WHEREAS, the existing Komohana Agricultural Complex currently serves as the local headquarters for the University of Hawaii's College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR); and

WHEREAS, CTAHR has begun a $20,000,000 renovation project at its existing Komohana Agricultural Complex (Complex); and

WHEREAS, as part of the renovation, the Complex is being renamed the Komohana Research and Extension Center, partly to reflect its role as the home of CTAHR's Cooperative Extension Service in Hilo; and

WHEREAS, the impetus for establishing the Complex at the University of Hawaii at Hilo can be traced back to a person whose dedication to serving the agricultural community of the Big Island and the State was only overshadowed by his exuberance in nurturing the growth of future generations of farmers; and

WHEREAS, Tadashi Higaki was truly a son of the Big Island and a friend of farming. After attending elementary school at Honomu, and high school in Hilo, he matriculated at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, advanced through his Bachelor of Science degree, and achieved his Master of Science degree in Horticulture in 1961; and

WHEREAS, in addition to his achievements in academia and his ascension through the ranks of the Agricultural Research and Extension bureaucracy, his contribution to the development of diversified agriculture has been immense; and

WHEREAS, throughout his career, Tadashi Higaki facilitated the organization of local farmers into cooperatives to help promote their products; and

WHEREAS, as an example, in early 1960, while Tadashi Higaki was just starting out as an Assistant County Extension Agent, the anthurium industry was beginning to increase in acreage and export its products; and

WHEREAS, the expansion was occurring during a time when little or no communication existed between the "old guard" of the industry and the younger entrepreneurs; and

WHEREAS, with his innate talent for making friends, Tadashi Higaki used his abilities to forge new relationships and alliances between interest groups, allowing them to work together, even if they had divergent points of view; and

WHEREAS, he was instrumental in forming the Hawaii Anthurium Product Promotion Association, which initiated a nationwide Hawaii-grown anthurium advertising and product promotion; and

WHEREAS, the Hawaii Anthurium Product Promotion Association was the precursor of product promotion for all flowers exported from the State of Hawaii, a practice that continues to this day; and

WHEREAS, recognizing the importance of higher education in pursuit of his goal of expanding Hawaii's diversified agricultural prowess, in September 1972, Tadashi Higaki and his family left their home in Panaewa for Michigan State University, where he worked towards attaining a doctorate, which he successfully completed in 1978; and

WHEREAS, upon his return to Hilo, Tadashi Higaki assumed the position of County Administrator for Research and Extension and also served as the Assistant Director of Extension at CTAHR; and

WHEREAS, after his tenure at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Tadashi Higaki returned to Hilo and continued as County Administrator of Research and Extension until his retirement in 1991; and

WHEREAS, in addition to being a skilled administrator, Tadashi Higaki loved to farm; and

WHEREAS, even while working at his regular job, Tadashi Higaki maintained his own vegetable greenhouse where he grew tomatoes, cucumbers, bittermelons, and peas; and

WHEREAS, he, along with family and friends, also built a dendrobium and anthurium greenhouse and, upon retirement, expanded his land holdings by ten acres to start an orchard of avocado and lychee; and

WHEREAS, a partial listing of the agricultural organizations in which Tadashi Higaki participated include: the Hawaii Anthurium Industry Association, Big Island Dendrobium Growers Association, Hawaii Farm Bureau, and Hawaii State Farm Service Agency; and

WHEREAS, without the tireless devotion, knowledge, and capabilities of Tadashi Higaki, it could be convincingly argued that the Big Island's diversified agriculture industry would be a pale shadow of what it is today; and

WHEREAS, Tadashi Higaki passed away on August 20, 2004, after a lifetime of service to the agricultural community; and

WHEREAS, it is fitting that a Hilo-based agricultural complex that provides agricultural education, research, and training to the next generation of Hawaii's farmers be named to honor a person who selflessly dedicated his professional career to diversifying the agricultural landscape of the Big Island and our state; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2006, that the Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii is requested to waive its administrative policy mandating that individuals be deceased for a minimum of five years before buildings can be named after them, and the University of Hawaii is requested to initiate any internal procedures needed to name the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources Administrative and Extension wing of the Komohana Research and Extension Center in honor of Tadashi Higaki; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii, the President of the University of Hawaii, the Dean of the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, and Mrs. Jean Higaki.

Report Title:

Komohana Agricultural Complex; Tadashi Higaki