GEORGE HIILANI MILLS

George Hiilani Mills was born in Pepeekeo, Hawaii on June 10, 1921. His mother was Mrs. James Mattoon He had two brothers, Henry Mills and Creighton Mattoon, and two sisters, Margaret (Mrs. Leslie Payne) and Elizabeth (Mrs. Albert Lyman).

Dr. Mills attended Kamehameha Schools in Honolulu and after graduation went to Colorado College in Colorado Springs, CO. He obtained his B. A. and M. A. degrees from that college. During his college years he met Barbara Freeman from Boston and they were married upon his graduation. Dr. Mills worked for a while for a grain company before receiving a scholarship to Boston University School of Medicine from which he graduated with his M.D. degree in 1950.

Dr. Mills served a rotating internship at The Queen's Hospital, Honolulu 1950-51 and a residency in Internal Medicine at The Queen's Hospital from 1952 to 1954. In 1953 Dr. Mills became Medical Director for Kamehameha Schools, a position he held until 1988. He began clinical practice in the Alsup Clinic in Honolulu and was associated with that clinic for fourteen years (1954-1968). During his professional career he was also Medical Director of Maunalani Nursing Center and Clinical Professor of Family Medicine & Community Health for the John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii.

Dr. and Mrs. Mills had four children: George, Jr., Kilburn M., James W. and Elsa "Pua" Kaai. Their home was on the windward side of the island of Oahu where George loved to entertain visitors and colleagues and especially to introduce them to the Hawaiian culture which was such an important part of his life. Dr. Mills celebrated his Hawaiian heritage long before it became fashionable and was a dominant figure in maintaining the spirit and knowledge of that culture. He melded his Hawaiian part with his "haole" (Caucasian) part without sacrificing the best of each culture. He was president of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs and received the Outstanding Civic Club Member award in 1967, the Outstanding Hawaiian award from them in 1968, and the Outstanding Alumnus award from Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate. He was also Chairman of the Queen Liliuokalani Children's Center.

Dr. Mills was very active in his professional organizations including being elected President of the Honolulu County Medical Society, the Hawaii Medical Association, the Hawaii Society of Internal Medicine, and the Hawaii Heart Association. He was the Hawaii Medical Association Delegate to the American Medical Association 1970-77 and was elected a Trustee of the AMA serving from 1977 to 1983 and is the only Hawaii physician to have obtained such a high position in the AMA. He was given the Dr. Benjamin Rush Award from the American Medical Association in 1987.

Other awards and honors given to George Hiilani Mills were: Oahu Health Council Distinguished Service Award, Honolulu Chamber of Commerce Medical Father of the Year 1965, the 1966 David Malo Award from the West Honolulu Rotary Club, The A. H. Robins Physician of the Year Award 1966, 1987 Year of the Hawaiian Na Po'okela Award in Medicine.

Dr. Mills' community involvement extended to the political arena. In 1966 he was the Republican candidate for Lieutenant Governor. He was elected Senator of the Hawaii State Legislature as a Republican (in an overwhelmingly Democratic state) and served from 1971 to 1974.

The measure of a man is seen not only in the honors and awards he receives, although they are a reflection of the esteem with which he is held, but also in the respect and love his family, colleagues and citizens have for him, and in that, Dr. George Hiilani Mills had an abundance.

Medicine in Hawaii: Oral History Series

In Memoriam Index