<Begin Segment 37>

MM: What's the, describe for us the dynamics at the University of Hawaii, especially at that time between the regents, the president's office and the community and the faculty.

RK: I don't know if I can describe that. Those relationships change with the characters changing and the times change. That's another thing; we know that change is the only constant. And when you look back, Tom Hamilton came at the right time because the university was ambitious, the state was on the upbeat, we weren't in financial trouble. And we chose a leader who was charismatic, who said the right things, got the support of the community. So he, in many ways, he was the right man, although the Vietnam War destroyed him. And then you, when, and Fudge Matsuda came in as president and they wanted, at that time, the state had financial problems and they wanted someone to drive an even keel. So I think that different times demand different kinds of people and personalities. And the regents change, too. In some ways the regents, as I view them now, became much more active in the management of the university, and to some extent I don't blame them, but I don't think it's a... too much involvement is not a healthy thing.

MM: You were a reluctant administrator. What type of administrative leader were you? How would you describe your leadership style?

RK: Oh, I don't know. I was never described as being forceful. I thought it was more by persuasion that you should convince people to do this or that. I never saw that, my positions as being permanent. Some people stay long and you have to establish relationships and, you know, think long-range. I thought that, in most of my positions I, after four or five years I thought I'd had my say, I did what I could do, and maybe we needed fresh blood. But that's my idea of administration. But there are, you can make reasons and there are cases for people staying longer, because oftentimes that helps to steady the institution.

<End Segment 37> - Copyright © 2004 Japanese American National Museum. All Rights Reserved.