UH West Oahu celebrates 50th anniversary

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – UH West Oʻahu is celebrating a milestone achievement this week.

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October marks the campus’ 50th anniversary as an institution.

Despite serving nearly 2,900 students in Kapolei today, the school originally opened as West Oʻahu College, serving just 75 students in temporary portable classrooms in Pearl City and ʻAiea and even other high school facilities.

“We were happy to have any building,” Dan Boylan, retired West Oʻahu professor, said. “I think that’s something that for people who don’t know the full history of the place to realize … we had nothing.”

The school eventually found its home in Kapolei in 2012.

“For me in particular, I needed some place where I could get to know the professors well, and where I could get the individualized help that I needed,” Glenn Medeiros, president of St. Louis Schools, said. “And so for people who are looking for that, I think West Oʻahu is a really good fit.“

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The 50th anniversary events kick off Oct. 5 with an opening ceremony and historical archive display at the James and Abigail Campbell Library.

Further information on scheduled events can be found on the UH West Oahu website.

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