Matsunaga, Spark M. (Spark Masayuki), 1916-1990

Spark Masayuki Matsunaga (October 8, 1916 – April 15, 1990) was an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he served in the House of Representatives from Hawaii's at-large and 1st congressional districts from 1963 to 1977 and as United States Senator for Hawaii from 1977 until his death in 1990.

Born Masayuki Matsunaga in Kukuila on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, he graduated from Kauai High School before attending the University of Hawaii in Honolulu, participating in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps there. After graduating, Matsunaga joined the Hawaii National Guard before entering the U.S. Army as a second lieutenant. He was twice wounded in battle while serving with the renowned 442nd Regimental Combat Team and the 100th Infantry Battalion. After his release from the Army as a Captain, Matsunaga adopted his childhood nickname of "Spark" as his first name and entered Harvard Law School, graduating in 1951. He worked as an assistant prosecutor for the city and county of Honolulu before going into private practice in 1954. Later in 1954, Matsunaga was elected to the territorial legislature of Hawaii, going on to serve as the territorial house majority leader in 1958. After statehood in 1959, Matsunaga returned to private practice.

After Daniel Inouye was elected to the Senate, Matsunaga succeeded him as the state's sole member of the House of Representatives. After Hawaii was split into districts for the 1970 elections, Matsunaga was elected for Hawaii's 1st congressional district, comprising Honolulu's inner ring, and held that seat until 1976. Throughout his congressional career, Matsunaga tirelessly advocated for peace. He often spoke in favor of and voted for civil rights legislation, though he resisted its more militant aspects. While he occasionally restrained his fervor for the civil rights movement of the 1960s, he never wavered in his effort to restore dignity to Japanese Americans wronged during World War II internment.

With Hiram Fong retiring in 1976, Matsunaga defeated Hawaii's other House representative, Patsy Mink, for the Democratic Party nomination for Senator. Matsunaga then defeated former Republican governor William Quinn in the general election and went on to serve in the United States Senate from 1977 until his death in 1990. In his first term, Matsunaga worked closely with senior Senator Daniel Inouye on legislation important to Hawaii, but each maintained their own legislative focus. Matsunaga added interests in space exploration, alternative energy, and cultural development to his agenda. Matsunaga was one of the earliest proponents of an international space station, introducing a resolution (S. Res. 488) in favor of its development in 1982. Early in his second term, Matsunaga finally achieved a long-sought goal: the establishment of the United States Institute of Peace. Another of Matsunaga’s longtime goals came to fruition in 1985, when he helped create the U.S. poet laureate position at the Library of Congress. Matsunaga's crowning achievement in the Senate was his role in the passage of the redress bill in 1988 for people of Japanese descent who were incarcerated in the United States during World War II.