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Pu ‘u Pa ‘u Pa ‘u
Historical Background
In 1823, ke Ali’i Hoapili wahine, wife of Governor Hoapili, offered the American missionaries a tract of land on the slopes surrounding Pu’u Pa’upa’u for the creation of a high school.
Lahainaluna High School was established on September 5th 1831 by the American Board of Commissioners of Foreign Missions “to instruct young men of piety and promising talents”. The school opened with twenty-five students, including Davida Malo, age 38, under the leadership of Reverend Lorrin Andrews. Malo went on to hold important positions in the kingdom, including the first Superintendent of Schools.
The scholars engaged in a variety of studies including geography, mathematics and history to prepare them for leadership roles in the Hawaiian community. . Until 1877, when there was a shift to English, the language of instruction was Hawaiian.
The first newspaper west of the Rockies, ka Lama, was printed in Hawaiian at Lahainaluna on February 14, 1834.
In September 1836, thirty-two boys between the ages of 10 and 20 were admitted as the first boarding scholars. Thus the beginning of the boarding school at Lahainaluna.
Lahainaluna was transferred from being operated by the American missionaries to the control of the Hawaiian Monarchy in 1849. By 1864, only Lahainaluna graduates were considered qualified to hold government positions such as lawyers, teachers, district magistrates, and other important posts.
In 1903, Lahainaluna became a vocational trade school and in 1923, a technical high school, admitting both girls and boys as day students, and yet still continuing the male boarding program. It wasn’t until 1980 that the first girls were accepted into the boarding program.
Rich in tradition and culture, Lahainaluna today is not only one of a few public boarding schools in the nation, but it is also the oldest high school west of the Mississippi River. As part of the Hawaii State Department of Education, Lahainaluna prepares students with essential skills and knowledge to further their education, to pursue careers, and to contribute positively to society.
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