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| Robert K. Sakai |
Robert Kenjiro Sakai (Poston 42-9-A) , was born on April 3, 1919, in Riverside, California, born to Hiroshi and Kiku Sasai. He received a bachelor's degree in history at the University of California-Berkeley in 1941, but his graduate education was interrupted by World War II.
Robert was evacuated from Indio, California with his parents, and older siblings, Tom and Julia Sakai to the Poston, Arizona internment camp block 42-9-A on May 19, 1942. He married Sady Kitaoka (Poston 27-6-D), an evacuee from Brea, at Poston in October, 1942. Robert volunteered for the Military Intelligence Service and went to Camp Savage in Minnesota on June 26, 1943 and Sady Sakai went to Minneapolis.
Several month later, his sister, Julia Sakai left Poston on August 25, 1943 and went to Minneapolis. His older brother, James received an invitation in Chicago, and left Poston on May 2, 1944. His parents remained at Poston until September 16, 1945 when they returned to Indio.
After the end of World War II, Robert Sakai earned his master's and doctorate degrees from Harvard University. He taught at the University of Nebraska for 15 years and served as chairman of their history department. In 1964, he was a visiting history professor to the University of Hawai'i and two years later joined the University of Hawaii History Department. He was a scholar of Japanese history, and served as Dean of the University of Hawaii summer session and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.
After retirement, Robert Sakai remained a Professor Emeritus with the History Department. He joined the Japan-America Society in 1980, served two terms as President. During his tenure, the society developed a sister relationship with the Japan-America Society of Hiroshima. He was a board member of the Crown Prince Akihito Scholarship Foundation,, and served on the Japanese Consulate's screening committee for the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program.
Robert K. Sakai, a historian, University of Hawai'i dean and former president of the Japan-America Society of Hawai'i, died at the age of 85 on August 15, 2004 in Honolulu, Hawaii.
He is survived by his wife, Sady; son, Robert; daughter, Ann; sister, Irene Futa.
Source: http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2004/Aug/24/ln/ln48a.html
