Hawaii schools and charities are benefiting from the generosity of the late Clarence T.C. Ching

By Anna Weaver | Hawaii Catholic Herald

Spreading the wealth Since the sale of Kukui Gardens in December 2007, the Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation has committed or distributed money to eight organizations. More donations are in the works. Only upon dissolution of the trust would the foundation’s money go to St. Francis Health Care System of Hawaii, Chaminade University and Saint Louis School. University of Hawaii — $5 million for the Manoa campus’ Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex Catholic Charities Hawaii — $5 million for capital improvements to the new Makiki headquarters Chaminade University of Honolulu — $5 million for renovations to the former Freitas Hall, now the Clarence T.C. Ching Hall Maryknoll School — $3 million for the Maryknoll School Community Center’s Clarence T.C. Ching Gymnasium Star of the Sea School — $300,000 for scholarships and a building fund drive Sacred Hearts Academy — $150,000 for the performing arts building’s dance studio St. John the Baptist School — $150,000 for scholarships and professional educator development University Catholic Center, UH-Manoa — $50,000 for speakers and retreats

Clarence T.C. Ching. That’s a name Hawaii residents are hearing and seeing in the news a lot lately thanks to a surge in charitable contributions by the foundation that bears his name. Just in the past few months, it has given millions of dollars to Maryknoll School, Chaminade University and Catholic Charities Hawaii.

Ching, the unassuming land developer, banker and philanthropist, might be surprised to find his moniker materializing on buildings and scholarship funds, especially after he turned down so many acknowledgments during his lifetime.

But those that knew Ching, who died in 1985, and the Marianist mantra that guided his life say he would have been pleased that his foundation now has the means to give back to the state of Hawaii thanks to the sale of the Kukui Gardens apartment complex.

“I think he would be tickled pink,” said Raymond Tam, his nephew and a foundation trustee. “That was his goal, to help charities in Hawaii.”

Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation chairman, John K. Tsui, said, “The trustees feel very strongly that the naming rights were appropriate because of what he has done for the community in the past, much of which hasn’t been acknowledged.”

Kauai-born, Marianist-influenced

Ching was born on June 2, 1912 in Anahola, on Kauai’s east side. He was a second-generation Hawaii resident. His father had come to the islands from Canton, China, as an 11-year-old and became a rice farmer. His mother was also a Chinese immigrant and the couple had 11 children.

Tam said it’s still a mystery how Clarence ended up attending St. Louis College on Oahu. But he flourished at the Marianist-run school, doing well academically, becoming class president, joining various clubs and taking up boxing. Ching was also instrumental in getting four younger brothers into St. Louis.

Although Ching was raised Buddhist, Tam said his uncle was greatly influenced by the Marianist values of improving society through education and working for social justice. He says Ching lived the St. Louis’ school motto “Memor et Fidelis” (“Mindful and Faithful”).

“He was mindful of others and faithful to Christian values,” Tam said. “He followed Catholic philosophy even though he was not baptized in the faith. I would consider him Catholic in action.”

After graduating from St. Louis in 1932, Ching took college-level courses but never completed a post-secondary degree. Chaminade University of Honolulu did give him an honorary law degree in 1968. Instead he went on to open a grocery store in Damon Tract in Kalihi and ran a realty business. He married Dorothy Tom and they had two sons, Lawrence and Wallace, and a daughter, Jocelyn.

In the development business

In the 1950s, Ching became friends with Damon Tract’s owner, Samuel Damon, who sold him 1,307 acres from the Damon Estate. Ching and a fellow St. Louis classmate, Kan Jung Luke, developed the Airport Industrial Park area and the Tripler, Salt Lake, Fort Shafter, Moanalua Valley and Red Hill subdivisions. Ching also founded Hawaii National Bank in 1960.

Photo by Anna Weaver Led by school president Perry Martin, Maryknoll School students cheer at the end of the Oct. 28 dedication of the Clarence T.C. Ching Gymnasium. ‘Proud to have their name on our building’ By Anna Weaver | Hawaii Catholic Herald During a tour of the under-construction Maryknoll School Community Center on Oct. 28, Maryknoll School president Perry Martin and board chairman Al Wong showed Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation members John K. Tsui, R. Stevens Gilley and Kenneth Okamoto the center’s future gymnasium. Sidestepping puddles of water from rain that had fallen earlier through the framed but not covered gym roof, Martin pointed out where the convertible court will one day stand and be able to serve as an NBA-regulation court, two high school basketball courts, or three regulation volleyball courts. And after a ceremony dedicating the Clarence T.C. Ching Gymnasium later that same day, Martin said that the $3 million from the Ching Foundation is helping the school come that much closer to having its first home game. “We are proud to have their name on our building,” Martin said. Tsui, chairman of the Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation’s board of trustees, said that the foundation considers education to be an important area it wants to support. “It seems like we love gymnasiums, but that’s not totally true,” Tsui said jokingly. “Education is the key one, and that’s what we want to continue to support among some other things.” “I was sitting in the first row [during the dedication program] … and I could see the sparkle in some of the boys’ and girls’ eyes standing at the front,” he said. “You can tell who are going to be the future leaders just by the sparkle in their eyes.” Maryknoll School broke ground for its Community Center in November 2007 and it is slated for completion in May 2009. The 35,000 square-foot, two-story building will house athletic and performing arts facilities, as well as, an underground parking lot. It is the first new building on the school’s campus in 30 years and is expected to cost $12 million.

As a successful businessman, Ching wanted to give back his good fortune to the community. He was involved in several different education and civic boards, including those of Chaminade, St. Louis and St. Francis Hospital. Ching contributed money to organizations, often anonymously. He also served as fellow St. Louis alumni Governor John A. Burns’ campaign treasurer and in other Democratic political positions.

In the early 1970s, Ching spearheaded the creation of the Chinese Cultural Plaza in downtown Honolulu.

“They wanted to name it the Clarence T.C. Ching Community Center and he refused,” Tam said. “He never bragged; he was never one to really go out and talk about himself.”

One highly visible role Ching took on was as an early developer of government-assisted housing projects beginning with the Moanalua Hillside Apartments. He founded the Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation in August 1967 and followed that soon after with the establishment of the Kukui Gardens Corporation, set up to develop the Kukui Gardens affordable-housing project in Honolulu, which opened in 1970.

With more than 800 rental units and 2,500 residents, Kukui Gardens became one of the state’s largest affordable-housing projects.

Ching intended that after Kukui Gardens’ mortgage was paid off, the income and eventual sale of Kukui Gardens would go toward charitable causes, according to foundation trustees.

“Most people when they make a project of this nature will leave the money to their descendants,” Tam said. “He decided that when the property was sold it would go to charity, and that’s fantastic.”

After retirement, Ching continued to pursue one of his favorite pastimes — golf. A few days before his 73rd birthday, he had a heart attack while teeing off at the 12th hole at the Waialae Country Club’s golf course and passed away at a hospital soon after.

The late Marianist Father Robert Mackey in his eulogy for Ching at his funeral at Diamond Head Memorial Park on June 8, 1985, had nothing but praise for him.

“I was closely associated with Clarence during those years [he was on the St. Louis and Chaminade boards],” he said, “and observed firsthand his authentic, unfeigned humility, his self-effacement, his respect for every person, his patient listening, and his ability to discern the critical issues and to collaborate in planning and action.”

Foundation expands

The sale of Kukui Gardens was finalized in December 2007 for nearly $131 million. The sale was controversial at the time because the tenants and others were worried that their low- and middle-income homes would be torn down by a new owner and converted into high-priced housing.

The foundation’s executive director, R. Stevens Gilley said, “It took two and a half years to get the sale done because everyone was fighting us. We would tell the press and we would tell people that this was Clarence’s wish, but nobody paid any attention to us.”

Eventually the new owner of the housing complex agreed to keep existing rental rates until 2011 and to maintain a set number of units at an affordable rate until 2062.

“[Ching’s] original intention was to get perhaps $20 or 30 million for it,” said Tsui. “Well, through the course of time, we were able to sell it for substantially greater. That windfall should benefit all the citizens of Hawaii.”

The income from the Kukui Gardens sale went into the Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation. Tsui said that until the sale, the foundation had been a modest one. It is now the third largest grant-making foundation in Hawaii, worth about $135 million.

In May 2008, the Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation gave its first substantial post-sale grant — $5 million toward the University of Hawaii at Manoa for its new athletic complex. That grant was appropriate, Tam said, because Ching had always been an athletics fan, even once sponsoring a team in the Hawaii Senior Football League.

In the last several months, a string of contribution pledges have been announced by the foundation. That has included $5 million to Catholic Charities Hawaii, $5 million to Chaminade University of Honolulu and $3 million to Maryknoll School. (See sidebars.) The announcement of more grants is expected in the coming months and Gilley says the foundation’s goal is “to continue the giving to serve the people of Hawaii and at the same time grow the fund.”

Tsui added that all the buildings and scholarships now named after Clarence T.C. Ching are fitting because “he was a favorite son of Hawaii and should be so honored.”

For Tam, who describes his uncle as “a compassionate humanitarian,” it’s important for people to know about Ching “so that encourages others to contribute and follow in his footsteps.”

“[People] that knew him, they all talk about him as being a very great man, but he has a quiet, unknown history,” Tam said. “He is a hero in our eyes.”