100 Years Ago – Harbor Welcome for Duke Kahanamoku and Fellow Olympians

On the morning of 9 November 1920, Matson’s Matsonia arrived in Honolulu Harbor from San Francisco with a group of special passengers.

Duke Kahanamoku and his fellow swimming team members* from Hawai‘i returned home after participating in the Games of the VII Olympiad (1920 Summer Olympics) held in Antwerp, Belgium.

A front-page Honolulu Star-Bulletin article (“Olympic Victors Royally Received”) detailed the events at the harbor in honor of the swimmers:

The steamer Matsonia dropped anchor in the outer harbor about 6 o’clock and shortly after five airplanes from Luke field made their appearance, circling overhead and dropping leis upon the deck of the ship.

Then came the customs launch and the doctor’s boat while more than half a dozen other launches came out from the harbor and wheeled and turned about the big liner.

As soon as the yellow quarantine flag dropped, the launches crowded to the gangways and the crowds swarmed on board to shake hands with the returning heroes. Dude Miller’s orchestra gathered on the upper deck and rendered selections while Captain Eben Low’s Kaena led the escort of launches about the Matsonia as it steamed into the harbor. The Hawaiian band remained on the Kaena and added to the welcome.

Harbor whistles, the steamers, shops and foundries opened up with a roar as soon as the Matsonia had passed the lighthouse and from there until the ship berthed at Pier 15 kept up a deafening din. The Hawaiian band, landing on the wharf before the big ship, opened up with ‘Aloha Oe’ once more and the vast crowd on the pier was still during the playing of the welcoming song.

The Hawaiian swimming boys of the harbor were out in full force in honor of the two Kealoha boys and this band of mermen also formed an escort to the pier with the two Kealoha boys dropping quarters over the side for the divers.

‘No pennies this morning, only two-bit pieces,’ advised Warren to Pua in honor of the occasion.

With the gangplank in place, the reception committee endeavored to get Duke to lead the procession down the way but the modest star refused and, aided by his companion swimmers, forced the unwilling team manager, ‘Dad’ Center, to head the march.

The team was escorted away from the pier through “lanes of flowers” held by girls from the Hawaiian Civic Club.

*George “Dad” Center (team manager), W.W. Harris, Jr., Pua Kealoha, Warren Kealoha, Harold Kruger, Ludy Langer, and Helen Moses.