At the close of the 1800s, when Oberlin (Ohio) College graduate Ida May Pope accepted a teaching job at Kawaiaha‘o Seminary, a boarding school for girls in Honolulu, she could not have imagined it would herald a lifelong career of
At the close of the 1800s, when Oberlin (Ohio) College graduate Ida May Pope accepted a teaching job at Kawaiaha‘o Seminary, a boarding school for girls in Honolulu, she could not have imagined it would herald a lifelong career of service to Hawaiian women — or that she would become closely involved in the political turmoil soon to sweep over the kingdom.
Noted researcher Sandee Bonura has just published a beautiful and sensitive biography of Pope, who also became the founding principal of the Kamehameha School for Girls. Using recently discovered primary sources, Bonura gives an eyewitness, day-by-day account of the 1893 revolution through the eyes of Pope’s young pupils … a coup d’etat that took place literally outside the school’s windows.
Bonura shares this unique history — and will be happy to inscribe copies of her book — on two occasions next week at the Lyman Museum: 7-8:30 p.m. Monday (Nov. 13) and 3-4:30 p.m. Tuesday (Nov. 14).
The program is part of Lyman’s Saigo Public Program lecture series. Admission is free to museum members, $3 for nonmembers.
The nationally accredited and Smithsonian-affiliated Lyman Museum showcases the natural and cultural history of Hawaii. The museum is open 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday at 276 Haili St. For more information, call 935-5021 or visit www.lymanmuseum.org.