Statewide County HI Archives Biographies.....Rawlins, Hon. William Thomas September 4, 1877 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/hi/hifiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: J. Orr jessicanorr@gmail.com December 21, 2011, 2:39 pm Source: The Story of Hawaii and Its Builders, Honolulu Star Bulletin, Ltd. Territory of Hawaii, 1925 Author: Edited by George F. Nellist HON. WILLIAM THOMAS RAWLINS, Lawyer and Jurist. A jurist and Hawaiian scholar, U. S. District Judge W. T. Rawlins has served in many public offices, and is credited with having developed athletics in Hawaii from a place of relative obscurity to its present high rank in the world of sports. In 1912 the attention of the world was directed to Hawaii when Duke Kahanamoku of Honolulu shattered all swimming records at the Olympic games in Stockholm. It was through the support given Kahanamoku by Judge Rawlins and others that the swimmer was enabled to attend the games. Judge Rawlins is a student of Hawaiian language, folk lore and history, and has in preparation a history of Hawaiian traditions and customs which will be published shortly. In 1901, shortly after completing his education at Yale University, Judge Rawlins entered law practise with the firm of Holmes& Stanley. He was referee in bankruptcy from 1901 to 1904 and in 1902 was appointed special deputy attorney general for the territory. In 1903, when the county of Oahu was organized, Judge Rawlins was elected district attorney. He served only 10 days, however, as the county act was declared unconstitutional and reorganization was necessary. He served as deputy high sheriff from October, 1904, to June 30, 1905, and early in 1904 was appointed district magistrate in Honolulu by Governor Carter. In 1907 he was appointed Hawaiian commissioner to the Jamestown Exposition, Jamestown, Va., and in the same year was elected to the legislature on the Republican ticket, and was chairman of the house judiciary committee. In December, 1907, he was appointed assistant United States Attorney, serving until 1912 and resigning because of ill health and later entering private practise. Judge Rawlins was again sent to the legislature in 1915 and in 1919, serving on the public lands committee and as chairman of the judiciary committee. He presented the resolution calling for amendment of the Organic Act which permitted leasing of public lands, in 1919. Later in 1919, Judge Rawlins went to Washington with a commission to work for legislation relative to the Hawaiian rehabilitation act. He again went to Washington in 1921 as confidential advisor to the late Prince Kalanianaole, delegate to Congress. He was appointed U. S. district judge, Feb. 16, 1924, for a term of six years. Born in Honolulu, Sept. 4, 1877, Judge Rawlins is the son of Thomas W. and Marian S. (Evans) Rawlins. His father was an early settler in Hawaii, coming to the islands from England in 1874 to visit his uncle, the late William J. Rawlins, a sea-faring man, who came to Hawaii in 1830. Thomas W. Rawlins is still living in Honolulu. He retired a number of years ago after a successful business career. Judge Rawlins was graduated from Oahu College, Honolulu, in 1898 and received his LL.B. degree at Yale University in 1901. He married Jane S. Somers at Bridgeport, Conn., March 19, 1902. They have one daughter, Elizabeth French Rawlins. Judge Rawlins is a member of the University Club and a charter member and former president of the Hawaiian A. A. U. He was president of the Hawaiian Bar Association, 1922 to 1924, and was one of the organizers of the Hui Nalu. He holds memberships in the Hawaiian Historical Society, Yale Club, University Club, and Oahu Country Club. He is past master of Hawaiian Lodge No. 21, F. & A. M., and a member of the Chiefs of Hawaii. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/hi/statewide/bios/rawlins483bs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/hifiles/ File size: 4.1 Kb