From left to right: Paula Akana, Executive Director of the Friends of 'Iolani Palace, Douglas Askman, Ph.D., and Richard Kennedy, Ph.D., member of the Board of Trustees .
Professor of History Douglas Askman, Ph.D., has been interested in ‘Iolani Palace since his teenage years and would take a tour once every six months. In the late 1990s, he joined the Friends of ‘Iolani Palace, and while he worked on his Ph.D. dissertation, Askman decided to join the docent training program. For 23 years, Askman has been a certified docent of ‘Iolani Palace, sharing the rich history of the Palace with both visitors and residents of Hawai‘i. On April 28, Askman was recognized at ‘Iolani Palace for his 25 years of service as a volunteer.
Askman, who joined Hawai‘i Pacific University in 2002, said he especially likes bringing his students to ‘Iolani Palace, as the “Palace makes Hawai'i's history come alive.” Over the years, Askman has brought over 1,000 HPU students on ‘Iolani Palace tours.
“Our downtown location is perfect because the Palace is within walking distance,” Askman said. “Also, many students live at the ATM dorms, and bringing them to the Palace gives them a sense of place and introduces them to our campus neighborhood.”
This coming fall, Askman will teach several sections of HIST 1558, “Living History of Hawai‘i,” an introductory Hawaiian history course that includes four field trips, including ‘Iolani Palace and Washington Place, currently the Hawai‘i governor’s mansion. He will also teach HIST 3556, “History of Hawai‘i,” where students under Askman’s leadership will work with HPUʻs marketing team to help develop new signage at Aloha Tower Marketplace, focusing on the history of the area.
