President David O. McKay dedicates the new Church College of Hawaii campus on December 17, 1958 — 50 years ago
On December 17, 2008, the Brigham Young University Hawaii campus — that is, the actual physical plant — marks 50 years to the day since President David O. McKay stood at the podium in the brand new auditorium now named in his honor, and dedicated the core facilities of the Church College of Hawaii (renamed in 1974) that the labor missionaries had just completed.
That morning President McKay and Elder Marion G. Romney of the Quorum of the Twelve, and their wives, walked from Laie Elementary School, parting the long garlands of plumeria patterned after the greeting community residents gave King Kalakaua when he visited in 1874. They stopped for the unveiling of the mosaic mural above the foyer of the building now also named in his honor. The mural had literally been finished just a half-hour before President McKay's arrival.
In the auditorium the audience filled every seat, awaiting their arrival. Large louvers on the sides (which have long since been filled in) were opened so more people could watch, and loudspeakers were also set up for even more people in the foyer and hallways.
Hawaii Governor William F. Quinn, Honolulu Mayor Neal S. Blaisdell, Deputy Superintendent of Territorial Schools Deal F. Crooker, and University of Hawaii President Dr. Laurence Snyder were already on the stand.
In his remarks, Gov. Quinn said, "We have no doubt that the Church College of Hawaii will serve the Pacific world well — as an educational center — just as heretofore Laie has been a spiritual center; and that we, the Occidental people, the Polynesian people of the Pacific world will come and that the Church College of Hawaii will make its contributions to the destiny of Hawaii which is so manifest in this Pacific world to be, in truth, a leader of all of the peoples of the Pacific."
About two hours later, as President McKay began his remarks, he recalled that 38 years earlier "we stood around the flagpole and pledged allegiance to the flag so dear to all of us" — a scene recreated in the mosaic mural.
Then, after reading greetings from Dr. A. Ray Olpin, President of the University of Utah, and U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, President McKay said, "I look upon all recipients of true education as individuals and groups radiating an influence that makes less dense and ineffective the darkness of ignorance, of suspicion, of hatred, of bigotry, avarice and greed that continue to envelop in darkness the lives of men."
In his dedicatory prayer for the new campus, President McKay said, "May there radiate from these buildings an aura of light as tangible as personality radiates from each individual, influencing all to live clean and upright lives, to seek truth diligently, to be inspired so to live that others seeing their good deeds may live to glorify thee, our creator, our Father, our God."
"Help us, Oh Father, to appreciate the sacrifices and accomplishments of the past. Give us power and intelligence to contribute to the pressing and progressive demands of the present," he added. "Give us inspiration in all efforts that tend to establish peace among nations, good will toward men."
Dr. Ishmael Stagner II, now 69, but then the 18-year-old CCH student body president, remembered hearing these words while sitting behind President McKay on the stage with the other choir members. He said 1958 was the "swing year, when we started on the old [temporary] campus," but began classes in the new facilities in January 1959.
"The Technology Building [now the General Classroom Building] was the first one to be used. We were already holding some classes, meetings, and even chapel services there before the dedication, but for the most part, the campus really wasn't open until after President McKay gave the dedicatory prayer." He noted the students needed the Tech Building that fall "because we were already too big for the old campus."
This mid-1958 aerial photo of Laie, courtesy of the BYU-Hawaii Archives, shows the progress labor missionaries were making on the Church College of Hawaii campus (pictured in the upper left, renamed BYU-Hawaii in 1974). It also demonstrates how the community has grown since then.
Stagner also recalled that prior to the dedication the administration and labor missionaries asked the students to help get the campus ready. "The campus still needed to be cleaned. Windows needed to be washed. Floors needed to be swept, even flowers had to be planted," he said. "The night before the dedication, there were still a lot of things that needed to be done. We were moving furniture, cleaning stuff and helping with the mosaic because they had lost one box of tiles. You also have to understand this was during finals week."
In the middle of that evening, Stagner said Lilly Lindsey, the college president's secretary, asked him to take some boys to entertain President McKay and the other guests. "That's one of my greatest memories, and then we had to go back to work. We didn't finish until early morning."
In another, more cherished memory, Stagner said after the dedicatory program President McKay invited him to the president's office, "which at that time was right next to the foyer. He apologized, and I thought, oh my goodness. He said he had wanted to include students as part of the program, because he wanted the people to know that you are the ones for whom this college was built...for the students of the world who will hear the gospel. He wanted me to convey this to the other students. Then he shook my hand, and he hugged me, and I thought, Oh, my goodness gracious again."
As the new school term began a few weeks later, Stagner said he soon relayed this message in the very first student assembly in the auditorium. He also recalled "that December was similar to this one — one of the wettest Decembers on record. It poured, and a lot of the rooms leaked... They had to go back and repair the roofs, and already they began taking a look at expanding."
Stagner explained this took place at a time when some thought the CCH facilities were already too large, but the two dormitories [now Hale 1 and Hale 2] had been filled with students who were previously spread around Laie and Hauula.
"Then, of course, we also needed married student housing, so they selected the little building between the dormitories," which is now the hub of the business departments. "In the first month of being on the new campus, we were bulging at the seams," he said.
"At that time we were only second to the University of Hawaii. We had much better facilities, and yet we were bursting at the seams."
By February 1961 the labor missionaries returned to build four more dormitories, the Laie Temple Visitors Center and, of course, the Polynesian Cultural Center. Over the years the campus physical plant continued to grow and improve. For example, some of the highlights include:
Work began on the first phase of Temple View Apartments (TVA) in 1972. The Aloha Center was dedicated in 1973, and the Cannon Activities Center and the Snow Administration Building in 1981. The first satellite dish antenna was installed in 1984, the same year the cafeteria was renovated. The McKay Foyer was renovated in 1990. The McKay Office Building opened in 1994. The McKay Auditorium was renovated in 2000. Elder Jeffrey Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve dedicated the new Multi-Stake Center in 2002; and President Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the new front entrance to BYU-Hawaii and the Hale La'a Blvd. beautification project in 2004.
Stagner — who also taught on campus for approximately 30 years — said today he marvels "at all BYU-Hawaii has done. I think of how humble and simple it was when we were there. Many people wondered then whether or not the college would be successful... The same thing occurred when the PCC started."
"Now I look at everything here, and I think, my goodness, talk about listening to a prophet's voice. There is no other college physical plant in Hawaii like it... There's isn't a facility that compares to the Cannon Activities Center, and the Aloha Center."
A display detailing aspects of the history of the BYU-Hawaii campus is located in the Aloha Center, which was dedicated in 1973.