Richard "Dick" Penhallow
Year Inducted: 2009
Parker Ranch | Hawai'i
Born in 1906 in Wailuku, Maui , Richard Penhallow was the son of Henry B. Penhallow, the manager of the Wailuku Sugar Plantation.
Richard worked for Harold Waterhouse Rice at the Ka’ono’ulu Ranch, Maui , when he was fourteen years old. Under the influence of his father, he began his professional career after graduation from the University of Hawai’i with a Bachelor of Science degree in agriculture sugar technology. His first job upon graduating was for the Honolulu Plantation Company in Aiea as an agricultural research specialist. He quickly became the manager and worked there until 1946. This was followed by a short term with the Hawaiian Commercial and Sugar Company on O’ahu.
Richard, his wife Olive and their two sons, relocated to the Big Island , where he worked at the Onomea Sugar Company until 1948. His last move was to the Parker Ranch, where he remained for twenty-four years, first as Assistant Manager to Hartwell Carter, and finally finishing his last two years there as the Parker Ranch Manager.
As a member of the Mauna Kea Soil and Water Conservation District Penhallow helped institute a flood control plan for Waimea and develop water resources. While assistant manager of Parker Ranch, he was a director of the Hawai’i Cattlemen’s Association and was active on the tax and rainmaking committees. He worked in the background extensively to develop the homesteading plans for Waimea lands with the Hawaiian Homes Commission and the Territorial Land Office.
His achievements include the opening of the Hawai’i Preparatory Academy as well as the Parker School , and serving as a regent for the UHH. A leader in the real estate industry, he played a part in the development of the recreational and resort area along the coast together with Richard Smart and Laurence Rockefeller. During his tenure, livestock production increased. His was the first attempt, on a small scale, to use artificial insemination to improve breeding and productivity. He encouraged work in the development of Parker Ranch’s horse herd, concentrating on better breeding procedures and practices. Richard Penhallow’s business acumen and love of the land made him a visionary in many ways. His contributions to all aspects of the ranching industry cannot be easily summed up.