Dole Intermediate School started with 7th grade only in 1955 and 8th grade was added for the next 2 years until Dole became a full fledged intermediate serving students grades 7-9 in September 1957. The enrollment in 1955-1956 was 350; 750 for 1956-1957; and 1150 in 1957-1958. Dole students come from Kalihi Valley as far makai as two blocks below School Street. The students come from 6 elementary schools: Kalihi, Kalihi Uka, Kaewai, Fern, Kalihi Waena, and Kapalama. The original staff included only 24 teachers and 4 service personnel. The first principal of Dole was Mr. Toma Tasaki. The last of the original Dole staff was Mrs. Fumiko Itokazu, who retired from Dole in 1987. In December 1955, the administration held a name selection drive because it wanted to give students a chance to voice their preferences and because the temporary name "Kalihi Intermediate" might be easily confused with that of Kalihi Elementary. Each of the eleven homerooms suggested 3 names and the resulting list was presents to the PTA (Parent Teacher Association). The PTA selected 3 names from the list by ballot and sent them to the Department of Public Instructions. The result was Sanford Ballard Dole. The students who suggested this name was Thelma Macabeo and Gertrude Chir.
Sanford Ballard Dole was born on April 23, 1844 at Punahou. His parents were Daniel and Emily Ballard Dole. Mr. Dole's father was the first principal of Punahou School and also the person who started what was to become Koloa School on Kauai. This was in 1855, coincidentally 100 years before another school in Hawaii was to bear the Dole name. Daniel and Emily had two sons, George and Sanford. Emily lived only four days after the birth of Sanford and at the breast of an affectionate Hawaiian foster mother he gained, perhaps his first intimate Hawaiian heritage. Two years later, the missionary widow, Charlotte Knapp, became Sanford's stepmother and their lifelong devotion began.
Tall and athletic, Sanford lived the typical life of a Punahou boy, with it's hard study, manual labor, mountain climbing, shell collection, horseback riding, and swimming. As there were no girls in the family, Sanford also helped his mother with the dishes and sweeping, even though he didn't enjoy doing these things. After finishing college and returning to Hawaii, Sanford went into law practice and taught Sunday School at Kamakapili Church. Mr. Dole was the first president of the YMCA. He was also instrumental in helping to raise funds for the statue of President William McKinley that stands in front of McKinley High School thus he was chosen to unveil it. He was remembered by his WilliamsCollege classmates chiefly as a mighty swimmer, runner, climber, walker, and fighter. He revisited Williams College in 1917, 50 years after his graduation.
Sanford was the first and only president of Hawaii and also the first governor. He is called the "Grand Old Man of Hawaii". In 1893, Queen Liliuokalani lost her throne and Sanford was elected presdent of the provisional government. Presient Grover Cleveland demanded the Liliuokalanki's throne be restored. Mr. Dole refused to yield. In Territory, Mr. Dole was chose as the first governor of Hawaii and was inagurated on June 14, 1900. He retired from that officeon November 1, 1903. He was appointed U.S. District Judge in that year and served until 1916. Mr. Dole passed away at the age of 82.
Mr. Dole was a diplomat, statesman, and jurist. He was the only American who has ever been chief executive of an independent forein nation. He believed in eventual statehood for Hawaii, but only under the educated citizenry. His inaugural speech was an eloquent alignment of facts, responsiblites, and dangers with more than plea that Hawaii's citizens might measue up to dignity of their new American heritage including the hopes of statehood and the confidence reposed in them. To those that knew him well, there is still the echo of his footsteps passing up and down Emma Street, though the land of his home there now houses a community church and a school for Chinese. His orchard in Pauoa Valley has passed by the will to the family of the faithful Chinese friend who farmed it for him. And to the 355 children of Kalihi Intermediate School, Mr. Dole was an aliving person in their dramatic skit prepared for his birthday on April 23, 1956.