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Senator Hiram L. Fong

First Asian American elected to the U.S. Senate

Ellyn Lo Fong

ELLYN LO FONG

1911-2006

Ellyn Lo Fong was born in Hawai`i , the third child of Lo On and Shee Ching on December 21, 1911 . Along with her two older brothers, Alexander Yee and Herbert Lo, and her younger sister Ella Lam, Ellyn spent much of her childhood helping her parents with their little grocery store in the plantation town of Ewa .

When she was 14, Ellyn moved to Honolulu to attend McKinley High School which she represented in the Interscholastic Speech Contest. When the new Roosevelt High School was completed, Ellyn transferred there and was a member of their first graduating class.

After high school, Ellyn attended Lingnam University in Guangzhou , China (then Canton ) for a semester. While in China , her mother joined her for a tour of the Orient. Little did she know then, that this trip would be the beginning of her life as a world traveler.

Returning to Hawai`i , Ellyn enrolled in the University of Hawai`i and received a B.A. Degree with a 5^th year education certificate. Upon graduation she was assigned to teach on Kaua`i, but was there only briefly.

It was during a picnic with a group from the First Chinese Church of Christ that Ellyn first met Hiram Leong Fong. After a courtship of nine years, they were married in 1938 at the First Chinese Church of Christ.

Motherhood and life as the wife of a local politician followed shortly. During World War II Hiram, who had been serving in the Territorial legislature in the House of Representatives, joined the Army. While in the service, he was not allowed to actively campaign, a role Ellyn took up on his behalf. With two small boys at home, Ellyn made the rounds of community rallies and helped her husband retain his seat in the legislature.

When Hawai`i became a state in 1959, Hiram was elected to serve as the first Asian American in the US Senate and Ellyn and their children accompanied him to Washington . There she demonstrated the spirit of aloha, opening her home to many from the islands as well as being a hostess to dignitaries and senators from other states. During this time, Ellyn and Hiram would travel extensively throughout the world representing the United States and Hawai`i . Their duties took them to Europe, Africa, Australia , the Orient, and many other foreign countries.

While in Washington , Ellyn served diligently as a Red Cross volunteer. She was later honored as a recipient of a certificate for Valued Services by the U.S. Senate Red Cross Chapter. It was also during this time that she was given the honor of christening the Navy ship Moana Wave and was inducted into the Society of Sponsors of the U.S. Navy. In 1999 she received the Distinguished Service Award from the Organization of Chinese American Women at their Biennial National Conference.

Ellyn was a member of the University of Hawai`i Alumni Association , the Kau Tom Post Auxiliary, the Associated Chinese University Women’s Association, the Te Chih Sheh Sorority, First Chinese Church of Christ, and the Palolo Chinese Home.

Ellyn and Hiram have four children, ten grandchildren, and two great granddaughters.

Ellyn passed away at the age of 94, March, 2006.