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(Honolulu, Hawaiʻi) — First Hawaiian Bank Foundation, the charitable arm of First Hawaiian Bank, has made a final installment of $40,000 through the University of Hawaiʻi Foundation to complete their $200,000 leadership gift to fund The Dan and Maggie Inouye Distinguished Chair in Democratic Ideals.

"UH Mānoa is grateful to First Hawaiian for completing this pledge and playing such a key role in raising funds for this chair. The Inouye Chair brings prestige to our University and attracts outstanding individuals who share their experience, worldview, and commitment to excellence with our students, faculty and community," said University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Chancellor Virginia Hinshaw.

First Hawaiian leadership spearheaded the Inouye Chair campaign that was launched in July 2005 and raised $1.625 million within a month. To date, more than $2.2 million has been raised and the campaign has been recognized as the most successful volunteer campaign for an endowed chair at UH.

"First Hawaiian Bank is proud to support UH Mānoa with this important gift to fund the Inouye Chair," said Sharon Shiroma Brown, president of First Hawaiian Bank Foundation. The Inouye Chair continues to successfully attract high caliber visiting faculty members who provide a rich and diverse educational experience for the students, faculty and the community."

The Dan and Maggie Inouye Distinguished Chair in Democratic Ideals honors Senator Dan Inouye, a 1950 graduate of UH, American war hero, and long-time senior senator of Hawaiʻi, and his late wife Maggie, a 1946 graduate of UH and educator who played a key role in her husband's achievements.

The Inouye Distinguished Chair in Democratic Ideals resides at UH Mānoa, offering courses and seminars for the benefit of students, faculty, alumni and the community. Held jointly in the William S. Richardson School of Law and the College of Arts and Humanities Department of American Studies, this visiting faculty position emphasizes democratic processes and the importance of public life while improving the understanding of the unique context of Hawaiʻi, Asia and the Pacific within the traditional positions of power and influence in the United States.

To date, these individuals have held The Dan and Maggie Inouye Distinguished Chair in Democratic Ideals: Dr. John Hope Franklin, celebrated historian of American history and the African American experience; Frederick Wiseman, considered one of the world's greatest documentary filmmakers; Ngugi wa Thiong'o, renowned East African novelist; and Richard Parsons, UH Mānoa alum and former chairman and CEO of Time Warner.

For more information about The Dan and Maggie Inouye Distinguished Chair in Democratic Ideals or to make a gift in support of this chair, contact:

Donna Vuchinich, President & CEO, UH Foundation
(808) 956-3711 or 1-866-UH OHANA
[email protected]

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The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa serves approximately 20,000 students pursuing 225 different degrees. Coming from every Hawaiian island, every state in the nation, and more than 100 countries, UH Mānoa students matriculate in an enriching environment for the global exchange of ideas. For more information, visit www.manoa.hawaii.edu.

The First Hawaiian Bank Foundation is the charitable arm of First Hawaiian Bank. It's the largest corporate foundation contributing to charity and one of the largest in the state. In 2008, First Hawaiian Bank and the First Hawaiian Bank Foundation donated $3.5 million to more than 350 non-profit organizations all in Hawaiʻi. The Foundation's primary focus remains enriching education opportunities for our youth, improving the lives of others, building healthier communities and invigorating our diverse cultural life. The First Hawaiian Foundation supports programs that improve the local communities where we do business by making grants to non-profit organizations that: meet human services needs, improve access to health care, provide educational opportunities, serve youth and children, enrich our lives through culture and the arts. For more information, visit www.fhb.com.

The University of Hawaiʻi Foundation, a nonprofit organization, raises private funds to support the University of Hawaiʻi System. Our mission is to unite our donors' passions with the University of Hawaiʻi's aspirations to benefit the people of Hawaiʻi and beyond. We do this by raising private philanthropic support, managing private investments and nurturing donor and alumni relationships. www.uhf.hawaii.edu