On the recordAugust 4, 2010
I rise today to honor the life of my friend, a consummate civil servant and respected legal mind, ``CJ'' William S. Richardson. Bill Richardson was born into a working class family of mixed ethnic heritage representative of Hawaii's community. He was part Native Hawaiian, part Chinese, and part Caucasian. From these humble beginnings, one of Hawaii's greatest figures emerged. Like many men in my generation, Bill fought in World War II, serving as a platoon leader for the U.S. Army; he would later be inducted into the Infantry Officer Candidate School Hall of Fame. This was just one of many achievements in a life filled with distinction: Bill served as chairman of Hawaii's Democratic Party from 1956 to 1962, providing strong advocacy for statehood, which Hawaii achieved in 1959. From 1962 to 1966, he served as the State's Lieutenant Governor. In 1966, Bill became the first Native Hawaiian to serve as Chief Justice of the Hawaii State Supreme Court. As ``CJ,'' he deftly blended Hawaii's history and cultural practices with modern law, establishing a traditional Hawaiian understanding of water rights as the law of the land, and demanding public access to Hawaii's shoreline.
