Mauna Kea Oral History Appendix - Office of Mauna Kea Management

Walter Richard Steiger
Recollections of Mauna Kea
and Development of Astronomy in Hawai‘i
February 19, 2004, with Kepä Maly
Walter Richard Steiger
was born in Proctor,
Colorado in 1923, and
first came to Hawai‘i
with the military in
1945. Following his
tour of duty, he
returned to the
mainland, completed
his Ph.D., and in 1953,
came back to Hawai‘i
as a Professor of
Physics at the
University of Hawai‘i.
Walter set up a solar
observatory at
Makapu‘u Point, and
then in 1957-58, set up
a Satellite Tracing
Station and Solar
Observatory on
Haleakalä. It was while
working at Haleakalä,
that Walter first met
Alika Herring and
Gerard Kuiper, Kuiper
being a world
Walter R. Steiger (Photo No. KPA-S2324)
renowned Scientist in the field of Astronomy. Walter recalls, that it was while on a visit to Haleakalä,
that Dr. Kuiper first looked across the channel to Hawai‘i, and saw Mauna Kea, stating that he desired
to go there. Indeed, by 1963, Dr. Kuiper was on Mauna Kea—with the support of NASA, Governor
Burns, Mitsuo Akiyama of the Hilo Chamber of Commerce, Howard Ellis, and others—was exploring
Mauna Kea and making plans for the first Observatory on the mountain.
Walter Steiger kindly granted his release of the interview, with his notes and photos on August 31,
2004.
KM:
WS:
KM:
WS:
KM:
WS:
[background and scope of interview program] …I don’t want to date, or age you, but there
aren’t many people with your background or longevity in Hawaiian Astronomy…
[chuckling] I know, I’m the old man of the mountain.
Yes. Thank you very much.
I hope that I can be of some help.
So we’re going to talk story about your recollections of observatories in Hawai‘i, Mauna
Kea, Haleakalä, and some of the things that you know, through person experience about
the mountain landscape. But first, would you please share with me your full name, date of
birth, where born, and then some of how you came into astronomy and to Hawai‘i
Okay, my name is Walter Richard Steiger, it’s a Swiss name. My parents were
immigrants from Switzerland, and I am a second generation — “Nisei” [chuckling]. I came
Mauna Kea– “Ka Piko Kaulana o ka ‘Äina”
Kumu Pono Associates LLC
A Collection of Oral History Interviews (HiMK67-050606) A:579