Hiram Fong

Hiram Leong Fong (* October 15, 1906 in Honolulu, Hawaii; † August 18, 2004 in Kahaluu, Hawaii ) was an American politician ( Republican), who represented the U.S. state of Hawaii from 1959 to 1977 in the U.S. Senate. He was the first U.S. Senator of Chinese descent.

Career

Fong was born in 1906 in Honolulu as the child of Chinese immigrants. After graduating from the "President William McKinley High School ," he graduated to 1930, a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He was also a member of the Phi Beta Kappa academic community. He then studied law at Harvard University, where he graduated in 1935 with a Juris Doctor.

To finance his studies, Fong worked from 1924 to 1927 as a clerk in the purchasing department of the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and from 1930 to 1932 as office manager of the Suburban Water Supply of Honolulu ( " Suburban Water System of the City and County of Honolulu "). After his Harvard studies Fong founded the law firm Fong, Miho, Choy and Robinson.

Military career

Fong was from 1942 to 1944 member of the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. He began his military career as a 1st Lieutenant and was promoted to Major later. He then worked as a Judge Advocate of the Seventh Battle Command of the U.S. 7th Air Force. As a reserve officer in the U.S. Army he served 20 years of service. He was discharged as a colonel from the Air Force Reserve Command and was a member of the " Kau Tom Post" of the American Legion and as a "post 1540 " Veterans Association " Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States " ( VFW ) was added. In 1971 he was appointed a member of the " Board of Visitors " of the United States Military Academy at West Point. In April 1974 he was appointed to the " Board of Visitors " of the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis.

Political career

On July 28, 1959 Fong was elected as a Senator for Hawaii in the Senate of the United States. He was the first U.S. Senator of Chinese descent. He was re-elected twice (1964 and 1970). January 2, 1977, he resigned as senator.

Senator Fong Plantation

In 1950, acquired Fong at the Ko'olau Mountains a few acres of land. After his political career, he expanded the grounds on today about 700 acres. In the country he laid out a park with tropical, exotic plants and plantations. The park " Senator Fong 's Plantation and Gardens " won the 1999 " Kahili Award" awarded by the Hawaiian Tourism Authority since 1990.

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