Punahou School


style="font-size: large; margin: inherit;"|'''Punahou School'''
style="text-align:center;" |Seal of Punahou School style="text-align:center;"
Name Punahou School
Address 1601 Punahou Street
Town Honolulu, Hawaii 96822
Established 1841
Community Urban
Type Private Primary and Secondary
Religion Secular
Students Coeducational
Grades K to 12
Accreditation Western Association of Schools and Colleges
District None
Subdistrict None
Nickname Buff 'n Blue
Mascot Warrior
Colors Blue and Gold
Motto ---
Military United States Army JROTC
Newspaper Ka Punahou
Yearbook The Oahuan
Distinctions One of the largest independent schools in the United States
Website Link
Email [mailto:hr@punahou.edu Link]
Punahou School, formerly Oahu College, is a private, co-educational, non-sectarian college preparatory school located in Honolulu in the state of Hawaii. With a student body that averages 3700 students annually in kindergarten through the twelfth grade, Punahou College is one of the largest independent schools in the United States. Founded in 1841 as Oahu College, Punahou School was originally a school for the children of Congregationalist missionaries serving throughout the Pacific region. The land on which Punahou School sat was a gift of Queen Kaahumanu to the Rev. Hiram Bingham, the first Christian missionary in Hawaii. The first class was held on July 11, 1842 and consisted of only fifteen students.

Folklore

Punahou School derives its current name from local folklore about the area's water source. According to the story, an aged Hawaiian couple lived on the land but had to travel quite a distance for water. As this was difficult for a couple of their age, they prayed for a spring. In a dream they were told to uproot the stump of an old pandanus tree. Upon doing so, they discovered a spring which they named Ka Punahou, which in Hawaiian language literally means the new spring. Located beside the school chapel, the spring is the centerpiece of the Punahou School campus.

Case Middle School

A gift by America Online founder Steve Case, a Punahou School graduate of 1976, led to construction of a new middle school for grades 6 through 8. The new middle school has opened on January 4, 2005.

Notable Students

Resources

Category:Private education in Hawaii