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>> The Story of the Egg Laying Trophy of 1928

    Frank E. Midkiff came to Kamehameha Schools as the fourth president in 1923, . Previously, Midkiff was a teacher for 10 years at Punahou School and a successful football coach who had beaten Kamehameha on several occasions. In addition, he was the son-in-law of Kamehameha Schools Trustee Theodore Richards.

    As Kamehameha Schools President, Midkiff was an innovative educator. He decided to train students at the Kamehameha School for Boys to become independent farmers. Some of his reasons were to encourage homesteading, to a build a profitable pig farm and to develop the boys.

    The Schools already had an established farming enterprise in Kalih when he arrived on campusi, but by 1925, urbanization and crowded neighborhoods surrounding the Schools led to frequent complaints about animal noises and odors. The Trustees decided to move farming operations to Haha‘ione in Hawai‘i Kai. It was 16 miles from the Kapālama campus or about 30 minutes by car. Its primary attractiveness was that it was the closest available Bishop Estate land in proximity to the Schools suitable for agriculture and animal husbandry. The 250 acres were overgrown with algaroba trees where the late Samuel Damon had earlier grazed and fed his cattle. 45 acres of the sandy rich soil would grow crops. A well provided water. The boys cleared the land in the summer of 1925, buildings were built and the faculty and boys moved in in September.

In 1924, the photograph above was probably taken at the Kalihi farm. The egg laying trophy highlighted the success of the poultry program at Haha'ione Farm. The photograph below was probably taken at the Haha‘ione Farm after 1925.

Sam Vida was a graduate of Kamehameha School for Boys, Class of 1926. He became an agriculture instructor at the Kamehameha Schools. His son, Samuel K. Vida, Jr., was a 1956 graduate of Kamehameha School for Boys.

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