Theodore Kelsey

Person

Theodore Kelsey

1891-08-04 / 1987-02-13

Theodore Kelsey was born to Helen Lucy (nee Wells) and Henry Evelyn Kelsey at Seattle, Washington on August 4, 1891. He arrived in Honolulu on January 26, 1895 aboard the S.S. Miowera, with his mother, Helen, who went to teach at Hanamaulu, Kaua‘i where her brother William Ira Wells was principal. ON January 19, 1897, his father arrived in Honolulu and joined the family on Kaua‘i.
In 1905, Kelsey began teaching himself the Hawaiian language from a Hawaiian-English language phrase book.
In 1908, Kelsey attended New Mexico Military Institute, Roswell, New Mexico to further his education. In the years that followed, he traveled throughout the western United States, Mexico, and Hawai‘i, eventually graduating from Illinois College in Effingham in 1916.
In 1917, Kelsey returned permanently to Hawai‘i; was offered a year's tuition at Yale by Bishop Museum's Dr. Herbert Gregory, but declined to accept. In November, witnessed the funeral of Queen Liliuokalani. Kelsey eventually settled in Hilo where he worked as a photographer out of a photo studio that his father helped to establish.
In 1921, Kelsey worked for creation of a Hawaiian Legend and Folklore Commission, Acts 61 and 126, S.L.H. 1921.
In 1923-1924, Kelsey assisted Padraic Colum to rewrite Hawaiian legends and helped Helen H. Roberts to record Hawaiian chants used in "Ancient Hawaiian Music," published in 1926.
In 1927, Kelsey recorded chants of George P. Kalama and moved to Honolulu residing with artist Arthur Emerson. Kelsey continued with his photography and began teaching Hawaiian.
From 1933 to 1936, Kelsey resided at George P. Mossman's Lalani Hawaiian Village recording and transcribing Hawaiian chants and lore of James. P. Kuluwaimaka and others.
From 1936 to 1939, Kelsey served as a Works Program Administration (W.P.A.) worker at the Archives of Hawai‘i with Henry E.P. Kekahuna and others. He began a serious study of the Kumulipo creation chant.
From 1939 to 1941, Kelsey resided and studied Hawaiiana with Henry E.P. Kekahuna.
In 1949, work began for the Pukui and Elbert Hawaiian-English Dictionary, published in 1957, on which Kelsey and Henry E.P. Kekahuna were committee members.
In 1956, Kelsey received the first David Malo Award, with Kekahuna, from the East Honolulu Hawaiian Civic Club.
In 1957, Kelsey and Kekahuna mapped Big Island historic sites.
In 1958, Kelsey married Mrs. Esther Kaikai Kanoa Kalaukoa; widow of John Kaipo Kalaukoa.
On April 6, 1960, wife Esther died.
In 1977, Kelsey was declared a "Living Treasure of Hawai‘i" by the Honpa Hongwanji Mission.
In 1978, Kelsey moved to Waianae, Oahu to reside with the family of Hawaiian researcher and author June Gutmanis.
In 1980, Kelsey received a certificate of appreciation from Alu Like for a lifetime of service to the Hawaiian Community.
In 1982, Kelsey received the Na Makua Mahalo ‘Ia award from Brigham Young University Hawai‘i campus.
On February 13, 1987, Kelsey died at the Gutmanis home in Waianae, Oahu.

Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i Island, O‘ahu, New Mexico, Washington, Massachusetts, Illinois, Nova Scotia.

Henry E.P. Kekahuna (1881-08-06 / 1969-04-27)

Hawaiʻi State Archives

1989-06, Richard F. Thompson: created.

2021-09-08, Carol Kellett: Entered into AtoM.