In 2009, the awarded honorary degrees at the commencement ceremony to 36 Japanese American students whose education was abruptly stopped when they were sent to relocation camps in 1942.
Those students were:
- Yoshiko Fujimoto
- Thomas Goto
- Toru Hamaguchi
- Jack Hata
- Ken Hayashi
- Tsuyoshi Horike
- Ken Inaba
- Ben Ishioka
- George Ishioka
- Masaye (Esther) Jinguji
- Masayoshi Jinguji
- Michiko Jinguji
- Yoshiye Jinguji
- Waichi Kawai
- Leo Kawasaki
- Aiko Kimura
- Hatsuye Kurose
- Takanobu Matsui
- Ryo Munekata
- George Keiji Omori
- Kenji Oayanagi
- Wiachi Oyanagi
- Hidemaru Sato
- Mayme Semba
- Hugh Y. Seto
- Thomas Seto
- George Takahashi
- Masao Tanabe
- Yutaka Tanabe
- Minoru Tsuchimochi
- June Uyeda
- Shigeo Wakamatsu
- Salem Yagawa
- Genji Yamamoto
- Margaret Yamamoto
- James Yoshioko
All 36 students received the degree Bachelor of Arts, Honoris Causa, nunc pro tunc (meaning “now for then”). Six of those former students or their family members—including Michiko Kiyokawa—attended commencement to accept the degrees and special stoles in person, while several others were mailed to the honorees or their families.
If you or your family member did not receive a degree and stole and would like one, please contact the editor at arches@pugetsound.edu.
