Hawaii Loa College was founded in 1963 as
Christian College of the Pacific by a consortium of four
Protestant church denominations in Hawaii, with land deeded by
Harold K.L. Castle on which to build a campus. The idea originated with Rev. Harry S. Komuro, then superintendent of the
Methodist Mission in Hawaii. The founding trustees were Dr. Joseph Bevilacqua, general secretary of the
United Church of Christ; Rev. Frank E. Butterworth, pastor of First
United Methodist Church of Honolulu; Bishop Harry S. Kennedy of the
Episcopal Diocese of Hawaii; and Dr. William E. Phifer, Jr., pastor of First
Presbyterian Church of Honolulu. Other early trustees included
Herbert Choy,
Frank Damon, Jr., Dr.
Wesley Hotchkiss,
Ernest K. Kai, and
Ted Tsukiyama. In September 1964, the name was changed to Hawaii Loa College (HLC), a new logo was chosen, and a new motto was adopted:
Aole i kaupoo i kaupoo ana no ("My height is not yet reached"). A master planning committee was also formed and an architect hired to plan the new campus on of scenic former
Kaneohe Ranch land on the
Windward side of
Oahu, looking up at the
Koolau Range directly beneath the
Pali Lookout. The committee chair was Bruce McCandless and the architect was
William L. Pereira & Associates. Until the Windward campus opened in the fall of 1971, the school borrowed facilities on the campus of
Chaminade University of Honolulu (1967–68), then at 2345
Nuuanu Avenue (1969–70) nearer downtown Honolulu. By 1970, the senior class numbered 27 students. and
University of Denver chancellor emeritus Dwight M. Smith (1990–92). The beautiful rural campus site was both a blessing and a curse. Lack of infrastructure made it very difficult to expand campus facilities to serve more students and raise more revenue, making operations a constant financial struggle. By 1992,
Money magazine ranked HLC number 13 in the west among America's best college buys. However, in that same year, faced with loss of accreditation and saddled with $3 million in debt, Hawaii Loa College merged with
Hawaii Pacific University. ==Notable alumni==