oʻahu a, Oʻahu a
Punahou, our Punahou;
Mau a Mau, oh mau a mau,
Punahou, our Punahou. Throughout the years we've shown our light,
We glory in Oʻahu's might;
The Buff and Blue's a glorious sight,
Punahou, our Punahou.
The song is sung to the tune of ''Maryland, My Maryland'', also known as "O Tannenbaum". The lyrics are taken from a poem, "Oahu Wa," by then student Wilhelm Albert Gartner (1902).

School shout

Ready? Hit it! Strawberry Shortcake, Huckleberry Pie V-I-C-T-O-R-Y Are We In It? Well I Guess! Punahou, Punahou, Yes, Yes, Yes!

This cheer is typically shouted by the marching band and cheerleaders at Punahou, at events such as football games and other sports activities and gatherings following the alma mater.

School mascot

Punahou does not have an official mascot. The closest thing is the Pandanus tectorius, hala tree, whose image is used in the school's seal. Fans often refer to athletic teams as the "Sons of Oahu", or "Buff & Blue". In 1890 the colors buff and blue officially became Punahou's school colors, representing sand and the sea. In 1890, long before the development of high-rises and hotels in Waikiki, all that was visible in the distance from the top of Punahou's campus was the buff-colored sand and blue-colored sea of Waikiki Beach.

References

External links

*
Campus map
* (transcription of 1857 text about early history of the school) * * * * {{Authority control 1841 establishments in Hawaii Educational institutions established in 1841 Historic American Buildings Survey in Hawaii Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Hawaii National Register of Historic Places in Honolulu Preparatory schools in Hawaii Private K-12 schools in Honolulu School buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Hawaii Christian schools in Hawaii Schools founded by missionaries