The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa William S. Richardson School of Law Library invites the public to a launch of an archival collection celebrating the life and work of Chief Justice (C.J.) William S. Richardson, on Thursday, May 5, 3:30–5 p.m. Participants can register online for the webinar.
The papers of C.J. Richardson have been curated and made accessible in physical and digital form by the library’s Public Services Department, under the supervision of Archives Manager Ellen-Rae Cachola. The law library is grateful to the Richardson family for the opportunity to preserve and provide access to C.J. Richardson’s papers. This project was funded in part by a grant from the Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities, through support from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
The archive documents C.J. Richardson’s life and legacy and his immense impact on Hawaiʻi and its people, infusing their customs and traditions into a modern interpretation of Hawaiian law. Through photographs and text, details emerge about his family history, educational background, and military career that demonstrate how his personal experiences influenced his public life.
The archive also provides insights into his political career as the second Lt. Gov. of the State of Hawaiʻi, duties as trustee of the Kamehameha Schools Bishop Estate, seminal decisions as the 16th Chief Justice of the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court, and instrumental role in establishing the UH law school.
“The preservation and accessibility of the Chief Justice Richardson Archive at the Law Library create greater approachability to the intellectual life behind one of the most celebrated justices in the country,” said UH law library Director Victoria Szymczak. “His landmark opinions concerning the public trust, and, specifically the representation of Hawaiian cultural values, have a lasting impact in Hawaiʻi and throughout the country.” She also recognizes the honor it is for the Law Library to promote Chief Justice Richardson’s jurisprudence and personal heritage to Richardson’s law students as well as the community.
The launch of the archive will give an overview and explain how to search the collection, followed by a Q&A discussion with the Richardson family and UH law school faculty about the significance of the archival materials to modern Hawaiian history.
To attend the public launch of the collection celebrating the life and work of Chief Justice Richardson, register online.
To access the finding aid (search tool) of the C.J. William S. Richardson archival collection, visit the UH law library’s archive website.
