I Respectfully Dissent: A Biography of Edward Nakamura

Enlarge image

Edward H. Nakamura’s biography deals with his long service to the ILWU—working with Jack Hall on labor contracts, arbitrating, litigating, and most importantly developing Hawai‘i’s labor legislation such as workers’ safety, workers’ compensation, Temporary Disability Insurance, and Prepaid Health Care (the only one in the nation).

As a justice he became a cult figure in his quiet way, elevating the court in terms of scholarship and writing. In his nominal retirement he exposed corruption in the Employee Retirement System and played a major behind-the-scenes role in “Broken Trust,” with the aim—achieved— of separating the Supreme Court from the Bishop Estate.

Speaker bio:
Tom Coffman was a political reporter for the Star Bulletin in the 1960s and ‘70s. He developed his own media production company, and produced PBS documentaries including O Hawai‘i, Settlement to Kingdom; Nation Within; Arirang: The Korean American Journey; May Earth Live, a Journey Through the Hawaiian Forest; First Battle, the Battle for Equality in Wartime Hawaii; and Ninoy Aquino and the Rise of People Power. Coffman is the author of Catch a Wave (1972), A Nation Within (1998, 2009), The Island Edge of America (2003) and, most recently, I Respectfully Dissent (2012). He has received the Hawai‘i Award for Literature and twice received the Po‘okela Publishers’ Award for Best Non Fiction.

Event Sponsor
Center for Biographical Research, Manoa Campus

More Information
956-3774, biograph@hawaii.edu, http://www.facebook.com/CBRHawaii

Ongoing Events