April 8, 2011
Contributed by Thomas Yoshida
Memorial services will be held Tuesday, April 12 at 6:00 p.m. on all three Kamehameha Schools campuses -- in the Bishop Memorial Chapel at Kapālama, in Keōpūolani Hale at Maui, and in Keawe Dining Hall at Hawai'i. Visit www.ksbe.edu for details about the services.
In lieu of flowers, visitors are asked to make contributions to the Luryier "Pop" Diamond scholarship fund. Donations, payable to Ke Ali'i Pauahi Foundation (KAPF), may be made at the service or online at www.pauahi.org/giving, or mailed to KAPF at 567 S. King Street, Suite 160, Honolulu, HI 96813. Please note "Pop Diamond Scholarship" on your contribution. Call (808) 534-3966 with questions.
Pop Diamond's career at Kamehameha Schools (KS) spanned more than five decades. His first photo assignment for KS was as a freelancer through Camera Hawaii to document the dedication of Kōnia Hall in 1950. After a few years of freelancing, Pop was recommended to then schools president Col. Harold Kent for a fulltime publicity position. Col. Kent tested Pop's skills with an assignment to cover a Sunday ROTC parade. Pop took the photos, wrote the story, delivered everything to his friends at the city desk, and the story was in Monday's morning paper. Col. Kent was impressed, and Pop landed the job, effective Jan. 1, 1953, as coordinator of information.
Shortly thereafter, Pop took over the photography club at the Boys School, and within a few years, he was teaching photo classes. Pop would go on to serve the school in various capacities, such as a substitute Spanish and French teacher, publishing the school yearbook Ka Na'i Aupuni, as music director for the campus radio station KVOK, and a guide for student summer tours to Europe. Pop's fondest memories were of shooting school events, as evidenced by the extensive photo archives that document decades of life in and around Kamehameha Schools.
Ernest Ho'a, KS '54, was Pop's first student photographer, and the person who nicknamed him "Pop." In those days, some of the faculty thought the name was disrespectful, but Pop, characteristically said, "It's none of their damn business, and it doesn't bother me any!"
Several student photographers followed in Pop's footsteps, including Ernest, the late Charles Apo, KS '57, Bruce Lum, KS '65 and Jeff DePonte, KS '73. "As a teacher, he was very strict, very tough," said DePonte. "He got you to want to do good work, not just for yourself, but for him as well."
Pop was also a father figure to a lot of the students. Cary Ho'opi'i, KS '70, remembered that Pop listened to them, but also dealt out tough love. "He taught me to drive in his 1965 VW bug," Cary added, "and took the whole group of 15 student photographers to dinner at the Flamingo Chuckwagon, not once, but several times!
Current KS photographer Michael Young admires Pop's skill in the art of photography. "His composition, lighting and timing were wonderful, and have set a high standard for every staff photographer who followed him."
In 1984, Diamond retired at age 70 because a now-abolished federal law mandated it. He was hired back the next day as a consultant to serve as KS photo archivist. In that capacity, he identified, printed and indexed more than 300,000 images of Kamehameha's history, many of which he took himself.
When he wasn't huddled in his basement office in Midkiff Learning Center, Pop could be found every day at Akahi Dining Hall, collecting lunch tickets, straightening utensils, and sharing a word with students, faculty and guests alike. Some evenings, Pop was asked to share his vast knowledge of opera as a lecturer and mentor to Kamehameha students who signed up to visit the Honolulu Opera Theater.
In 1996, Pop's many years of selfless dedication and wonderful contributions were recognized with the Order of Ke Ali'i Pauahi Medal, the highest honor bestowed by Kamehameha Schools at its annual graduation ceremony. Thousands of Kamehameha 'ohana honored Pop, so warmly recognizable in his trademark horn-rimmed glasses and bushy white mustache, for his true heart filled with love and passion for Kamehameha Schools and all that it stands for.
In 2003, Pop marked his 50th year of service to Kamehameha Schools. That same year, Kamehameha Schools Press published the book, "Images of Aloha" – a collection of Pop's most memorable photographs of the people, places and events of Kamehameha. When asked to comment, Pop said simply, "I love this school, I love what this school does for Hawaiian kids. It doesn't seem like I've been here for 50 years. It's gone by really quickly. This school has been my family for the last 50 years, and I've just loved it."
Kamehameha Schools Kapālama president and headmaster Dr. Michael Chun fondly recalls Pop's legacy to the schools. "Pop created an invaluable photographic history of our school, whether in Midkiff Learning Center or Akahi Dining Hall, Pop is remembered as the white-haired kupuna who set a wonderful example of servant leadership for all of us. Pop will be dearly missed, but as our school librarian Gail Fujimoto reminds us, he is now dancing with Tootsie in God's good place."
Media contact: Gerry Johansen (808) 842-8445
Photo courtesy: Kamehameha Schools
Kamehameha Schools’ policy is to give preference to applicants of Hawaiian ancestry to the extent permitted by law.
