Background
Ho, Chinn was born on February 26, 1904 in Waikiki, Honolulu. Son of Ti Yuen and Lan (Kam) Ho.
Ho, Chinn was born on February 26, 1904 in Waikiki, Honolulu. Son of Ti Yuen and Lan (Kam) Ho.
Student, University Hawaii Extension, 1926. Honorary Doctor of Laws, University Guam, 1980. Doctor of Humanities (honorary), University Hawaii, 1983.
Foreign generations before the rise of Ho, the business community in Hawaii was controlled by a small group of white family business interests. In 1944, Ho founded the Capital Investment Company with $200,000. Three years later, he bought $1.2 million of stock in the Waianae Sugar Company, the first time an Asian had executed such a large purchase.
In 1959, he bought the Ilikai, Hawaii’s biggest condominium-apartment project, and transformed it to Hawaii’s first high-rise luxury resort when it opened in 1964.
The building is featured in the balcony scene during the opening credits of the television show Hawaii Five-O. (One of the fictional detectives in the series was named Chinese Ho Kelly). He was the head of the Honolulu Stock Exchange, the first Asian president of a Triple A professional baseball team, the Hawaii Islanders, the first Asian trustee of a landed estate, and the first Asian director of Theo H. Davies & Company, one of the influential “Big Five” group of former sugarcane plantations that were deeply involved in Hawaiian politics.
In 1961, he purchased the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, becoming the first Asian board chairman and sole owner of a major Honolulu daily newspaper. Known for his philanthropy, he was dubbed the "Chinese Rockefeller." He died on 12 May 1987, due to heart failure.
He was born Ho Chinese.
His father is Ho Ti Yuen and his mother is Ho Kam Lan. He changed his name to Chinn Ho later, to adopt the Western practice of placing the surname last. Stuart Tse Kong
Dean Tse Wah
Karen Seu Han (Mrs Stanley Hong)
John Tse Nien
Robin Seu Moy (Mrs John Lee)
Heather Seu Chinn (Mrs Malcolm Lee).
Ho was able to overcome the conservative business conditions and "cracked Hawaii"s bamboo curtain and gained a toehold in the haole establishment. He was the"first Oriental named a trustee of one of Hawaii"s landed estates, the huge Robinson estate, a bastion of Hawaiian conservatism.".
Civilian aide to secretary of army, Hawaii, 1965-1971. Member Bishop Museum Association (past president), Honolulu Stock Exchange (past president), Hawaii Visitors Bureau (past president), Honolulu Realty Board Clubs: Waialae Country.
Married Betty Ching, October 13, 1934. Children– Stuart, Dean, Karen, John, Robin, Heather.