Clift Tsuji Memorial Agricultural Scholarship
CLIFT TSUJI
On November 15, 2016, my father, Representative Clift Tsuji unexpectedly passed away after suffering a heart attack. He was looking forward to the start of another legislative session serving in the Hawaii House of Representatives and serving his constituents of the Hilo community.
My dad was born on January 20, 1941, and raised on the Big Island plantation town of Papaikou. He was a 1959 graduate of Hilo High School and completed his post-secondary degrees at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and the University of Washington’s Pacific Coast Banking School. He also served in the army reserve in the 42nd Infantry Regiment in Hilo from 1959-1965.
He went on to work at Central Pacific Bank for 24 years eventually becoming branch manager and senior vice president before he took a position as vice president of Hilo Candy Company. But his truly calling was serving people, and in 2004, he was elected to represent the people of Hilo as a State Representative.
From the beginning of my dad's legislative career until the end, he worked tirelessly for local agriculture and the issues that plagued the industry. Drought mitigation, invasive species, and biosecurity were just some of the areas that became a priority for him. His passion and commitment to farmers and the industry were what led the Hawaii Farm Bureau to honor him as the 2015 Legislator of the Year.
THE SCHOLARSHIP
To honor his passion for the agriculture community and celebrate the work he completed in this field, we have created the "Clift Tsuji Memorial Agricultural Scholarship" to support the next generation of leaders in this industry. This annual endowment scholarship will be awarded to a student at the University of Hawaii at Hilo as well as a student at the University of Hawaii at Hilo community College who is pursuing a career in agriculture.
CONTRIBUTE
Our family and his campaign volunteers would greatly appreciate your support in helping to perpetuate the legacy my father left behind and specifically his work in the field of local agriculture. If you would like to support our efforts to help honor my father through this scholarship and contribute to support students in this area of agriculture we ask that you please considering making a donation to the UH Foundation. Checks can be made payable to the University of Hawaii Foundation with the note "Clift Tsuji Scholarship" in the memo portion. Checks can be mailed to:
University of Hawaii Foundation
1175 Manono St.
Hale Aloha Building, Room 119
Hilo, HI 96720
My dad was a man who loved his job and loved being able to simply help people. Our hope is that we can continue his passion and commitment to making a difference in the community even after his passing. He was a man that led with compassion, he lead with honor, and most of all he lead with his heart.