Manual Harding Andrade
2026
Year Inducted: 2026
Ranch Name | Hawai'i
Manuel H. Andrade Sr. is a fifth-generation paniolo whose life represents the old standard: skill without show, service without speeches, and a legacy carried forward exactly as it was handed down. His friends call him Mac.
Mac was born in Līhu‘e, Kaua‘i, on September 23, 1945, and grew up in Kalāheo. He comes from a direct family line of paniolo dating back to 1886. The Andrade story didn’t begin with a polished ranch narrative—it began deep in the mountains. His great-great-grandfather José Andrade worked and lived up mountain country for the Robinson family at a time when wild cattle were a real problem on the islands. Those early paniolo were expert mountain men: roping wild, long-horned cattle, riding rough terrain, and slowly bringing cattle under control over time.
From the time Mac was a young boy, ranching meant training your own horses, shoeing them, raising cattle, and harvesting them for meat to provide for your family. It was simply what the family did. You raised cattle, you worked the slaughterhouse, you put meat on your own table, and you sold beef to bring in extra income. It took a quiet kind of ability to work with the land, work with the animals, and make do with what you had.
As Mac grew up and his father slowed down, he stepped in and took over the family cattle operation and the slaughterhouse business. He distributed beef to local markets and to O‘ahu so his family could continue ranching the land while supplying the community with quality local beef.
Mac also served the land through public service. He started working for the State of Hawai‘i at 15 years old, following in his grandfather’s footsteps. He worked as a forest ranger, later became a game warden, and for many years served as head of the game wardens before retiring—all while still ranching, running a slaughterhouse, and keeping local beef in the marketplace. For Mac, this life was never about chasing attention. It was about responsibility, providing for his family, and serving his community.
There are countless stories from people who witnessed Mac’s ability. One said it best: “In the rocky Waimea Valley hills on Kaua‘i, a cousin’s horse ran away and turned wild. He called every ‘cowboy’ he could think of. They all tried. Nobody could catch her—until he called Mac. Mac rode in, calm and quiet, with a smirk on his face, roped her, and caught her like it was nothing.”
Mac is humble, quietly confident, wise, and honest. His word is his bond. He shows up for his family and friends without needing credit. He is patient, even with people who think differently, and in hard moments he is the calm in the storm. People didn’t just respect him—they wanted to be him. One time a kid was playing cowboy and somebody asked, “You one cowboy?” He goes, “No, I’m Mac Andrade."
Manuel H. Andrade Sr. represents the best of paniolo culture. In his 80th year, he continues to embody paniolo heritage carried forward honestly with start-to-finish ranching skill, service to the land and community, and a lifetime of work done the right way—all while inspiring the next generations.