Ariyoshi, George R. (George Ryoichi), 1926-

George Ryoichi Ariyoshi (born March 12, 1926) is an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the third governor of Hawaii from 1974 to 1986. He is Hawaii's longest-serving governor and the first American of Asian descent to serve as governor of a U.S. state. Ariyoshi is now considered an elder statesman of the Democratic Party of Hawaii.

Born in Honolulu in the Territory of Hawaii, he graduasted from McKinley High School there before serving with the Military Intelligence Service in Occupied Japan during World War II. Upon returning stateside, he first attended the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, then transferred to Michigan State University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1949. He then went on to receive his J.D. degree from the University of Michigan Law School in 1952. Ariyoshi thereafter returned to Hawaii where he worked as a lawyer. In 1954, he was elected to the Hawaii Territorial House of Representatives in 1954, the Hawaii Territorial Senate in 1958, and the Hawaii State Senate in 1959.

In 1970, Ariyoshi successfully ran for lieutenant governor of Hawaii with Governor John A. Burns. He assumed gubernatorial powers and duties when Burns was declared incapacitated in October 1973 and was elected in 1974 in his own right. Ariyoshi's administration was marked by fiscal conservatism as the post-statehood economic boom came to an end. He guided the state through its first economic recession. Barred by term limits from seeking another term in 1986, Ariyoshi was succeeded by Waihee. After leaving public office, he served in a variety of corporate and non-profit capacities.

Ariyoshi has served as president of the Hawaii Bar Association and served on the board of directors for First Hawaiian Bank, the Honolulu Gas Company and Hawaiian Insurance Guaranty Company. He also served on the board of governors at the East-West Center, based in Honolulu, an internationally-known education and research organization that was established by U.S. Congress. As governor, he is credited with revitalizing the organization, and joined the board when his term as governor ended. He served five terms as chairman.