JOHN A. BURNS (1909-1975) after whom Burns Hall on the UH Manoa campus, and the John A. Burns School of Medicine are named was the second Governor of the state of Hawaii from 1962 to 1974. In 1956 he was elected Delegate from Hawaii. As Delegate he played a key role in lobbying for Hawaii statehood, a goal that was achieved on March 12, 1959 when the statehood bill was signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. He sought to become the first Governor of the newly formed State of Hawaii, but lost the election to then-Territorial Governor William F. Quinn.

Three years later in 1962, Burns won the election to become Governor. Burns became ill to the point of incapacity in October 1973 and Burns' third elected Lieutenant Governor, George R. Ariyoshi became Acting Governor through the end of Burns' third term, before Ariyoshi was elected in his own right as Governor for the term beginning in 1974.




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* Retrieved August 15, 2007, from Encyclopedia Britannica Online