William F. Quinn

William F. Quinn


12th Territorial and 1st State Governor of Hawaii
In office August 21, 1959 – December 3, 1962
Lieutenant	James Kealoha
Preceded by	Himself (territorial)
Succeeded by	John A. Burns
In office August 29, 1957 – August 21, 1959
Appointed by	Dwight D. Eisenhower
Preceded by	Samuel Wilder King
Succeeded by	Himself (state)
Personal details
Born	William Francis Quinn (1919-07-13)July 13, 1919 Rochester, New York, U.S.
Died	August 28, 2006(2006-08-28) (aged 87) Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.
Resting place	National Cemetery of the Pacific Honolulu, Hawaii
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Nancy Ellen Witbeck
Children	7
Alma mater	Saint Louis University Harvard Law School
Religion	Roman Catholicism
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Navy
Unit	Naval Intelligence
Battles/wars	World War II

William Francis Quinn (July 13, 1919 – August 28, 2006) was the Governor of the Territory of Hawaii from 1957 to 1959 and the first Governor of the State of Hawaii from 1959 to 1962. Originally appointed to the office by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Quinn was the last executive of an era of Republican rule over the Hawaiian Islands which began during the overthrow of the monarchy in 1893, and the last Republican to serve as governor until Linda Lingle in 2002. Quinn appeared as a guest panelist on the television program What's My Line. He was the recipient of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre, a papal knighthood conferred by Pope John Paul II.

Quinn was born in Rochester, New York on July 13, 1919. His family moved to St. Louis, Missouri during his youth, where he attended prep school at St. Louis University High School and college at Saint Louis University, graduating in 1940. Quinn entered Harvard Law School, but only finished after his stint in the military. He graduated cum laude in 1947. He served in Hawaii in naval intelligence during World War II. Upon his discharge from service, he settled permanently in Honolulu, Hawai'i.