Eileen Anderson
Encyclopedia
Eileen Anderson is the first and so far only woman to serve as Mayor of
Honolulu
, Hawaii
, United States
. She was in office from 1981 to 1985. A Democrat, Anderson served in various positions in the city and county and the state
. She was the first Hawaii State Director of Budget and Finance.
in Los Angeles
and, after moving to Hawaii with her family, graduated from the University of Hawaii at Manoa
in 1950 with a bachelor's degree
in psychology
. Anderson married Clifford F. Anderson, a retired Honolulu Police Department
major
. She and her husband raised three children. After working for Hawaiian Telephone Company, the predecessor of the present-day Hawaiian Telcom
, Anderson began public service in various state agencies. She found herself as the state's first budget and finance director under Governor
George Ariyoshi
.
with seventy percent of the vote. With the unpredicted surprise landslide victory against Fasi and his notoriously powerful machine, that year Anderson was named Hawaii Business Magazine
"Woman of the Year 1980". Anderson served a single term at Honolulu Hale
, taking office on January 2, 1981 and leaving office in 1985. Anderson's tenure as mayor was highlighted by her promise to continue development of the island of Oahu
but with fiscal responsibility.
Anderson was a member of the United States Conference of Mayors
, an organization of mayors of United States cities with populations of 30,000 people or more.
, the first Hawaii Republican
governor after forty years of Democrat dominance in the state. Awana helped run Anderson's failed re-election campaign against Fasi. Anderson appointed Andy Chang as Managing Director of Honolulu. Chang would continue to serve the city and county in various capacities after Anderson's departure from office.
in central Oahu to Hawaii Kai
in East Oahu.
In addition to millions to be invested by the city and county, millions of dollars in grants earmarked for HART were returned by Anderson. She declined USD $5.75 million from the Federal government of the United States
saying, "Why spend five million dollars on a system that won't be built?"
Achieving national attention, Anderson defended her position by arguing the long-term costs to taxpayers for such an expensive project, especially after U.S. President
Ronald Reagan
announced elimination of Federal public transit funding in the country and the ongoing need for more funding for Interstate H-3
construction. She rather argued in favor of smaller, incremental improvements to the bus system.
With growing development leading to increased traffic congestion on Oahu, the city and county continued to make public transit a focus of public debate during Anderson and Fasi's tenures. On October 6, 1981, Anderson announced she hoped to study the San Diego Trolley
, a system funded with gas taxes.
Both Anderson and Fasi continued to modernize TheBus but a rail system was never approved. It wasn't until the 2000s that Honolulu agreed to a similar, more expensive project under the leadership of the mayor, Mufi Hannemann
.
in 1986. Anderson lost the primary election to state senator
Ben Cayetano
, who later served alongside Hawaii Governor John Waihee
before becoming governor himself.
television program
Magnum, P.I.
were filmed in Honolulu during Anderson's mayoral leadership. The show unintentionally included background scenes that featured major construction and development projects on Oahu, promoted by Anderson as mayor.
reformatted its morning programming pairing Michael W. Perry
and Larry Price. To this day, Perry and Price continue to be two of the most popular personalities and one of the most popular radio news programs in Hawaii. Anderson was a regular listener and, a sign of Perry and Price's growing influence, was the first major person to call the show during the broadcast, in effect signaling how relevant they were to local culture and politics.
Anderson called the radio hosts, angry about their comments over a political issue. The Honolulu Star-Bulletin
published the account on August 27, 1998:
Since Anderson's initial call, every Mayor of Honolulu and Governor of Hawaii has appeared on the morning Perry and Price program via telephone to comment or discuss various cultural and political issues and current events.
Mayor of Honolulu
The Mayor of Honolulu is the chief executive officer of the City and County of Honolulu and considered the third most powerful official in the U.S. state of Hawaii, behind the Governor of Hawaii and the Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii...
Honolulu
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. She was in office from 1981 to 1985. A Democrat, Anderson served in various positions in the city and county and the state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
. She was the first Hawaii State Director of Budget and Finance.
Early life
Anderson attended the University of CaliforniaUniversity of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
and, after moving to Hawaii with her family, graduated from the University of Hawaii at Manoa
University of Hawaii at Manoa
The University of Hawaii at Mānoa is a public, co-educational university and is the flagship campus of the greater University of Hawaii system...
in 1950 with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
. Anderson married Clifford F. Anderson, a retired Honolulu Police Department
Honolulu Police Department
The Honolulu Police Department is the principal law enforcement agency of the City and County of Honolulu, Hawai'i, headquartered in the Alapa'i Police Headquarters in Honolulu CDP....
major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
. She and her husband raised three children. After working for Hawaiian Telephone Company, the predecessor of the present-day Hawaiian Telcom
Hawaiian Telcom
Hawaiian Telcom is the incumbent local exchange carrier or dominant local telephone company, serving the state of Hawaii. It was formed in 2005 by The Carlyle Group, following its purchase of the Hawaii assets of Verizon Communications, which was known as Verizon Hawaii, Inc., and previously as...
, Anderson began public service in various state agencies. She found herself as the state's first budget and finance director under Governor
Governor of Hawaii
The Governor of Hawaii is the chief executive of the state of Hawaii and its various agencies and departments, as provided in the Hawaii State Constitution Article V, Sections 1 through 6. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by popular suffrage of residents of the state...
George Ariyoshi
George Ariyoshi
George Ryoichi Ariyoshi , served as the third Governor of Hawaii from 1974 to 1986. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He assumed the governorship when John A. Burns was declared incapacitated. When he was elected, Ariyoshi became the first American of Asian descent to be elected governor of...
.
Mayor of Honolulu
In 1980, Anderson defeated popular incumbent Frank FasiFrank Fasi
Frank Francis Fasi was a United States politician having the distinction as the longest serving Mayor of Honolulu in Honolulu, Hawaii. He also served as a territorial senator and member of the Honolulu City Council...
with seventy percent of the vote. With the unpredicted surprise landslide victory against Fasi and his notoriously powerful machine, that year Anderson was named Hawaii Business Magazine
Hawaii Business Magazine
Hawaii Business Magazine is a Honolulu-based business magazine. Its parent company, PacificBasin Communications, also publishes Honolulu Magazine, Hawaii Home + Remodeling, Island Family, Ala Moana magazine, Hawaii magazine and Japanese language visitor publication Hawaii Ai...
"Woman of the Year 1980". Anderson served a single term at Honolulu Hale
Honolulu Hale
Honolulu Hale , located on 530 South King Street in downtown Honolulu in the City & County of Honolulu, Hawaii, is the official seat of government of the city and county, site of the chambers of the Mayor of Honolulu and the Honolulu City Council.In the Hawaiian language, hale means house or building...
, taking office on January 2, 1981 and leaving office in 1985. Anderson's tenure as mayor was highlighted by her promise to continue development of the island of Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
but with fiscal responsibility.
Anderson was a member of the United States Conference of Mayors
United States Conference of Mayors
United States Conference of Mayors, sometimes referred to as the United States Council of Mayors, is the official non-partisan organization for cities with populations of 30,000 or more. The cities are each represented by their mayor or other chief elected official...
, an organization of mayors of United States cities with populations of 30,000 people or more.
Cabinet
Prominent members of Anderson's administration included Bob Awana as administrative director and chief of staff, later chief of staff to Linda LingleLinda Lingle
Linda Lingle was the sixth Governor of Hawaii. Lingle holds a number of distinctions: first Republican elected governor of Hawaii since the departure of William F...
, the first Hawaii Republican
Hawaii Republican Party
The Hawaii Republican Party is the state affiliate of the Republican Party of the United States. Based in Honolulu, the party is a central organization established for the promotion of the party platform as it is drafted in convention every other year...
governor after forty years of Democrat dominance in the state. Awana helped run Anderson's failed re-election campaign against Fasi. Anderson appointed Andy Chang as Managing Director of Honolulu. Chang would continue to serve the city and county in various capacities after Anderson's departure from office.
Honolulu Area Rail Rapid Transit
Anderson's vow of fiscal responsibility was maintained in her cancellation of the Honolulu Area Rail Rapid Transit project, which was planned in the 1970s and close to construction approval. Popularly known as HART, the project in its original form would have built a heavy rail system with twenty-three miles of track featuring twenty-one stations from Pearl CityPearl City, Hawaii
Pearl City is a census-designated place located in the Ewa District and City & County of Honolulu on the Island of Oahu. As of the 2010 Census, the CDP had a total population of 47,698. Pearl City is located along the north shore of Pearl Harbor. ʻAiea borders Pearl City to the east, while Waipahu...
in central Oahu to Hawaii Kai
Hawaii Kai, Hawaii
Hawaii Kai is a largely residential area located in the City & County of Honolulu, in the Honolulu CDP on the island of Oahu. Hawaii Kai is the largest of several communities at the eastern end of the island. The area was largely developed by Henry J. Kaiser around the ancient Maunalua...
in East Oahu.
In addition to millions to be invested by the city and county, millions of dollars in grants earmarked for HART were returned by Anderson. She declined USD $5.75 million from the Federal government of the United States
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
saying, "Why spend five million dollars on a system that won't be built?"
Achieving national attention, Anderson defended her position by arguing the long-term costs to taxpayers for such an expensive project, especially after U.S. President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
announced elimination of Federal public transit funding in the country and the ongoing need for more funding for Interstate H-3
Interstate H-3
Interstate H-3 is an intrastate Interstate Highway located on the island of O'ahu in the state of Hawai'i in the United States. H-3 is also known as the John A. Burns Freeway...
construction. She rather argued in favor of smaller, incremental improvements to the bus system.
With growing development leading to increased traffic congestion on Oahu, the city and county continued to make public transit a focus of public debate during Anderson and Fasi's tenures. On October 6, 1981, Anderson announced she hoped to study the San Diego Trolley
San Diego Trolley
The San Diego Trolley is a light rail system operating in the metropolitan area of San Diego. The operator, San Diego Trolley, Inc. , is a subsidiary of the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System ...
, a system funded with gas taxes.
Both Anderson and Fasi continued to modernize TheBus but a rail system was never approved. It wasn't until the 2000s that Honolulu agreed to a similar, more expensive project under the leadership of the mayor, Mufi Hannemann
Mufi Hannemann
Muliufi Francis "Mufi" Hannemann is an American politician. He is the former Mayor of Honolulu. Hannemann has served as a special assistant in Washington, D.C., with the Department of the Interior, where he was selected for a White House fellowship in the Reagan administration under Vice President...
.
Political defeats
Anderson once again stood for election as mayor and was defeated by Fasi, who had switched his political affiliation from Democrat to Republican, so as to avoid being knocked out of the Democratic primary by Anderson. Anderson subsequently sought a political comeback by seeking the nomination of her party for lieutenant governorLieutenant Governor of Hawaii
The Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii, concurrently the Secretary of State of Hawaii, is the assistant chief executive of that U.S. state and its various agencies and departments, as provided in the Hawaii State Constitution Article V, Sections 2 though 6. He or she is elected by popular suffrage of...
in 1986. Anderson lost the primary election to state senator
Hawaii Senate
The Hawaii State Senate is the upper chamber of the Hawaii State Legislature. The senate consists of twenty-five members elected from an equal number of constituent districts across the islands. The senate is led by the President of the Senate, elected from the membership of the body, currently...
Ben Cayetano
Ben Cayetano
Benjamin Jerome "Ben" Cayetano served as the fifth Governor of the State of Hawaii from 1994 to 2002. He is the first Filipino American to serve as a state governor in the United States.- Early years :...
, who later served alongside Hawaii Governor John Waihee
John D. Waihee III
John David Waihee III served as the fourth Governor of Hawaii from 1986 to 1994. He was the first American of Native Hawaiian descent to be elected to the office from any state of the United States. After his tenure in the governor's office, Waihee became a nationally prominent attorney and...
before becoming governor himself.
Magnum, P.I.
The 1981 to 1985 seasons of the CBSCBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
television program
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
Magnum, P.I.
Magnum, P.I.
Magnum, P.I. is an American television series starring Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator living on Oahu, Hawaii. The series ran from 1980 to 1988 in first-run broadcast on the American CBS television network....
were filmed in Honolulu during Anderson's mayoral leadership. The show unintentionally included background scenes that featured major construction and development projects on Oahu, promoted by Anderson as mayor.
Perry and Price
In 1983, KSSK-FMKSSK-FM
KSSK-FM is an adult contemporary radio station licensed to Waipahu, Hawaii, serving the Honolulu, Hawaii market, and owned by Clear Channel Communications. It is simulcast on AM 590 . The station is home to the "Perry & Price" morning show...
reformatted its morning programming pairing Michael W. Perry
Michael W. Perry
Michael William Perry is the co-host, along with Larry Price, of the Perry & Price show on KSSK-FM in Honolulu, Hawaii. He also hosts the Hawaiian Moving Company television show on KGMB in Honolulu.- Biography :...
and Larry Price. To this day, Perry and Price continue to be two of the most popular personalities and one of the most popular radio news programs in Hawaii. Anderson was a regular listener and, a sign of Perry and Price's growing influence, was the first major person to call the show during the broadcast, in effect signaling how relevant they were to local culture and politics.
Anderson called the radio hosts, angry about their comments over a political issue. The Honolulu Star-Bulletin
Honolulu Star-Bulletin
The Honolulu Star-Bulletin was a daily newspaper based in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. At the time publication ceased on June 6, 2010, it was the second largest daily newspaper in the state of Hawaii...
published the account on August 27, 1998:
Since Anderson's initial call, every Mayor of Honolulu and Governor of Hawaii has appeared on the morning Perry and Price program via telephone to comment or discuss various cultural and political issues and current events.