1 00:00:01,280 --> 00:00:04,279 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Missed in History Class, a production 2 00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:13,360 Speaker 1: of I Heart Radio. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. 3 00:00:13,360 --> 00:00:17,400 Speaker 1: I'm Holly Fry and I'm Tracy V. Wilson. So in 4 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:20,040 Speaker 1: part one of this two parter, we talked about Duke 5 00:00:20,079 --> 00:00:23,080 Speaker 1: Kahanamoku's early life and how he went from being an 6 00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:26,520 Speaker 1: unknown Hawaiian kid to finding himself the star of the 7 00:00:27,240 --> 00:00:30,120 Speaker 1: Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden, or at least one of the stars. 8 00:00:30,120 --> 00:00:32,600 Speaker 1: There were a few others. Today we are going to 9 00:00:32,720 --> 00:00:36,160 Speaker 1: talk about what happened to Duke after that sudden onslaught 10 00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:39,760 Speaker 1: of fame and how it really wasn't quite what Duke expected. 11 00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:42,760 Speaker 1: We're going to pick up right where we left off, 12 00:00:42,800 --> 00:00:45,360 Speaker 1: so if you skipped part one, you might feel a 13 00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:51,280 Speaker 1: little lost here. Duke Kahanamoku's love of outdoor sports helped 14 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:55,720 Speaker 1: popularize beach volleyball in Hawaii and beyond, as well as 15 00:00:55,720 --> 00:00:59,120 Speaker 1: aqua plaining a riding aboard being towed by a motor boat. 16 00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:03,000 Speaker 1: He was invited to join the outrigger club that had 17 00:01:03,040 --> 00:01:06,399 Speaker 1: once forbidden his membership, and he did accept that. He 18 00:01:06,480 --> 00:01:08,959 Speaker 1: knew that it would help further all of the sports 19 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:12,480 Speaker 1: that he loved so much. If he joined. Yeah, he 20 00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:15,920 Speaker 1: really had a big sense of like all eyes being 21 00:01:15,959 --> 00:01:19,280 Speaker 1: on Hawaii and spreading Hawaiian culture in ways he could 22 00:01:19,319 --> 00:01:22,440 Speaker 1: do that, and he seemed to be willing to let 23 00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:25,160 Speaker 1: bygones be bygones in a variety of instances if it 24 00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:27,960 Speaker 1: would help any of that and help Hawaii in his eyes. 25 00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:32,600 Speaker 1: Um But one of his most famous surfing feats, which 26 00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:35,840 Speaker 1: continued to put Hawaii on the world stage, happened in 27 00:01:35,920 --> 00:01:40,000 Speaker 1: nineteen seventeen, and the story is that he surfed a 28 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:44,200 Speaker 1: wave for a mile or more. That distance has shifted 29 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:47,080 Speaker 1: over the years. There is no exact way to measure 30 00:01:47,120 --> 00:01:50,040 Speaker 1: it at the time because he was out in the 31 00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:52,200 Speaker 1: water catching waves. It wasn't like he was on a course. 32 00:01:52,920 --> 00:01:55,800 Speaker 1: And as Kahanamoku's legend grew over the years, so did 33 00:01:55,800 --> 00:01:58,720 Speaker 1: the length of this ride in various accounts. But it 34 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:01,640 Speaker 1: was really quite impressive. It probably was at least a mile, 35 00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:06,960 Speaker 1: possibly more, and this event is nicknamed Kahanamoku's quote long ride, 36 00:02:07,320 --> 00:02:10,160 Speaker 1: and Kahanamoku later said of it quote, I never caught 37 00:02:10,200 --> 00:02:12,720 Speaker 1: another wave of anything like that one. It is a 38 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:15,320 Speaker 1: golden one that I treasure and I'm grateful that God 39 00:02:15,360 --> 00:02:19,040 Speaker 1: gave it to me. There were two significant deaths that 40 00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:24,359 Speaker 1: happened not long after that famous moment. In August nine seventeen, 41 00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:28,000 Speaker 1: Duke's father had a heart attack and died almost instantly 42 00:02:28,040 --> 00:02:31,160 Speaker 1: at the age of just forty, and of course this 43 00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:34,919 Speaker 1: was emotionally harrowing, but it also put Duke in a 44 00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:37,680 Speaker 1: position of being responsible for the rest of the family. 45 00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:42,680 Speaker 1: Three months after that, Queen Liliu Kalani died after a stroke, 46 00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:47,040 Speaker 1: and Duke, who was perhaps Hawaii's most famous resident at 47 00:02:47,040 --> 00:02:50,240 Speaker 1: that time, was asked to be a pallbearer at her funeral. 48 00:02:51,520 --> 00:02:54,600 Speaker 1: And of course, if you are paying attention to the timeline, 49 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:58,040 Speaker 1: we're in World War One time. And during World War One, 50 00:02:58,120 --> 00:03:00,960 Speaker 1: Duke contributed to the war effort in his own unique way. 51 00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:04,600 Speaker 1: He toured the US doing swimming exhibitions to raise money 52 00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:08,760 Speaker 1: uh and these exhibitions also included instructions in life saving, 53 00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:12,280 Speaker 1: which to me is kind of the neatest part. The Olympics, 54 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:14,640 Speaker 1: of course, had been canceled, and that was a huge 55 00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:17,440 Speaker 1: blow to an athlete who was celebrated by the world, 56 00:03:18,240 --> 00:03:21,760 Speaker 1: but who was also struggling financially just to maintain amateur 57 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:25,639 Speaker 1: status for games that were no longer happening. He did 58 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:28,720 Speaker 1: move into a job eventually as an underwater inspector for 59 00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:32,079 Speaker 1: the Public Works Department. While he was in Washington, D C. 60 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:35,360 Speaker 1: During this tour and also awaiting orders to be called 61 00:03:35,400 --> 00:03:39,640 Speaker 1: up for service, Duke Kanamoku became ill with the flu 62 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:42,760 Speaker 1: that was rapidly spreading around the world at that time. 63 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:45,560 Speaker 1: He was actually in really bad shape when a former 64 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:49,680 Speaker 1: girlfriend intervened and got him some medical attention. When he 65 00:03:49,720 --> 00:03:52,560 Speaker 1: got home as the war was ending, Duke had lost 66 00:03:52,600 --> 00:03:55,520 Speaker 1: more than twenty pounds and he looked, in his own words, 67 00:03:56,040 --> 00:04:00,440 Speaker 1: like a ghost. When we've talked about that pandemic being 68 00:04:00,600 --> 00:04:03,560 Speaker 1: really hard on otherwise young, healthy people a lot of 69 00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:07,400 Speaker 1: the time. I took him a long time to recover fully, 70 00:04:08,120 --> 00:04:11,240 Speaker 1: and once he did recover, he continued to compete as 71 00:04:11,240 --> 00:04:14,720 Speaker 1: a swimmer, but his performance, even after he had trained 72 00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:18,080 Speaker 1: and regained his strength, was not what it once was. 73 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:23,000 Speaker 1: Duke spoke about how cross training, specifically in rowing, had 74 00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:25,599 Speaker 1: not really been the right thing for his swimming muscles, 75 00:04:26,480 --> 00:04:29,080 Speaker 1: and the press was kind of unkind. There were articles 76 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:32,320 Speaker 1: skewering Duke and accusing him of basically being a big baby. 77 00:04:33,320 --> 00:04:36,400 Speaker 1: One was so unkind calling out Duke dropping out of 78 00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:39,480 Speaker 1: a competition as a matter of laziness. The Duke actually 79 00:04:39,480 --> 00:04:43,680 Speaker 1: filed a libel suit. In the spring of nine, Prince Edward, 80 00:04:43,760 --> 00:04:47,000 Speaker 1: who would later become King Edward eight, and his cousin 81 00:04:47,200 --> 00:04:50,159 Speaker 1: Louis Mountain Batton arrived in Hawaii and they wanted to 82 00:04:50,240 --> 00:04:53,240 Speaker 1: learn how to surf. Everyone knew that Duke was the 83 00:04:53,279 --> 00:04:55,840 Speaker 1: person to teach them, and he did. He took them 84 00:04:55,880 --> 00:04:59,880 Speaker 1: to ride waves in canoes and on his surfboard. Prince 85 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:03,800 Speaker 1: Edward found the whole thing thrilling and quote jolly good fun. 86 00:05:04,520 --> 00:05:07,279 Speaker 1: He also told Duke it was the first time he 87 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:09,279 Speaker 1: had been able to get away from all the news 88 00:05:09,360 --> 00:05:13,599 Speaker 1: cameras and security. Just as quickly as the Hawaiian press 89 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:17,440 Speaker 1: had turned on Duke for not winning races, it lauded 90 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:21,480 Speaker 1: him for making this connection with the Prince and representing 91 00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:26,080 Speaker 1: Hawaii so well. Also in nineteen twenty, Duke, who had 92 00:05:26,120 --> 00:05:30,200 Speaker 1: refocused and really started retraining and started winning races again, 93 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:33,159 Speaker 1: was once again chosen for the US Olympic team that 94 00:05:33,200 --> 00:05:36,960 Speaker 1: traveled to Antwerp, Belgium. This trip actually had kind of 95 00:05:36,960 --> 00:05:39,919 Speaker 1: a harrowing moment early on, when the athletes were boarding 96 00:05:39,960 --> 00:05:42,280 Speaker 1: their ship in New Jersey, and they saw on the 97 00:05:42,360 --> 00:05:46,120 Speaker 1: docks dozens of coffins carrying the bodies of US soldiers 98 00:05:46,120 --> 00:05:49,520 Speaker 1: who had been killed during the war. The ship they took, 99 00:05:49,560 --> 00:05:52,719 Speaker 1: the Princess Matoika, was dirty. It was in poor repair. 100 00:05:53,480 --> 00:05:55,360 Speaker 1: Uh there were a lot of issues around it that 101 00:05:55,440 --> 00:05:59,120 Speaker 1: got reported to the Olympic Committee. It was that bad. 102 00:05:59,160 --> 00:06:03,120 Speaker 1: There were rats other problems, but Khanamoku helped keep the 103 00:06:03,120 --> 00:06:06,640 Speaker 1: team spirits aloft by playing his ukulele and singing in 104 00:06:06,680 --> 00:06:09,920 Speaker 1: the evenings. And when they arrived in Antwerp, there were 105 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:12,240 Speaker 1: more reminders though, of just how much the war had 106 00:06:12,279 --> 00:06:15,039 Speaker 1: impacted everything. One of the biggest ones for Duke was 107 00:06:15,080 --> 00:06:18,040 Speaker 1: that Cecil Healy, who had been a competitor and a friend, 108 00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:22,760 Speaker 1: had been killed in action. Kahanamoku once again meddled in 109 00:06:22,800 --> 00:06:25,599 Speaker 1: the same two events as he had in nineteen twelve. 110 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:29,640 Speaker 1: Those were the hundred meter freestyle and the freestyle relay. 111 00:06:29,960 --> 00:06:33,200 Speaker 1: This time he took home gold medals in both. The 112 00:06:33,240 --> 00:06:36,720 Speaker 1: conditions that he was swimming in were not favorable for 113 00:06:36,800 --> 00:06:39,960 Speaker 1: him at all. The water was very cold, estimated to 114 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:44,640 Speaker 1: be below sixty degrees fahrenheit or fifteen point six degrees celsius, 115 00:06:44,680 --> 00:06:47,600 Speaker 1: and that makes it even more impressive that Duke not 116 00:06:47,720 --> 00:06:51,080 Speaker 1: only won the hundred meter finals, he also broke his 117 00:06:51,200 --> 00:06:54,520 Speaker 1: own world record. He came in at one minute for 118 00:06:54,760 --> 00:06:57,520 Speaker 1: tenths of a second. And remember this is meters, not 119 00:06:57,680 --> 00:07:00,680 Speaker 1: yards If you're thinking about that hundred yard record that 120 00:07:00,720 --> 00:07:04,479 Speaker 1: we talked about earlier starting his swimming career. That race 121 00:07:04,520 --> 00:07:09,000 Speaker 1: actually didn't stand though there was controversy about whether another 122 00:07:09,160 --> 00:07:12,520 Speaker 1: swimmer had interfered with a third competitor and it had 123 00:07:12,560 --> 00:07:16,480 Speaker 1: to be restaged. Duke still won, but not as fast 124 00:07:16,520 --> 00:07:19,160 Speaker 1: as that first time, and then he immediately took a 125 00:07:19,280 --> 00:07:22,320 Speaker 1: nap under the stands and once again almost missed the 126 00:07:22,320 --> 00:07:27,360 Speaker 1: final for the two relay. I love the naps. If 127 00:07:27,400 --> 00:07:32,480 Speaker 1: there were an Olympic napping competition, Duke Kahanamoku would win gold, silver, 128 00:07:32,560 --> 00:07:34,960 Speaker 1: and bronze every time. He was so so good at 129 00:07:35,080 --> 00:07:40,160 Speaker 1: naps um. Duke may have also played for the US 130 00:07:40,240 --> 00:07:43,400 Speaker 1: water polo team at those Olympics as a substitute. There 131 00:07:43,480 --> 00:07:45,640 Speaker 1: is no evidence one way or another, and there are 132 00:07:45,680 --> 00:07:49,800 Speaker 1: different versions of the story. Duke said on a few 133 00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:52,480 Speaker 1: occasions that he jumped into the water because a couple 134 00:07:52,480 --> 00:07:55,640 Speaker 1: of the US players had turned blue in that very 135 00:07:55,640 --> 00:07:59,280 Speaker 1: cold water. We mentioned and had to be removed. Another 136 00:07:59,360 --> 00:08:02,280 Speaker 1: member of the a swim team, Helen Meany, gave a 137 00:08:02,320 --> 00:08:05,320 Speaker 1: different account that the swimmers basically formed an ad hoc 138 00:08:05,440 --> 00:08:08,200 Speaker 1: team when the polo team refused to play in the 139 00:08:08,240 --> 00:08:10,560 Speaker 1: Chili conditions, and that they were such a mess because 140 00:08:10,560 --> 00:08:13,000 Speaker 1: they didn't even know the rules of the game that 141 00:08:13,080 --> 00:08:16,040 Speaker 1: the referee quote was laughing so hard he nearly fell 142 00:08:16,080 --> 00:08:19,760 Speaker 1: off the high chair he was sitting on. The rosters 143 00:08:19,880 --> 00:08:23,600 Speaker 1: for this particular match are incomplete, so we will never 144 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:27,760 Speaker 1: know what really happened. Was also the year that Duke 145 00:08:27,840 --> 00:08:31,880 Speaker 1: introduced the idea of surfing as an Olympic sport, so 146 00:08:31,920 --> 00:08:35,000 Speaker 1: it would seem that things were going beautifully. Duke was thirty. 147 00:08:35,120 --> 00:08:38,160 Speaker 1: He had solidified his standing as a champion. He had 148 00:08:38,200 --> 00:08:42,200 Speaker 1: continued to really do Hawaii proud, but he didn't have 149 00:08:42,240 --> 00:08:45,480 Speaker 1: any real career plans or training. He took a couple 150 00:08:45,520 --> 00:08:47,800 Speaker 1: of jobs. He fell back on the tourist trade, but 151 00:08:47,880 --> 00:08:53,080 Speaker 1: he just wasn't financially comfortable in the nineteen twenties, even 152 00:08:53,120 --> 00:08:57,199 Speaker 1: though he was still swimming competitively, Duke, trying to figure 153 00:08:57,200 --> 00:08:58,640 Speaker 1: out a way to make his way in the world, 154 00:08:58,720 --> 00:09:03,839 Speaker 1: shifted gears to start an acting career starting in ninety two. 155 00:09:04,040 --> 00:09:06,959 Speaker 1: He lived primarily in Los Angeles for this new job, 156 00:09:07,960 --> 00:09:11,199 Speaker 1: and over the eight years between n and nineteen thirty 157 00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:14,839 Speaker 1: he acted in more than two dozen movies. He had 158 00:09:14,840 --> 00:09:16,800 Speaker 1: actually had a bit part well before this, in the 159 00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:21,000 Speaker 1: nineteen fifteen Hobart Bosworth film The Beach Comber, playing a 160 00:09:21,080 --> 00:09:24,880 Speaker 1: Native Hawaiian who saves the main character from drowning. So 161 00:09:24,920 --> 00:09:27,320 Speaker 1: this was a way he could earn money that wouldn't 162 00:09:27,360 --> 00:09:32,520 Speaker 1: compromise his amateur athletics status. But the move to California 163 00:09:32,640 --> 00:09:36,440 Speaker 1: was also emotionally really heavy. He had to leave behind 164 00:09:36,559 --> 00:09:39,400 Speaker 1: his close knit family. It was just a hard decision. 165 00:09:40,040 --> 00:09:42,520 Speaker 1: There had been so many ups and downs for him 166 00:09:42,559 --> 00:09:46,280 Speaker 1: and the press and regarding his financial standing. The whole 167 00:09:46,280 --> 00:09:49,640 Speaker 1: thing was just complicated and had a whole lot of layered, 168 00:09:49,720 --> 00:09:59,640 Speaker 1: conflicting feelings. Yeah, multiple people have commented in various places 169 00:09:59,720 --> 00:10:03,360 Speaker 1: about how uncomfortable he was talking about money. So the 170 00:10:03,400 --> 00:10:06,880 Speaker 1: fact that he was struggling was like this double layer 171 00:10:06,960 --> 00:10:10,480 Speaker 1: of of just problematic stuff. Um, but we're going to 172 00:10:10,600 --> 00:10:13,200 Speaker 1: talk about how things played out for him in Hollywood, 173 00:10:13,320 --> 00:10:15,280 Speaker 1: and we're gonna do that after we first paused for 174 00:10:15,280 --> 00:10:25,040 Speaker 1: a sponsor break. So Kahata Moogu had envisioned being a 175 00:10:25,080 --> 00:10:28,160 Speaker 1: film star, but it pretty quickly became a parent that 176 00:10:28,200 --> 00:10:31,199 Speaker 1: Hollywood was not ready for a non white lead in movies, 177 00:10:31,320 --> 00:10:34,760 Speaker 1: so he was relegated to small parts. He didn't stay 178 00:10:34,760 --> 00:10:37,600 Speaker 1: in California, though, because he really appreciated all of the 179 00:10:37,640 --> 00:10:41,480 Speaker 1: outdoor sporting opportunities it offered. He started working at the 180 00:10:41,520 --> 00:10:44,560 Speaker 1: Santa Monica Beach Club as a lifeguard to make ends meet, 181 00:10:44,679 --> 00:10:48,480 Speaker 1: and as a side effect, he helped popularize beach volleyball there. 182 00:10:49,120 --> 00:10:52,000 Speaker 1: He also gave swimming and surfing lessons to actors to 183 00:10:52,040 --> 00:10:55,680 Speaker 1: make extra money, and he joined the Los Angeles Athletic 184 00:10:55,679 --> 00:10:58,560 Speaker 1: Club so he could use their facilities to train because 185 00:10:58,559 --> 00:11:03,480 Speaker 1: he really wanted one more Olympics in nwour Duke, who 186 00:11:03,600 --> 00:11:07,120 Speaker 1: at this point was thirty four, participated in the Olympics 187 00:11:07,200 --> 00:11:11,280 Speaker 1: in Paris. His younger brother Sam had also qualified in 188 00:11:11,320 --> 00:11:14,480 Speaker 1: the same event, and the Kahanamoku brothers swam the hundred 189 00:11:14,480 --> 00:11:18,760 Speaker 1: meter freestyle. This time, Duke won a silver. His competitor, 190 00:11:18,840 --> 00:11:21,480 Speaker 1: Johnny wise Miller took on the gold and yes, that's 191 00:11:21,520 --> 00:11:25,200 Speaker 1: the same one who went on to play Tarzan in films. 192 00:11:26,200 --> 00:11:29,679 Speaker 1: The press had played up this rivalry between the two swimmers, 193 00:11:29,720 --> 00:11:32,200 Speaker 1: and Duke had wanted to beat him, but he was 194 00:11:32,200 --> 00:11:36,440 Speaker 1: also really gracious about it. Sam Kahanamoku won the bronze, 195 00:11:36,520 --> 00:11:39,680 Speaker 1: and incidentally, Duke and Sam's brother David was also on 196 00:11:39,760 --> 00:11:42,880 Speaker 1: the US swim team that year. Yeah, that was all 197 00:11:43,120 --> 00:11:49,080 Speaker 1: uh all Kahanamoku year for the Olympic swim team. There 198 00:11:49,160 --> 00:11:53,880 Speaker 1: is a story that came up later on there. Like 199 00:11:53,880 --> 00:11:56,120 Speaker 1: I said, the press tried to play this up as 200 00:11:56,160 --> 00:11:59,000 Speaker 1: like this big rivalry and they ended up really to 201 00:11:59,080 --> 00:12:02,280 Speaker 1: be pretty good friends. And there had been stories that 202 00:12:02,360 --> 00:12:05,960 Speaker 1: Duke and Sam were trying to like intimidate weiss Miller 203 00:12:06,200 --> 00:12:09,679 Speaker 1: on the deck, which doesn't sound quite right, But then 204 00:12:09,720 --> 00:12:12,720 Speaker 1: weiss Miller later said, no, Duke just told me, like, 205 00:12:12,840 --> 00:12:14,840 Speaker 1: let's get the top three for the US. However, it 206 00:12:14,840 --> 00:12:17,319 Speaker 1: plays out just as long as we all get there together, 207 00:12:18,160 --> 00:12:20,120 Speaker 1: which seems a little more in line with what we 208 00:12:20,200 --> 00:12:24,320 Speaker 1: know about him. But after the Olympics, Duke returned to 209 00:12:24,360 --> 00:12:28,560 Speaker 1: Los Angeles and, in another crossover with a previous show topic, 210 00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:32,559 Speaker 1: he signed an acting contract with Adolph Zooker's Famous Players 211 00:12:32,640 --> 00:12:35,600 Speaker 1: Last Kie Corporation, which of course became more well known 212 00:12:35,640 --> 00:12:39,440 Speaker 1: once its name was Paramount studios, and we mentioned earlier 213 00:12:39,480 --> 00:12:41,640 Speaker 1: that he appeared in more than two dozen films, but 214 00:12:41,679 --> 00:12:45,600 Speaker 1: the actual number is unknown due to the fact that 215 00:12:45,640 --> 00:12:48,080 Speaker 1: many films from that era were not preserved and have 216 00:12:48,200 --> 00:12:51,400 Speaker 1: been lost to time, and because Duke sometimes appeared in 217 00:12:51,440 --> 00:12:53,960 Speaker 1: parts that were so small they did not merit a credit, 218 00:12:54,360 --> 00:12:57,320 Speaker 1: there is no way to get an accurate number. Uh. 219 00:12:57,360 --> 00:12:59,679 Speaker 1: There are people who have gone through films have been like, 220 00:12:59,720 --> 00:13:02,040 Speaker 1: I think that's Duke Conomoco in the background, but I'm 221 00:13:02,080 --> 00:13:06,520 Speaker 1: not positive. That's how like uncertain it is. But he 222 00:13:06,559 --> 00:13:10,080 Speaker 1: did become lifelong friends with famous director John Ford during 223 00:13:10,120 --> 00:13:13,360 Speaker 1: this time, after appearing in some small parts in a 224 00:13:13,400 --> 00:13:16,880 Speaker 1: couple of Fords movies. One of the surprising ways that 225 00:13:16,960 --> 00:13:19,880 Speaker 1: Duke made headlines was an event that took place in nine. 226 00:13:21,720 --> 00:13:26,000 Speaker 1: The fishing yacht Thelma, helmed by cigar store owner Myron Bland, 227 00:13:26,120 --> 00:13:29,959 Speaker 1: had ventured out despite danger flags flying in the harbor 228 00:13:30,120 --> 00:13:34,160 Speaker 1: off Corona del Mar. Duke and his friends happened to 229 00:13:34,200 --> 00:13:37,320 Speaker 1: be camping on the beach that weekend, and Kahanamoku saw 230 00:13:37,360 --> 00:13:41,200 Speaker 1: the yacht get slammed by a huge wave and capsize. 231 00:13:41,880 --> 00:13:45,040 Speaker 1: He immediately grabbed his surfboard and paddled out to the boat, 232 00:13:45,080 --> 00:13:48,160 Speaker 1: where passengers were just tangled up in the ropes and equipment. 233 00:13:48,800 --> 00:13:51,120 Speaker 1: He managed to get three people onto the board and 234 00:13:51,120 --> 00:13:54,400 Speaker 1: started paddling back to shore. His friends met him in 235 00:13:54,440 --> 00:13:58,120 Speaker 1: the water and then relayed these rescued boaters to safety. 236 00:13:58,559 --> 00:14:01,839 Speaker 1: Duke made two more trips, rescuing a total of eight 237 00:14:01,880 --> 00:14:06,120 Speaker 1: people himself. Two other bystanders, seeing what Duke was doing, 238 00:14:06,160 --> 00:14:08,840 Speaker 1: had also made rescue runs. In a total of thirteen 239 00:14:08,840 --> 00:14:12,640 Speaker 1: people were saved, but five drowned that day, and while 240 00:14:12,679 --> 00:14:15,680 Speaker 1: the people rescued spoke of Duke as this wizard and 241 00:14:15,720 --> 00:14:18,319 Speaker 1: a savior who had plucked them from the clutches of death. 242 00:14:18,960 --> 00:14:21,640 Speaker 1: When he was questioned about how he managed to rescue 243 00:14:21,680 --> 00:14:25,280 Speaker 1: so many people, the Hawaiian athlete really did not say much. 244 00:14:25,320 --> 00:14:28,640 Speaker 1: True to form. His only response was, I do not know. 245 00:14:28,960 --> 00:14:32,840 Speaker 1: It was done, that's the main thing, by a few tricks. Perhaps. 246 00:14:34,080 --> 00:14:36,520 Speaker 1: Later that same day, when the warning light on the 247 00:14:36,600 --> 00:14:38,960 Speaker 1: jetty was knocked out, it was once again Duke and 248 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:41,960 Speaker 1: his friends who sacrificed their own safety to restore it 249 00:14:42,520 --> 00:14:45,120 Speaker 1: rather than risk other boats meeting the same fate as 250 00:14:45,120 --> 00:14:48,800 Speaker 1: the Thelma. It was thanks to the events at Corona 251 00:14:48,840 --> 00:14:52,320 Speaker 1: del Mar that day that paddle boards became standard equipment 252 00:14:52,360 --> 00:14:57,160 Speaker 1: for lifeguard stations. While commenting on this outcome, Duke noted 253 00:14:57,200 --> 00:15:00,200 Speaker 1: that quote some good sometimes comes from the word list 254 00:15:00,280 --> 00:15:03,560 Speaker 1: of tragedies, and that was a huge story. But throughout 255 00:15:03,680 --> 00:15:07,320 Speaker 1: his life, Duke actually rescued a lot of people from drowning. 256 00:15:08,080 --> 00:15:10,920 Speaker 1: As part of his surf club that we mentioned uh, 257 00:15:11,000 --> 00:15:14,160 Speaker 1: he and his friends routinely helped people who had gone 258 00:15:14,160 --> 00:15:17,160 Speaker 1: out too far and found themselves struggling, and while he 259 00:15:17,200 --> 00:15:19,600 Speaker 1: was preparing for his first Olympics, he had rescued a 260 00:15:19,640 --> 00:15:22,800 Speaker 1: man in Atlantic City who had passed out from intoxication 261 00:15:22,920 --> 00:15:26,080 Speaker 1: and fallen into a pool. He had also saved another 262 00:15:26,160 --> 00:15:29,360 Speaker 1: surfer on that same beach at Corona del Mar, but 263 00:15:29,440 --> 00:15:31,600 Speaker 1: that fishing boat made huge news. It was in the 264 00:15:31,600 --> 00:15:35,600 Speaker 1: papers all over the world. So finally Duke realized he 265 00:15:35,680 --> 00:15:37,920 Speaker 1: was just not going to make it big in l 266 00:15:37,960 --> 00:15:42,160 Speaker 1: a and he also missed home desperately. He was heading 267 00:15:42,200 --> 00:15:44,960 Speaker 1: into his forties, and he went back to the Islands 268 00:15:44,960 --> 00:15:48,640 Speaker 1: in early nineteen thirty. He rekindled his love of surfing 269 00:15:48,760 --> 00:15:51,680 Speaker 1: and spent time with his family, and he once again 270 00:15:51,800 --> 00:15:54,880 Speaker 1: assumed the role of tour guide and beach companion to 271 00:15:55,080 --> 00:15:59,200 Speaker 1: any famous people who visited. He found work as the 272 00:15:59,240 --> 00:16:03,200 Speaker 1: superintend in of Honolulu Holle, where the city's government was housed. 273 00:16:03,960 --> 00:16:07,120 Speaker 1: This job was touted as a sort of honorary greeter position, 274 00:16:07,200 --> 00:16:09,520 Speaker 1: but the reality was that he was doing labor to 275 00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:12,920 Speaker 1: maintain the grounds in the building, like literally mopping floors, 276 00:16:13,000 --> 00:16:17,560 Speaker 1: mowing lawns, painting things general upkeep. Duke later called this 277 00:16:17,680 --> 00:16:21,760 Speaker 1: job official toilet cleaner. Duke tried out for the nineteen 278 00:16:21,840 --> 00:16:24,800 Speaker 1: thirty two Olympics, but he didn't make the team. He 279 00:16:24,920 --> 00:16:28,040 Speaker 1: was forty one during the trials, his legs just didn't 280 00:16:28,120 --> 00:16:31,480 Speaker 1: have the stamina for the hundred meter race anymore. He 281 00:16:31,520 --> 00:16:35,360 Speaker 1: would start strong, but then finish in a more disappointing way. 282 00:16:35,960 --> 00:16:38,520 Speaker 1: He helped out with the running of the games in 283 00:16:38,600 --> 00:16:41,840 Speaker 1: Los Angeles, and it sometimes reported that he was an 284 00:16:41,840 --> 00:16:44,560 Speaker 1: alternate on the water polo team, but there's really no 285 00:16:44,640 --> 00:16:48,440 Speaker 1: official record to substantiate that. When Duke got back to 286 00:16:48,480 --> 00:16:53,280 Speaker 1: Oahu after those Olympics, his superintendent job was eliminated. At 287 00:16:53,280 --> 00:16:55,600 Speaker 1: that point, they offered him the position of janitor, and 288 00:16:55,640 --> 00:16:58,680 Speaker 1: he turned that down. He took a job instead as 289 00:16:58,720 --> 00:17:01,720 Speaker 1: the manager of two gas nations for Union Oil, saying 290 00:17:01,760 --> 00:17:04,000 Speaker 1: to the offer heck, yes, I'm not too proud to 291 00:17:04,040 --> 00:17:09,480 Speaker 1: pump gas. Duke had another job change in four that year, 292 00:17:09,520 --> 00:17:13,280 Speaker 1: he was elected sheriff of the City and County of Honolulu. 293 00:17:13,440 --> 00:17:16,280 Speaker 1: He served in that role for twenty five years. He 294 00:17:16,320 --> 00:17:19,880 Speaker 1: was reelected thirteen times. And this may seem like kind 295 00:17:19,880 --> 00:17:22,440 Speaker 1: of a strange move, but when he was still young, 296 00:17:22,600 --> 00:17:25,639 Speaker 1: Duke's father had moved into a job on the police force, 297 00:17:26,240 --> 00:17:29,080 Speaker 1: but there was an element of family continuity in this 298 00:17:29,560 --> 00:17:34,000 Speaker 1: dedication to serve. Additionally, in the years leading up to 299 00:17:34,080 --> 00:17:37,560 Speaker 1: Duke's first election, there had been a lot of ongoing 300 00:17:37,680 --> 00:17:41,359 Speaker 1: racist tension between Native Hawaiians and the white population that 301 00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:43,679 Speaker 1: had moved to the island, including a lot of the 302 00:17:43,680 --> 00:17:48,440 Speaker 1: military men that were stationed there. This most famously manifested 303 00:17:48,480 --> 00:17:51,520 Speaker 1: in the tragic Thalium Massey case, when Massey, who was 304 00:17:51,560 --> 00:17:55,680 Speaker 1: a Navy wife, falsely accused five men uh, some of 305 00:17:55,680 --> 00:18:00,000 Speaker 1: whom were Native Hawaiian, of beating and sexually assaulting her. Uh. 306 00:18:00,080 --> 00:18:03,560 Speaker 1: That case maybe an episode when I'm feeling mentally strong 307 00:18:03,680 --> 00:18:07,720 Speaker 1: enough for it. It is very ugly. Um. While Duke 308 00:18:07,880 --> 00:18:10,960 Speaker 1: was not a particularly ambitious or power hungry man, though 309 00:18:11,280 --> 00:18:13,159 Speaker 1: he had a way of putting people at ease and 310 00:18:13,160 --> 00:18:17,080 Speaker 1: getting along with everyone. So as the sheriff's race was 311 00:18:17,160 --> 00:18:20,240 Speaker 1: coming up, he kind of offered a choice for someone 312 00:18:20,280 --> 00:18:23,760 Speaker 1: that might help ease the tensions in Honolulu, and after 313 00:18:23,800 --> 00:18:25,600 Speaker 1: he was elected for the first time, he took out 314 00:18:25,640 --> 00:18:28,000 Speaker 1: an ad space in all of the papers, thanking the 315 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:30,679 Speaker 1: people for his win and promising to try to live 316 00:18:30,760 --> 00:18:33,920 Speaker 1: up to their trust. He may not have been ambitious, 317 00:18:33,960 --> 00:18:37,040 Speaker 1: but Duke was also not afraid of hard work, and 318 00:18:37,080 --> 00:18:40,240 Speaker 1: this sheriff position was a really good match for him. 319 00:18:40,280 --> 00:18:42,960 Speaker 1: He worked to improve the local jail. He made it 320 00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:45,920 Speaker 1: a point to visit jails and police stations and other 321 00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:48,920 Speaker 1: cities when he traveled to kind of gauge areas where 322 00:18:48,960 --> 00:18:52,879 Speaker 1: Honolulu could improve, and one of his ongoing projects that 323 00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:56,040 Speaker 1: just he could not get support for it was that 324 00:18:56,080 --> 00:18:57,520 Speaker 1: he was like, we need a new jail. This one 325 00:18:57,600 --> 00:19:00,520 Speaker 1: is really not good enough, in part because when he 326 00:19:00,560 --> 00:19:03,400 Speaker 1: first started, everybody escaped from it, like it was apparently 327 00:19:03,440 --> 00:19:05,040 Speaker 1: just easy to walk out of it, and he was like, 328 00:19:05,440 --> 00:19:08,480 Speaker 1: why even have it. Um took a very long time 329 00:19:08,520 --> 00:19:11,879 Speaker 1: to get support for that move. In nineteen thirty six, 330 00:19:12,160 --> 00:19:15,439 Speaker 1: Duke's mother, Julia died, and this was of course very 331 00:19:15,480 --> 00:19:17,639 Speaker 1: difficult for Duke and all of his siblings who just 332 00:19:17,720 --> 00:19:20,399 Speaker 1: adored her, and when she was laid to rest, it 333 00:19:20,480 --> 00:19:22,919 Speaker 1: is said that the family had two full truckloads of 334 00:19:22,920 --> 00:19:26,640 Speaker 1: flowers brought to her grave. We are about to get 335 00:19:26,720 --> 00:19:28,919 Speaker 1: to the time in Duke's life when he met and 336 00:19:29,000 --> 00:19:32,760 Speaker 1: befriended Airis Doris Duke. Before we get into that, we 337 00:19:32,800 --> 00:19:41,360 Speaker 1: will hear from some of our sponsors. In the mid 338 00:19:41,480 --> 00:19:44,639 Speaker 1: nineteen thirties, Duke became friends with a woman who was 339 00:19:44,800 --> 00:19:47,320 Speaker 1: unlike anyone he had ever met, even though he had 340 00:19:47,359 --> 00:19:51,280 Speaker 1: at that point spent time with Royalty and innumerable icons. 341 00:19:51,359 --> 00:19:55,040 Speaker 1: He had had dinner at one point with Amelia earhart Um, 342 00:19:55,080 --> 00:19:58,280 Speaker 1: but this was Doris Duke. And Doris had first traveled 343 00:19:58,320 --> 00:20:01,359 Speaker 1: to Hawaii when she was twenty two on her honeymoon. 344 00:20:02,160 --> 00:20:05,160 Speaker 1: She was a tobacco heiress who had come into millions 345 00:20:05,200 --> 00:20:07,440 Speaker 1: at the age of twelve. She also had like kind 346 00:20:07,440 --> 00:20:11,080 Speaker 1: of staggered payouts throughout her life as she matured, and 347 00:20:11,160 --> 00:20:15,000 Speaker 1: she lived her life seemingly without any restrictions. And Doris 348 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:18,399 Speaker 1: and the Kahanamoku family became very very close, and she 349 00:20:18,520 --> 00:20:22,480 Speaker 1: soon purchased land on Owahu near them, where she built 350 00:20:22,520 --> 00:20:25,600 Speaker 1: the first million dollar home there that was designed by 351 00:20:25,640 --> 00:20:30,119 Speaker 1: Marion Simms Wyath and it was named shankar Law. Duke's brother, 352 00:20:30,240 --> 00:20:33,840 Speaker 1: Sam taught Doris to surf, but she was linked romantically 353 00:20:33,880 --> 00:20:38,160 Speaker 1: to both Sam and Duke. Rumors really swirled that while 354 00:20:38,200 --> 00:20:41,879 Speaker 1: her husband, diplomat James HR. Cromwell, was staying in the 355 00:20:41,920 --> 00:20:45,600 Speaker 1: Continental US attend to his career, Doris and Duke were 356 00:20:45,680 --> 00:20:50,040 Speaker 1: essentially living as a couple in Hawaii. Doris became pregnant 357 00:20:50,040 --> 00:20:52,840 Speaker 1: at the end of nineteen thirty nine or early nineteen forty, 358 00:20:53,040 --> 00:20:55,920 Speaker 1: and the paternity of that child, who died not long 359 00:20:55,960 --> 00:20:59,800 Speaker 1: after she was born, has been debated ever since. But 360 00:21:00,480 --> 00:21:03,359 Speaker 1: Duke was in a in a relationship with dance instructor 361 00:21:03,480 --> 00:21:07,520 Speaker 1: Nadine Alexander in ninety and the couple married in August 362 00:21:07,560 --> 00:21:10,679 Speaker 1: of that year. This has led some people to speculate 363 00:21:10,760 --> 00:21:14,160 Speaker 1: that Doris Duke was more likely to have been involved 364 00:21:14,400 --> 00:21:20,160 Speaker 1: with Sam Kahanamoku. Doris later loaned Duke and Nadine money 365 00:21:20,200 --> 00:21:23,000 Speaker 1: for the purchase of a home. Yeah, she was really 366 00:21:23,080 --> 00:21:26,680 Speaker 1: very close with the entire family, and Duke and Nadine 367 00:21:26,720 --> 00:21:31,720 Speaker 1: were genuinely deeply in love. Uh Nadine was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, 368 00:21:31,840 --> 00:21:34,439 Speaker 1: and had actually swooned over photos of Duke in the 369 00:21:34,440 --> 00:21:37,480 Speaker 1: papers as a teenager. She was fifteen years younger than 370 00:21:37,520 --> 00:21:40,320 Speaker 1: he was, and she ended up in Honolulu when she 371 00:21:40,359 --> 00:21:43,680 Speaker 1: took a job teaching ballroom dance at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. 372 00:21:44,359 --> 00:21:46,280 Speaker 1: It said that the two of them just loved almost 373 00:21:46,280 --> 00:21:48,480 Speaker 1: more than anything else, to just dance together, which is 374 00:21:48,520 --> 00:21:52,360 Speaker 1: so sweet. But this marriage was perceived by some as 375 00:21:52,359 --> 00:21:55,679 Speaker 1: a betrayal on Duke's part of his Hawaiian heritage. It 376 00:21:55,760 --> 00:21:58,480 Speaker 1: was even used against him in the nineteen forty election, 377 00:21:58,680 --> 00:22:02,080 Speaker 1: insinuating the he was now anti Hawaiian. That was a 378 00:22:02,119 --> 00:22:05,560 Speaker 1: criticism he was actually getting from both sides of the 379 00:22:05,680 --> 00:22:10,040 Speaker 1: political divide. He still won that election, but he also 380 00:22:10,080 --> 00:22:14,360 Speaker 1: switched political parties from Democrat to Republican after the Democratic 381 00:22:14,400 --> 00:22:19,280 Speaker 1: party representatives spoke about being disillusioned about Duke following his marriage. 382 00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:23,240 Speaker 1: Duke was generally, I mean, we keep talking about how 383 00:22:23,280 --> 00:22:26,040 Speaker 1: beloved he was, and he was well supported by voters 384 00:22:26,080 --> 00:22:29,000 Speaker 1: from both parties. That's which really did not change much. 385 00:22:29,720 --> 00:22:34,200 Speaker 1: When Pearl Harbor was bombed on December seven nine, Duke 386 00:22:34,280 --> 00:22:37,280 Speaker 1: and Nadine were eating breakfast at the Outrigger Canoe Club 387 00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:40,199 Speaker 1: Duke called an acquaintance to make sure it was a 388 00:22:40,240 --> 00:22:43,639 Speaker 1: real attack and not the local military base running some 389 00:22:43,720 --> 00:22:47,120 Speaker 1: kind of a training maneuver. When he confirmed what was happening, 390 00:22:47,200 --> 00:22:49,560 Speaker 1: he and Nadine made a run for the safer shelter 391 00:22:49,680 --> 00:22:53,440 Speaker 1: of city Hall. Because of his position as sheriff, Duke 392 00:22:53,520 --> 00:22:58,639 Speaker 1: Kahanamoku had to oversee the really inadequate city morgue and 393 00:22:58,800 --> 00:23:02,280 Speaker 1: inspect potential dig sites in case a mass burial plot 394 00:23:02,320 --> 00:23:05,400 Speaker 1: was needed. Duke went on to set up a citywide 395 00:23:05,400 --> 00:23:10,040 Speaker 1: alert system in case additional attacks followed that one. Following 396 00:23:10,040 --> 00:23:13,399 Speaker 1: the war, he became a supporter of statehood for Hawaii. 397 00:23:13,680 --> 00:23:17,320 Speaker 1: This obviously was not something everyone wanted. Um. He also 398 00:23:17,359 --> 00:23:19,439 Speaker 1: signed a deal for his name to be used in 399 00:23:19,520 --> 00:23:23,360 Speaker 1: marketing for a Loha shirts made by clothing company Cisco Casuals. 400 00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:26,119 Speaker 1: This was not the first such deal he signed, but 401 00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:28,560 Speaker 1: it was one that had him touring the continental US 402 00:23:28,640 --> 00:23:32,280 Speaker 1: to promote the product with Nadine at his side. In 403 00:23:32,440 --> 00:23:35,320 Speaker 1: nineteen fifty five, Duke had a heart attack and spent 404 00:23:35,440 --> 00:23:39,080 Speaker 1: ten days in an oxygen tent. He recovered and was 405 00:23:39,119 --> 00:23:42,600 Speaker 1: sent back home with instructions to follow a limited diet, 406 00:23:42,840 --> 00:23:46,720 Speaker 1: but according to Nadine, he didn't always follow that. From 407 00:23:46,720 --> 00:23:49,360 Speaker 1: that point on, Duke had a number of health issues, 408 00:23:49,440 --> 00:23:53,600 Speaker 1: including asthma and ulcers, which Nadine believed were the result 409 00:23:53,640 --> 00:23:57,720 Speaker 1: of his keeping his emotions bottled up. Yeah, she definitely 410 00:23:57,760 --> 00:24:00,000 Speaker 1: made clear that she thought him being nice to everyone 411 00:24:00,000 --> 00:24:01,960 Speaker 1: and all the time, no matter what they did to him, 412 00:24:02,080 --> 00:24:05,399 Speaker 1: was part of the source of his health issues. In 413 00:24:05,480 --> 00:24:07,919 Speaker 1: nine fifty six, he went to the Olympics again, this 414 00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:10,520 Speaker 1: time not as an athlete he was sixty six at 415 00:24:10,520 --> 00:24:13,600 Speaker 1: that point, but as a representative of the United States, 416 00:24:13,800 --> 00:24:15,879 Speaker 1: and he watched as many of the swimming events as 417 00:24:15,920 --> 00:24:19,200 Speaker 1: he could. He was apparently really blown away by the swimmers, 418 00:24:19,240 --> 00:24:23,520 Speaker 1: one that their their bathing costumes had gotten sleeker and 419 00:24:23,560 --> 00:24:25,399 Speaker 1: allowed them to be faster in the water, but also 420 00:24:25,440 --> 00:24:27,240 Speaker 1: he said to have been really really wowed by their 421 00:24:27,280 --> 00:24:30,280 Speaker 1: training regimens. And when the games were over, Duke and 422 00:24:30,359 --> 00:24:35,480 Speaker 1: Nadine toured Asia together. On August twenty one, nineteen fifty nine, 423 00:24:35,720 --> 00:24:39,480 Speaker 1: Hawaii gained statehood, and while this was something that Duke 424 00:24:39,560 --> 00:24:43,800 Speaker 1: had supported. Afterwards he watched throngs of people moved to 425 00:24:43,840 --> 00:24:48,479 Speaker 1: the islands. Waikiki quickly grew into a tourism village. He 426 00:24:48,560 --> 00:24:51,080 Speaker 1: might have started wondering if that had really been the 427 00:24:51,200 --> 00:24:54,920 Speaker 1: right move. Things took an even more troubling turn when 428 00:24:54,920 --> 00:24:59,720 Speaker 1: the sheriff's office was eliminated in a city reorganization That 429 00:24:59,760 --> 00:25:02,639 Speaker 1: meant that Kahanamoku was out of a job. He was 430 00:25:02,680 --> 00:25:05,760 Speaker 1: eventually given a job as the city's official greeter, but 431 00:25:05,880 --> 00:25:10,480 Speaker 1: that paid less than nine thousand dollars a year. That pay, 432 00:25:10,640 --> 00:25:13,480 Speaker 1: or lack of it, was recognized as wrong by a 433 00:25:13,560 --> 00:25:17,080 Speaker 1: lot of people. There was no lack of awareness regarding 434 00:25:17,160 --> 00:25:19,520 Speaker 1: just how much Duke had done on the world stage 435 00:25:19,600 --> 00:25:22,960 Speaker 1: to promote Hawaii and represent it in the best possible light, 436 00:25:23,200 --> 00:25:24,560 Speaker 1: and at that point he had been doing that for 437 00:25:24,560 --> 00:25:28,159 Speaker 1: almost fifty years, and yet he was taking home just 438 00:25:28,200 --> 00:25:31,040 Speaker 1: a little over five hundred dollars a month after taxes 439 00:25:31,400 --> 00:25:34,919 Speaker 1: as he approached his seventieth birthday. And it was the 440 00:25:35,040 --> 00:25:38,840 Speaker 1: need for a more substantial income than that that led Duke, 441 00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:42,600 Speaker 1: with the help of talent manager Chemo Wilder McVeigh, to 442 00:25:42,680 --> 00:25:46,879 Speaker 1: open a restaurant and nightclub called Duke Kahanamoku's, of Course, 443 00:25:47,359 --> 00:25:49,800 Speaker 1: that was in Waikiki. To get in on a tourist 444 00:25:49,880 --> 00:25:53,720 Speaker 1: trade and to help drum up business, McVeigh hired don 445 00:25:53,800 --> 00:25:58,200 Speaker 1: Hoe to play things picked up. McVeigh also organized surfing 446 00:25:58,280 --> 00:26:01,560 Speaker 1: contests branded with Duke's aim to keep public interest in 447 00:26:01,640 --> 00:26:07,080 Speaker 1: Kahanamoka growing. In March nineteen sixty two, Duke spent a 448 00:26:07,080 --> 00:26:09,680 Speaker 1: week and a half in the hospital for his stomach ulcers. 449 00:26:10,440 --> 00:26:12,560 Speaker 1: Two months later, after he took a hit to the 450 00:26:12,560 --> 00:26:15,959 Speaker 1: head on his catamaran, he found he was unable to stand, 451 00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:18,360 Speaker 1: and he was rushed to the hospital with a diagnosis 452 00:26:18,359 --> 00:26:22,760 Speaker 1: of a blood clot that necessitated emergency brain surgery. Duke 453 00:26:22,840 --> 00:26:25,720 Speaker 1: was inducted into the Swimming and Surfing Halls of Fame 454 00:26:25,920 --> 00:26:29,080 Speaker 1: in the second half of the nineteen sixties. This was 455 00:26:29,119 --> 00:26:32,160 Speaker 1: an honor, but it was also one he really didn't 456 00:26:32,200 --> 00:26:36,239 Speaker 1: have much time to enjoy. In nineteen sixty seven, his 457 00:26:36,359 --> 00:26:39,399 Speaker 1: ulcers had gotten so bad that he needed several blood 458 00:26:39,400 --> 00:26:42,680 Speaker 1: transfusions and he had to have an operation that removed 459 00:26:42,760 --> 00:26:47,080 Speaker 1: almost half of his stomach. He recovered, but on January 460 00:26:47,119 --> 00:26:49,959 Speaker 1: twenty second night, Duke had a heart attack while he 461 00:26:50,000 --> 00:26:52,800 Speaker 1: was working on his boat, and he died in Honolulu 462 00:26:52,840 --> 00:26:55,879 Speaker 1: at the age of seventy seven. His ashes, were, of 463 00:26:55,920 --> 00:26:59,399 Speaker 1: course sent into the ocean in a ceremony where they 464 00:26:59,400 --> 00:27:02,720 Speaker 1: were escort on a surfboard atop an outrigger canoe that 465 00:27:02,800 --> 00:27:06,399 Speaker 1: was flanked by several more canoes. It said that hundreds 466 00:27:06,400 --> 00:27:10,119 Speaker 1: of surfers paddled out with them. When his family and 467 00:27:10,200 --> 00:27:12,480 Speaker 1: friends got to a point where they couldn't go any further, 468 00:27:12,800 --> 00:27:15,760 Speaker 1: Nadine dropped the box containing his ashes into the water. 469 00:27:17,440 --> 00:27:19,679 Speaker 1: Duke was inducted into the U S Olympic Hall of 470 00:27:19,720 --> 00:27:23,760 Speaker 1: Fame in four Six years later, a statue of Duke 471 00:27:23,840 --> 00:27:27,880 Speaker 1: was dedicated at Waikiki on his one birthday. There had 472 00:27:27,920 --> 00:27:30,240 Speaker 1: been efforts to erect a statue of him when he 473 00:27:30,280 --> 00:27:33,040 Speaker 1: was alive, but that whole thing made Duke really uncomfortable 474 00:27:33,359 --> 00:27:35,719 Speaker 1: and he was pretty relieved when the plan fell apart. 475 00:27:36,520 --> 00:27:39,879 Speaker 1: At the dedication ceremony for the statue, Nadine told the 476 00:27:39,920 --> 00:27:42,919 Speaker 1: crowd quote, I hope you will all come to the 477 00:27:42,960 --> 00:27:46,400 Speaker 1: beach and visit him, because he doesn't want to be lonely. 478 00:27:48,280 --> 00:27:52,480 Speaker 1: Another statue of Duke went up in Australia in also 479 00:27:52,680 --> 00:27:56,560 Speaker 1: with Nadine to champion the project. Duke received numerous other 480 00:27:56,640 --> 00:28:01,040 Speaker 1: posthumous honors, including having his image on a US Postal 481 00:28:01,119 --> 00:28:05,760 Speaker 1: Service stamp, which happened in two thousand two. Before Nadine 482 00:28:05,800 --> 00:28:09,600 Speaker 1: died in She set up a nonprofit, the Outrigger Duke 483 00:28:09,640 --> 00:28:14,080 Speaker 1: Kahanamogu Foundation, which funds the preservation of Hawaiian water sports 484 00:28:14,160 --> 00:28:17,879 Speaker 1: and grants scholarships to students from the islands. In a 485 00:28:17,920 --> 00:28:22,560 Speaker 1: move that remains controversial among Duke's family, she bequeathed trademark 486 00:28:22,640 --> 00:28:27,280 Speaker 1: rights to his name and likeness to the foundation. Visiting Oahu, 487 00:28:27,480 --> 00:28:31,160 Speaker 1: it's easy to see how important Duke Kahanamoku was and 488 00:28:31,440 --> 00:28:35,400 Speaker 1: is to Hawaii, and how he's become the iconic embodiment 489 00:28:35,440 --> 00:28:38,360 Speaker 1: of the spirit of Aloha. But when you think about 490 00:28:38,480 --> 00:28:42,240 Speaker 1: the entire culture and subcultures that have been born of 491 00:28:42,360 --> 00:28:47,640 Speaker 1: Duke's influence in Hawaiian beyond, it's really staggering. His casual 492 00:28:47,920 --> 00:28:52,280 Speaker 1: fun approach to surfing really defined the sport, and in turn, 493 00:28:52,360 --> 00:28:56,280 Speaker 1: that same vibe defined the skateboarding culture that sprang off 494 00:28:56,320 --> 00:29:01,760 Speaker 1: from it. Entire companies that manufacture are bore words, clothing, footwear, 495 00:29:02,160 --> 00:29:05,800 Speaker 1: et cetera. All of that intended to capture that feeling 496 00:29:05,880 --> 00:29:08,280 Speaker 1: have been launched, and a lot of them to great success, 497 00:29:08,320 --> 00:29:11,200 Speaker 1: because of course, everyone wants to have that cool and 498 00:29:11,280 --> 00:29:14,480 Speaker 1: relaxed style and feel, and you can draw a line 499 00:29:14,640 --> 00:29:18,360 Speaker 1: straight back through history to that laid back beach culture. 500 00:29:18,400 --> 00:29:23,040 Speaker 1: In Duke Kahanamoku he impacted Hawaii and other more concrete 501 00:29:23,040 --> 00:29:25,760 Speaker 1: ways as well. If you have ever visited the Pearl 502 00:29:25,800 --> 00:29:29,080 Speaker 1: Harbor National Memorial in Honolulu, which is quite a thing, 503 00:29:29,760 --> 00:29:32,320 Speaker 1: you have benefited from the work of Duke Hohanamoku. He 504 00:29:32,400 --> 00:29:36,040 Speaker 1: raised money for that permanent tribute to the USS Arizona. 505 00:29:36,480 --> 00:29:39,320 Speaker 1: Part of what made Dukehanamoku so winsome was just his 506 00:29:39,640 --> 00:29:43,520 Speaker 1: endless modesty. When he competed with a club or its team, 507 00:29:43,640 --> 00:29:46,840 Speaker 1: he always wanted to celebrate the group rather than himself, 508 00:29:46,880 --> 00:29:50,880 Speaker 1: even though he was easily the strongest swimmer among them. 509 00:29:50,960 --> 00:29:53,840 Speaker 1: And after his first famous wins and his first official 510 00:29:53,960 --> 00:29:56,960 Speaker 1: races in nineteen eleven, he said that it was the 511 00:29:56,960 --> 00:29:59,880 Speaker 1: waters of Olahu that were really to be credited. Quote. 512 00:30:00,080 --> 00:30:02,880 Speaker 1: Our water is so full of life. It's the fastest 513 00:30:02,960 --> 00:30:07,920 Speaker 1: in the world. That's all there is to it. I 514 00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:11,920 Speaker 1: love that he gives the water credit for it. It's like, oh, 515 00:30:11,920 --> 00:30:16,920 Speaker 1: it's the water. It's great. I really love him. Yeah, 516 00:30:17,040 --> 00:30:22,240 Speaker 1: me too, me too. Um, we'll talk about how much 517 00:30:22,280 --> 00:30:25,760 Speaker 1: we love him in our Friday episode. But yeah, there's 518 00:30:25,800 --> 00:30:28,680 Speaker 1: there are more fun stories about him that didn't quite 519 00:30:28,680 --> 00:30:32,320 Speaker 1: fit into this, uh these two episodes, So on Friday 520 00:30:32,360 --> 00:30:34,080 Speaker 1: I'll try to pepper a couple of more of those in. 521 00:30:35,640 --> 00:30:42,520 Speaker 1: But for now I have too um emails about Grand 522 00:30:42,520 --> 00:30:47,280 Speaker 1: Central Station. The first is from our listener Caitlin. You're right, Hi, 523 00:30:47,360 --> 00:30:50,080 Speaker 1: Hollie and Tracy. I just finished your episode on Grand 524 00:30:50,120 --> 00:30:52,320 Speaker 1: Central Station, and I agree I missed traveling so much. 525 00:30:52,480 --> 00:30:54,440 Speaker 1: This will come up in our other one, but it 526 00:30:54,520 --> 00:30:57,920 Speaker 1: really is Grand Central Terminal charts. In college, I spent 527 00:30:58,080 --> 00:31:01,200 Speaker 1: a semester in New York working at a Broadway theater 528 00:31:01,240 --> 00:31:04,360 Speaker 1: about two hundred yards from Times Square. There were two 529 00:31:04,360 --> 00:31:07,360 Speaker 1: possible routes from the subway from my student housing. Take 530 00:31:07,400 --> 00:31:10,320 Speaker 1: two trains and walk from the north, avoiding Times Square, 531 00:31:10,880 --> 00:31:14,680 Speaker 1: or take only one train and cut directly through the square. Naturally, 532 00:31:14,720 --> 00:31:18,040 Speaker 1: I did the latter. This horrified my boss, who was 533 00:31:18,080 --> 00:31:19,960 Speaker 1: a born in brand New Yorker, but I told him 534 00:31:20,160 --> 00:31:23,920 Speaker 1: a minute for the stories Josh. Later that day, a 535 00:31:23,960 --> 00:31:26,760 Speaker 1: pigeon flew directly into my face and nearly got tangled 536 00:31:26,760 --> 00:31:29,680 Speaker 1: in my hat. So grain of salt on the practicality 537 00:31:29,720 --> 00:31:31,920 Speaker 1: of my advice. She got a story out of it. 538 00:31:32,360 --> 00:31:34,880 Speaker 1: I hope you enjoyed my Avian encounter. Caitlin I do 539 00:31:35,120 --> 00:31:40,920 Speaker 1: It's fantastic also makes a recommendation. And then we also 540 00:31:41,000 --> 00:31:46,160 Speaker 1: got a note from our listener, Christopher, who writes Deer 541 00:31:46,160 --> 00:31:48,040 Speaker 1: Holly and Tracy. My husband and I are long time 542 00:31:48,120 --> 00:31:51,160 Speaker 1: listeners and first time emailers to your show. We started 543 00:31:51,200 --> 00:31:53,200 Speaker 1: listening to your show during weekend trips we took to 544 00:31:53,280 --> 00:31:55,600 Speaker 1: visit family while we were both in grad school in 545 00:31:56,480 --> 00:31:59,200 Speaker 1: and we've been hooked ever since. We literally can't find 546 00:31:59,240 --> 00:32:01,560 Speaker 1: any more episode. It's in the archives that we haven't heard, 547 00:32:01,640 --> 00:32:04,719 Speaker 1: so now we await each episode quite eagerly. We just 548 00:32:04,800 --> 00:32:07,280 Speaker 1: finished your episode on the history of Grand Central and 549 00:32:07,320 --> 00:32:09,640 Speaker 1: loved every second of it. We are huge fans of 550 00:32:09,680 --> 00:32:12,640 Speaker 1: the Grand Central complex in its history. We both grew 551 00:32:12,720 --> 00:32:15,280 Speaker 1: up along the Metro North commuter lines. I grew up 552 00:32:15,280 --> 00:32:17,560 Speaker 1: on the Hudson Line and Dobb's Ferry and he grew 553 00:32:17,600 --> 00:32:19,960 Speaker 1: up in the New Haven Line in Larchmont. When I 554 00:32:20,000 --> 00:32:22,080 Speaker 1: was a child, it was a big deal whenever I 555 00:32:22,080 --> 00:32:24,040 Speaker 1: got to take a train into the city and enter 556 00:32:24,120 --> 00:32:27,880 Speaker 1: Grand Central, usually to see a Broadway show. Your podcast 557 00:32:27,920 --> 00:32:31,280 Speaker 1: alluded to the structures Bozel design, Yet there's really no 558 00:32:31,360 --> 00:32:34,080 Speaker 1: way to capture the feeling of grandeur when you step 559 00:32:34,120 --> 00:32:36,720 Speaker 1: out of the train platform into that main space with 560 00:32:36,800 --> 00:32:40,680 Speaker 1: the vaulted ceiling and astronomical design which fun fact, is 561 00:32:40,720 --> 00:32:45,440 Speaker 1: actually accidentally drawn backwards. As a teenager slash college student 562 00:32:45,520 --> 00:32:48,160 Speaker 1: slash young adult, the clock in the center was always 563 00:32:48,160 --> 00:32:50,960 Speaker 1: the assumed place to meet up with folks, never even 564 00:32:51,000 --> 00:32:53,400 Speaker 1: a question. My mom worked in the city and she 565 00:32:53,520 --> 00:32:56,480 Speaker 1: is a fellow history buff. She never hesitated to share 566 00:32:56,480 --> 00:32:59,920 Speaker 1: stories about the building's history, like the ceiling restoration or 567 00:33:00,160 --> 00:33:02,479 Speaker 1: the building was saved from the same fat as Penn Station, 568 00:33:02,920 --> 00:33:05,000 Speaker 1: due in large part to the work of Jackie Kennedy. 569 00:33:05,640 --> 00:33:08,040 Speaker 1: One piece of info that my mother always reminded me 570 00:33:08,080 --> 00:33:11,080 Speaker 1: about the structure is that the building is Grand Central terminal, 571 00:33:11,240 --> 00:33:14,360 Speaker 1: not station. The reason for this is that no trains 572 00:33:14,400 --> 00:33:18,840 Speaker 1: go through the station. Every train either originates or terminates there. 573 00:33:19,040 --> 00:33:21,080 Speaker 1: I wouldn't be a dutiful son if I didn't mention that, 574 00:33:21,240 --> 00:33:23,560 Speaker 1: as I believe you switched between terminal and station at 575 00:33:23,560 --> 00:33:25,440 Speaker 1: several points during the podcast. I thought it was an 576 00:33:25,440 --> 00:33:28,440 Speaker 1: interesting point about why the building is actually a terminal. 577 00:33:28,840 --> 00:33:31,320 Speaker 1: I think we switched it over when it transitioned to terminal, 578 00:33:31,360 --> 00:33:33,560 Speaker 1: but I could be wrong. I'm not above messing those up, 579 00:33:33,600 --> 00:33:37,240 Speaker 1: that's for sure. Um, thank you so much for the 580 00:33:37,240 --> 00:33:39,320 Speaker 1: work you are doing. Your podcast was a vital part 581 00:33:39,560 --> 00:33:41,920 Speaker 1: of getting my husband and me through a PhD in 582 00:33:42,000 --> 00:33:45,280 Speaker 1: law school, respectively. Boy, congratulations to both of you. You 583 00:33:45,320 --> 00:33:48,000 Speaker 1: shine a light on formally marginalized stories are those that 584 00:33:48,040 --> 00:33:50,520 Speaker 1: are often framed as ancillary to big history, and it's 585 00:33:50,560 --> 00:33:55,440 Speaker 1: such important work. U war misregards Christopher, Christopher and Jordan's Uh. 586 00:33:55,480 --> 00:33:57,320 Speaker 1: This is such a sweet email, and I love it 587 00:33:57,480 --> 00:34:00,360 Speaker 1: and I love hearing about people that our native new workers, 588 00:34:00,400 --> 00:34:03,200 Speaker 1: that love New York as much as I do, probably 589 00:34:03,240 --> 00:34:05,920 Speaker 1: more so. Thank you so much for sharing all of that. 590 00:34:06,240 --> 00:34:09,000 Speaker 1: I hope I didn't mess up those those stations and terminals, 591 00:34:09,000 --> 00:34:11,879 Speaker 1: but I probably did. If you would like to write, 592 00:34:11,880 --> 00:34:14,280 Speaker 1: do as you could do so. That email is history 593 00:34:14,320 --> 00:34:17,080 Speaker 1: podcast at iHeart radio dot com. You can also find 594 00:34:17,160 --> 00:34:19,680 Speaker 1: us on social media at missed in History and if 595 00:34:19,680 --> 00:34:21,960 Speaker 1: you would like to subscribe to the podcast, it's easy 596 00:34:22,000 --> 00:34:24,399 Speaker 1: as pie. You can do it on the iHeart Radio app, 597 00:34:24,600 --> 00:34:27,520 Speaker 1: at Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. 598 00:34:33,360 --> 00:34:35,520 Speaker 1: Stuff you Missed in History Class is a production of 599 00:34:35,600 --> 00:34:38,800 Speaker 1: I Heart Radio. For more podcasts from I Heart Radio, 600 00:34:38,960 --> 00:34:42,120 Speaker 1: visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you 601 00:34:42,239 --> 00:34:43,560 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.