Ingram Stainback | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 9thTerritorial Governor of Hawaii | |
| In office August 24, 1942 – May 8, 1951 | |
| Appointed by | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| Preceded by | Joseph Poindexter |
| Succeeded by | Oren E. Long |
| Judge of theUnited States District Court for the Territory of Hawaii | |
| In office 1940–1943 | |
| Appointed by | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| Preceded by | Seba Cormany Huber |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Frank McLaughlin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Ingram Macklin Stainback (1883-05-12)May 12, 1883 Somerville, Tennessee, US |
| Died | April 12, 1961(1961-04-12) (aged 77) Honolulu,Hawaii, US |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater | Princeton University University of Chicago |
Ingram Macklin Stainback (May 12, 1883 – April 12, 1961) was an American politician. He served as the ninthTerritorial Governor of Hawaii from 1942 to 1951.
Stainback was born in 1883 inSomerville, Tennessee. His father, Charles A. Stainback Sr, was a lawyer and his brother,Charles A. Stainback, was a Democratic member of theTennessee Senate.[1] The tombstone of Charles A. Stainback (1878-1961), is located in Somerville Cemetery, Somerville, Tennessee.
Stainback received his undergraduate degree fromPrinceton University and hisJuris Doctor from theUniversity of Chicago.[1]
Stainback, a well-connected Democrat, came toHawaii shortly after graduation and was appointed by Democratic GovernorLucius E. Pinkham in 1914 to the post of Territorial Attorney General.[2] He resigned in 1917 to join the Army and rose to the rank of major. When the war ended he returned to private practice in Hawaii.
Previous to his administration, Stainback was a United States District Attorney and then a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Territory of Hawaii. He was appointed to the office by PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt. It is likely that his friendships with then-Secretary of StateCordell Hull and SenatorKenneth McKellar, both Tennesseans, played a role in his appointment. However, Stainback was essentially powerless for the first two years of his term since Gov.Joseph B. Poindexter had allowed the military to take over the government onDecember 7, 1941. During that time, Hawaii was governed by Army generalsWalter Short,Delos Emmons, andRobert C. Richardson, Jr.
A conservative Democrat, Stainback, whose full powers were restored on April 13, 1944, played a significant role in the lifting ofmartial law in wartime Hawaii. Stainback believedCommunists were plotting to take over theHawaiian Islands. He also provided a genesis for Hawaii'sDemocratic Revolution of 1954 by decrying the land monopolies in Hawaii and calling for land reform. Upon resigning his post on May 8, 1951, Stainback had served eight years, eight months and six days, the longest of any appointed governor up to that point.[3]
On September 26, 1951, he was appointed by PresidentHarry S. Truman as an associate judge to theHawaii Supreme Court.
Stainback had supported statehood until as late as 1946 but vocally opposed it from 1947.[4]: 44 In testimony to theHouse Committee on Territories hearings on statehood for Hawaii in January 1946, Stainback was pro-statehood, saying "I think it is a fundamental principle that no people can govern another people better than they can govern themselves. In other words, we are governed from Washington in a great many things relating to our national affairs".[5] He supported Hawaii's admission based on the fact that, as Hawaii took on "all the burdens of a State", it should also be afforded the privileges of statehood such as voting members of Congress.[6]: 10 In March 1946, Stainback still seemed supportive of statehood at further congressional hearings inWashington, but Roger Bell suggests that this was in order to not seem out of step with Hawaiians at a time when his reappointment as governor was pending.[7]: 125–126
By the middle of the year, statehood campaigners had become openly critical of Stainback because of his seemingly ambivalent attitude to pursuing the issue.[7]: 122 By 1947, it was clear that Stainback was reluctant to support immediate statehood or further fund the Statehood Committee.[7]: 123 Instead, theTerritorial Legislature became the major proponent of statehood, establishing and funding its own Statehood Commission.[7]: 122–123
Stainback claimed he changed his mind on statehood upon being briefed by theUS Army about Communist activity on the islands.[4]: 44 Stainback argued forCommonwealth status similar toPuerto Rico instead of statehood,[4]: 44 suggesting that Hawaii would benefit from the federal tax exemption which would stimulate economic growth.[8]: 198
Stainback died in 1961 inHonolulu, Hawaiʻi and is buried atOahu Cemetery.
Stainback is memorialized on theisland of Hawaii by the Stainback Highway, a little-used 18-mile road that leads from theHawaii Belt Road nearHilo at19°39′49″N155°3′40″W / 19.66361°N 155.06111°W /19.66361; -155.06111 (Stainback Highway) to Kulani Correctional Facility, a minimum security state prison at19°33′0″N155°18′4″W / 19.55000°N 155.30111°W /19.55000; -155.30111 (Kulani).[9] His son,Macklin Fleming, was an associate justice of theCalifornia Court of Appeal and an early opponent ofaffirmative action.[10][11]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Territorial Governor of Hawaii 1942–1951 | Succeeded by |
| Legal offices | ||
| Preceded by Seba Cormany Huber | United States District Court Judge 1940–1943 | Succeeded by |
| Territorial Governor of Hawaiʻi(1898–1941) |   | |
|---|---|---|
| Military Governor of Hawaii(1941–1944) | ||
| Territorial Governor of Hawaiʻi(1944–1959) | ||
| Governor of Hawaiʻi(1959–present) | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
