Edward Nakamura

Edward H. Nakamura (October 9, 1922 – September 12, 1997) was a labor lawyer and judge. He served as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Hawaii from March 24, 1980 to December 28, 1989.

Biography
Nakamura was born on October 9, 1922 in Honolulu. He studied at the University of Hawaii, and was a member of the ROTC. When Pearl Harbor was attacked, he became a member of the Hawaii Territorial Guard, then the Varsity Victory Volunteers and the 442nd Regimental Combat team. When the war was over he used his GI Bill to get a degree from the University of Chicago Law School. He graduated in 1951. Nakamura then joined Bouslog & Symonds, a labor law firm in Hawaii. He is best known for working with the ILWU during the McCarthy era, which put him under suspicion as a potential communist.

Nakamura also served as a regent at the University of Hawaii.

Nakamura was elected to the Supreme Court of Hawaii in 1980. He retired in 1989 after a career of criticizing abuses of power. Even in retirement, Nakamura would speak up about corruption and cronyism in local politics.

Nakamura died during open heart surgery in Honolulu on September 12, 1997.