Samuel Ichiye Hayakawa (July 18, 1906 – February 27, 1992) was a Canadian-born American academic and politician of Japanese ancestry. A professor of

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

, he served as president of

San Francisco State University San Francisco State University (commonly referred to as San Francisco State, SF State and SFSU) is a public research university in San Francisco. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers 118 different b ...

and then as

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and power ...

from California from 1977 to 1983.

Early life and education

Born in

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. T ...

, British Columbia, Hayakawa was educated in the public schools of Calgary,

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Terri ...

, and

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,60 ...

Manitoba , image_map = Manitoba in Canada 2.svg , map_alt = Map showing Manitoba's location in the centre of Southern Canada , Label_map = yes , coordinates = , capital = Winn ...

, and graduated from the

University of Manitoba The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a Canadian public research university in the province of Manitoba.MA in English from

McGill University McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University ...

in 1928 and his PhD in the discipline from the

University of Wisconsin–Madison 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, the ...

in 1935.

Academic career

Professionally, Hayakawa was a

linguist Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. It is called a scientific study because it entails a comprehensive, systematic, objective, and precise analysis of all aspects of language, particularly its nature and structure. Lingui ...

, psychologist, semanticist, teacher, and writer. He served as an instructor at the

University of Wisconsin 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, the ...

from 1936 to 1939 and at the Armour Institute of Technology (

Illinois Institute of Technology Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Tracing its history to 1890, the present name was adopted upon the merger of the Armour Institute and Lewis Institute in 1940. The university has prog ...

as of 1940) from 1939 to 1948. His first book on semantics, '' Language in Thought and Action'', expanded its forerunner (and

Book-of-the-Month Club Book of the Month (founded 1926) is a United States subscription-based e-commerce service that offers a selection of five to seven new hardcover books each month to its members. Books are selected and endorsed by a panel of judges, and members ch ...

selection) ''Language in Action'', written from 1938 to 1941. With five editions from 1949 to 1991, ''Language in Thought and Action'' helped to popularize

Alfred Korzybski Alfred Habdank Skarbek Korzybski (, ; July 3, 1879 – March 1, 1950) was a Polish-American independent scholar who developed a field called general semantics, which he viewed as both distinct from, and more encompassing than, the field of se ...

general semantics General semantics is concerned with how events translate to perceptions, how they are further modified by the names and labels we apply to them, and how we might gain a measure of control over our own cognitive, emotional, and behavioral respons ...

and semantics in general, while semantics or theory of meaning was overwhelmed by mysticism, propagandism and even

scientism Scientism is the opinion that science and the scientific method are the best or only way to render truth about the world and reality. While the term was defined originally to mean "methods and attitudes typical of or attributed to natural scientis ...

. Hayakawa lectured at the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the be ...

from 1950 to 1955. He presented a talk at the 1954 Conference of Activity Vector Analysts at Lake George,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * ...

, in which he discussed a theory of personality from the semantic point of view. It was later published as ''The Semantic Barrier''. The definitive lecture discussed the

Darwinism Darwinism is a theory of biological evolution developed by the English naturalist Charles Darwin (1809–1882) and others, stating that all species of organisms arise and develop through the natural selection of small, inherited variations that ...

of the "survival of self" as contrasted with the "survival of

self-concept In the psychology of self, one's self-concept (also called self-construction, self-identity, self-perspective or self-structure) is a collection of beliefs about oneself. Generally, self-concept embodies the answer to the question ''"Who am I ...

." His ideas on general semantics influenced

A. E. van Vogt Alfred Elton van Vogt ( ; April 26, 1912 – January 26, 2000) was a Canadian-born American science fiction author. His fragmented, bizarre narrative style influenced later science fiction writers, notably Philip K. Dick. He was one of the ...

's Null-A novels, ''

The World of Null-A ''The World of Null-A'', sometimes written ''The World of Ā'', is a 1948 science fiction novel by Canadian-American writer A. E. van Vogt. It was originally published as a three-part serial in 1945 in ''Astounding Stories''. It incorporates con ...

'' and ''

The Pawns of Null-A ''The Pawns of Null-A'' is a 1956 science fiction novel by American-Canadian writer A. E. van Vogt, originally published as a four-part serial in ''Astounding Stories'' from October 1948 to January 1949 as ''The Players of Null-A''. It incorpora ...

''. Van Vogt in ''The World of Null-A'' (i.e., non-Aristotelian) makes Hayakawa a character, introducing him as: "Professor Hayakawa is today's Mr. Null-A himself, the elected head of the International Society for General Semantics." Hayakawa was an English professor at

San Francisco State College San Francisco State University (commonly referred to as San Francisco State, SF State and SFSU) is a public research university in San Francisco. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers 118 different b ...

(now San Francisco State University) from 1955 to 1968. In the early 1960s, he helped organize the ''Anti Digit Dialing League'', a San Francisco group that opposed the introduction of all-digit

telephone exchange names A telephone exchange name or central office name was a distinguishing and memorable name assigned to a central office. It identified the switching system to which a telephone was connected, and facilitated the connection of telephone calls betwee ...

. Among the students he trained were commune leader

Stephen Gaskin Stephen Gaskin (February 16, 1935 – July 1, 2014) was an American counterculture Hippie icon best known for his presence in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco in the 1960s and for co-founding " The Farm", a spiritual commune in 1970. H ...

and author

Gerald Haslam Gerald William Haslam (March 18, 1937 – April 13, 2021) was an author focused on rural and small towns in California's Great Central Valley including its poor and working-class people of all colors. A native of Oildale, California, Haslam has r ...

. He was named acting president of San Francisco State College on November 26, 1968, during a student strike, when Ronald Reagan was

governor of California The governor of California is the head of government of the U.S. state of California. The governor is the commander-in-chief of the California National Guard and the California State Guard. Established in the Constitution of California, the ...

and

Joseph Alioto Joseph Lawrence Alioto (February 12, 1916 – January 29, 1998) was an American politician who served as the 36th mayor of San Francisco, California, from 1968 to 1976. Biography Alioto was born in San Francisco in 1916. His father, Giuseppe ...

was

mayor of San Francisco The mayor of the City and County of San Francisco is the head of the executive branch of the San Francisco city and county government. The officeholder has the duty to enforce city laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by ...

. On July 9, 1969, the California State Colleges Board of Trustees appointed Hayakawa the ninth president of San Francisco State. Hayakawa retired on July 10, 1973. Hayakawa wrote a column for the

Register and Tribune Syndicate The Register and Tribune Syndicate was a syndication service based in Des Moines, Iowa, that operated from 1922 to 1986, when it was acquired by King Features to become the Cowles Syndicate affiliate. At its peak, the Register and Tribune Syndica ...

from 1970 to 1976. In 1973, Hayakawa changed his political affiliation from the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa * Botswana Democratic Party * Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *De ...

to the Republican Party and became president emeritus at what became San Francisco State University.

Student strike at San Francisco State College

From November 1968 to March 1969, there was a

student strike Campus protest or student protest is a form of student activism that takes the form of protest at university campuses. Such protests encompass a wide range of activities that indicate student dissatisfaction with a given political or academi ...

at San Francisco State College in order to establish an

ethnic studies Ethnic studies, in the United States, is the interdisciplinary study of difference—chiefly race, ethnicity, and nation, but also sexuality, gender, and other such markings—and power, as expressed by the state, by civil society, and by indivi ...

program. It was a major news event at the time and chapter in the radical history of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...

and the Bay Area. The strike was led by the

Third World Liberation Front In 1968, the Third World Liberation Front (TWLF), a coalition of the Black Students Union, the Latin American Students Organization, the Filipino American Collegiate Endeavor (PACE) the Filipino-American Students Organization, the Asian American ...

supported by

Students for a Democratic Society Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) was a national student activist organization in the United States during the 1960s, and was one of the principal representations of the New Left. Disdaining permanent leaders, hierarchical relationships a ...

, the

Black Panthers The Black Panther Party (BPP), originally the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, was a Marxist-Leninist and black power political organization founded by college students Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton in October 1966 in Oakland, Califo ...

and the countercultural community. The students presented fifteen "non-negotiable demands", including a Black Studies department chaired by sociologist

Nathan Hare Nathan Hare (born April 9, 1933) is an American sociologist, activist, academic, and psychologist. In 1968 he was the first person hired to coordinate a Black studies program in the United States. He established the program at San Francisco St ...

independent of the university administration, open admission for all black students to "put an end to racism", and the unconditional, immediate end to the

War in Vietnam The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

and the university's involvement. It was threatened that if these demands were not immediately and completely satisfied the entire campus was to be forcibly shut down. Hayakawa became popular with conservative voters during this period after he pulled out the wires from the loudspeakers on a protesters' van at an outdoor rally. Hayakawa relented on December 6, 1968, and announced the creation of a Black Studies program at the University.

Political career

Hayakawa won an unexpected victory in the 1976 Republican Senate primary over three better-known career politicians: former HEW Secretary Robert Finch, long-time U.S. Representative

Alphonzo Bell Alphonzo Edward Bell Sr. (September 29, 1875 – December 27, 1947) was an American oil multi-millionaire, real estate developer, philanthropist, and champion tennis player. The westside Los Angeles residential community of Bel Air is name ...

and former California Lieutenant Governor John L. Harmer. Much like

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 76th governor of Georgia from 19 ...

, Hayakawa touted himself as a political outsider. On the Democratic side, incumbent Senator John Tunney faced a surprisingly strong challenge from another political outsider,

Tom Hayden Thomas Emmet Hayden (December 11, 1939October 23, 2016) was an American social and political activist, author, and politician. Hayden was best known for his role as an anti-war, civil rights, and intellectual activist in the 1960s, authoring th ...

. Hayden's extremely liberal candidacy forced Tunney to run more to the left in the primary, which hurt him in the general election. Nevertheless, Tunney was favored to easily win re-election. Comfortably ahead in the polls, Tunney did not aggressively campaign until the final weeks before the election. But Hayakawa's position as a political outsider was popular in the wake of the

Watergate scandal The Watergate scandal was a major political scandal in the United States involving the administration of President Richard Nixon from 1972 to 1974 that led to Nixon's resignation. The scandal stemmed from the Nixon administration's continual ...

. In addition, Tunney had a high absenteeism rate while serving in the Senate and missed numerous votes. Hayakawa exploited this with a television ad that showed an empty chair in the U.S. Senate chamber. Hayakawa gradually closed the gap with Tunney, and ultimately defeated him by just over three percentage points. During his Senate campaign, Hayakawa spoke about the proposal to transfer possession of the Panama Canal and

Canal Zone The Panama Canal Zone ( es, Zona del Canal de Panamá), also simply known as the Canal Zone, was an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the Isthmus of Panama, that existed from 1903 to 1979. It was located within the terr ...

from the United States to

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cost ...

. He said, "We should keep the Panama Canal. After all, we stole it fair and square." However, in 1978 he helped win Senate approval of the

Torrijos–Carter Treaties The Torrijos–Carter Treaties ( es, link=no, Tratados Torrijos-Carter) are two treaties signed by the United States and Panama in Washington, D.C. on September 7, 1977, which superseded the Hay–Bunau-Varilla Treaty of 1903. The treaties guar ...

, which transferred control of the zone and canal to Panama. He also supported a bill that led to the creation of the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians, which examined the causes and effects of the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. During his time in the Senate, Hayakawa was one of three

Japanese Americans are Americans of Japanese ancestry. Japanese Americans were among the three largest Asian American ethnic communities during the 20th century; but, according to the 2000 census, they have declined in number to constitute the sixth largest Asi ...

in the chamber, the other two being

Daniel Inouye Daniel Ken Inouye ( ; September 7, 1924 – December 17, 2012) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States senator from Hawaii from 1963 until his death in 2012. Beginning in 1959, he was the first U.S. representative f ...

and

Spark Matsunaga Spark Masayuki Matsunaga ( ja, 松永正幸, October 8, 1916April 15, 1990) was an American politician and attorney who served as United States Senator for Hawaii from 1977 until his death in 1990. Matsunaga also represented Hawaii in the U.S. ...

, both of

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, 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 ...

Samuel Ichiye Hayakawa, United States Senator from California on May 8, 1981 with Reagan Contact Sheet C1875 (cropped)

Hayakawa planned to run for re-election in 1982 but trailed other Republican candidates badly in early polls and was short on money. He dropped out of the race early in the year and was ultimately succeeded by Republican

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well as ...

Pete Wilson Peter Barton Wilson (born August 23, 1933) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 36th governor of California from 1991 to 1999. A member of the Republican Party, he also served as a United States senator from California be ...

. To date, he is the only Japanese American Republican to have served in the U.S. Senate. Hayakawa founded the political lobbying organization

U.S. English American English, sometimes called United States English or U.S. English, is the set of varieties of the English language native to the United States. English is the most widely spoken language in the United States and in most circumstances ...

, which is dedicated to making

the

official language An official language is a language given supreme status in a particular country, state, or other jurisdiction. Typically the term "official language" does not refer to the language used by a people or country, but by its government (e.g. judiciary, ...

of the United States. Despite his support for creating the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians, Hayakawa, who lived in Chicago as a Canadian citizen during World War II and thus was not subject to confinement, argued that the

internment of Japanese Americans Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simp ...

was beneficial and that Japanese Americans should not be paid for "fulfilling their obligations" to submit to

Executive Order 9066 Executive Order 9066 was a United States presidential executive order signed and issued during World War II by United States president Franklin D. Roosevelt on February 19, 1942. This order authorized the secretary of war to prescribe certain ...

Personal life

Hayakawa was a resident of

Mill Valley Mill Valley is a city in Marin County, California, Marin County, California, United States, located about north of San Francisco via the Golden Gate Bridge and from Napa Valley. The population was 14,231 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 ...

, California, until his death in nearby

Greenbrae Greenbrae is a small unincorporated community in Marin County, California. It is located south-southeast of downtown San Rafael, at an elevation of 33 feet (10 m), located adjacent to U.S. Route 101 at the opening of the Ross Valley. Part of ...

, in 1992. He had an abiding interest in

traditional jazz Trad jazz, short for "traditional jazz", is a form of jazz in the United States and Britain in the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, played by musicians such as Chris Barber, Acker Bilk, Kenny Ball, Ken Colyer and Monty Sunshine, based on a revival ...

and wrote extensively on that subject, including several erudite sets of album

liner notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for cassettes. Origin Liner notes are descen ...

. Sometimes in his lectures on semantics, he was joined by the respected traditional

jazz pianist Jazz piano is a collective term for the techniques pianists use when playing jazz. The piano has been an integral part of the jazz idiom since its inception, in both solo and ensemble settings. Its role is multifaceted due largely to the instru ...

Don Ewell Donald Tyson Ewell (November 14, 1916 – August 9, 1983) was an American jazz stride pianist. He worked with Sidney Bechet, Kid Ory, George Lewis, George Brunis, Muggsy Spanier, and Bunk Johnson. Biography Born in Baltimore, Maryland, E ...

, whom Hayakawa employed to demonstrate various points in which he analyzed semantic and musical principles. Hayakawa was news media reporters' favorite fodder, as he was often found napping through important legislative voting. His daughter, Wynne Hayakawa, is a painter.

Bibliography

* Hayakawa, S. I. ''Choose the Right Word: A Modern Guide to Synonyms and Related Words''. 1968. Reprint. New York: Perennial Library, 1987. Originally published as ''Funk & Wagnalls Modern Guide to Synonyms and Related Words''. * Hayakawa, S. I. "Education Revisited". ''In The World Today'', edited by Phineas J. Sparer. Memphis: Memphis State University Press, 1975. * Hayakawa, S. I. ''Language in Thought and Action''. 1939. Enlarged ed. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1978. Originally published as ''Language in Action''. * Hayakawa, S. I. ''Symbol, Status, and Personality''. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1963. * Hayakawa, S. I. ''Through the Communication Barrier: On Speaking, Listening, and Understanding''. Edited by Arthur Chandler. New York: Harper & Row, 1979. * Hayakawa, S. I., ed. ''Language, Meaning, and Maturity''. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1954. * Hayakawa, S. I., ed. ''Our Language and Our World''. 1959. Reprint. Freeport, NY: Books for Libraries Press, 1971. * Hayakawa, S. I., ed. ''The Use and Misuse of Language''. Greenwich, CT: Fawcett Publications, 1964. * Hayakawa, S. I., and William Dresser, eds. ''Dimensions of Meaning''. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill Co., 1970. Includes Hayakawa's essays "General Semantics and the Cold War Mentality" and "Semantics and Sexuality". * Paris, Richard, and Janet Brown, eds. ''Quotations from Chairman S. I. Hayakawa''. San Francisco: n.p., 1969.

References

* Fox, R. F. (1991). A conversation with the Hayakawas. ''The English Journal'', Vol. 80, No. 2 (Feb., 1991), pp. 36–40. * Haslam, Gerald, and Janice E. Haslam. ''In Thought and Action: The Enigmatic Life of S. I. Hayakawa'' (U. of Nebraska Press; 2011) 427 pages; scholarly biography

External links

*
Samuel I. Hayakawa papers
at th
Hoover Institution Archives
*
Australian General Semantics Society
, - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Hayakawa, S. I. 1906 births 1992 deaths 20th-century American politicians Linguists from the United States California Democrats California politicians of Japanese descent California Republicans Canadian emigrants to the United States Linguists from Canada Canadian people of Japanese descent Deaths from dementia in California Deaths from Alzheimer's disease English-only movement General semantics Illinois Institute of Technology faculty Politicians from Vancouver McGill University alumni Members of the United States Congress of Japanese descent Asian-American United States senators American politicians of Japanese descent People from Mill Valley, California People with acquired American citizenship Presidents of San Francisco State University Republican Party United States senators from California San Francisco State University faculty Semanticists University of Manitoba alumni University of Wisconsin–Madison College of Letters and Science alumni 20th-century linguists 20th-century American academics Asian conservatism in the United States