William Francis Quinn

(b. 1919)

William Quinn was attending Harvard Law School when World War II interrupted his studies. While serving in the Navy, Quinn visited Hawai`i for the first time as he made his way to Saipan. After the war, he completed his law degree and returned to Hawai`i in 1947 to accept a law firm position. For the next 10 years, he practiced law with Robertson, Castle and Anthony.

In 1957, President Eisenhower appointed Quinn territorial governor. After statehood in 1959, Quinn became the first elected governor in a hotly contested campaign against John Burns. As governor, Quinn established land use laws, handled a sugar workers’ strike in 1958 and directed the state's recovery after a 1960 tsunami.

When Quinn's second term as governor ended, he led Dole Pineapple Company as a vice president and president. In 1976, he ran for political office again, but lost the U.S. Senate race to Democrat Spark Matsunaga.

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