Marion Saunders (maiden name Hollenbach) was an anthropologist and educator who worked extensively to improve the education system in Hawaii. She worked tirelessly with her husband through the League of Women Voters to help improve Hawaii's public school system. She also worked at the University of Hawaii in the East West Center, where she organized the Continuing Education for Women, which was the precursor for the Women Studies program, and set up the Women-in-Residence program. Saunders continued to help improve education in Hawaii as a board member for the Board of Education, where she served two terms.

In 1935, she received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of New Mexico. After graduating, she became a teaching fellow at the University of Southern California. After completing her fellowship, she became the Assistant Curator of History and Anthropology at the Los Angeles County Museum. While in this position she received her Master’s of Arts from the University of Southern California. Saunders continued her graduate studies attending University of Colorado and Boston University in 1951 and receiving a second Master of Arts from the University of Hawai‘i in 1960.

After the United States’ entrance into the Second World War, she became a training officer for the Women’s Naval Reserve at the U.S. Navy Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts; where she met her husband Allan Saunders. They married on March 16, 1946 and moved to Hawaii. From 1946 to 1949, Saunders acted as the Assistant State Director of Adult Education for the Department of Public Instruction.

Saunders and her husband, Allan, founded the League of Women Voter of Honolulu, the Hawaii sector of the national league in 1948. The League of Women Voters is an organization that works on the reform of education for the state of Hawaii. The Saunders remained active in this organization until their deaths.

In 1954, she was appointed as the Education Administrator for the Department of Interior for Trust Territory and Pacific Islands (Micronesia) students in Hawaii public schools and the University of Hawaii. She continued in this position until 1960, but remained close to the Micronesian community in Hawaii. She would continue working with the Micronesian community while working at the East-West Center. Her house (Hale Haa‘a) was well known to have students, colleagues, and friends at the home she shared with her husband and some even staying there for periods of time.

In 1961, Saunders became the Program Officer for the East-West Center where she helped to organize the counseling, cross-cultural training, and evaluation program for the Asian, Pacific, and American students. She also organized and directed the Continuing Education for Women at the University of Hawaii from 1968 to 1974. While in the position she also initiated the Women-in-Residence program; through which she brought authors, educators, and activists such as Caroline Bird, Eva Schindler-Rainman, Kay Clarenbach, and Bernice Sandler to the University of Hawaii.

Saunders continued to advance education for women when she was appointed to the Governor’s Commission on the Status of Women. The commission, currently named the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, was created by executive order on May 15, 1964 to function as a central clearinghouse of resources, services and advocacy for women and girls. It was established to assist in the development of programs for women and girls, and to serve as an informational resource for Hawaii’s women and girls on a broad range of policies and issues.

After serving on the Commission on the Status of Women, Saunders was elected to the Hawaii State Board of Education. She stayed on the Board of Education for two terms the last one ending in 1980. Throughout this time and after she left the Board of Education, she continued to champion for education reform in both the state and national levels. Saunders became the Chairperson for the International Alumni Association of East-West Center, was appointed to the Hawaii Advisory Committee to U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and became the Chair of Education Sub Committee, Chair of Education Committee for the Hawaii League of Women Voters, and was on the Education Committee for the American Civil Liberities Union.

Marion Saunders never stopped working to improve education in Hawaii and continued to work for this goal until she passed away on August 6, 1998.

Timeline of Marion Saunders

1935 B.A. University of New Mexico

1936-1938 Teaching Fellow University of Southern California

1938-1942 Asst. Curator, History and Anthropology Los Angeles County Museum Los Angeles, CA

1942 M.A. University of Southern California

1943 Training Officer, Women’s Naval Reserve U.S. Navy, Smith College, MA

Mar. 16, 1946 Married husband, Allan Saunders

1948 Founded the Hawaii branch of the League of Women Voters of Honolulu with husband

1949 Assistant State Directory of Adult Education Department of Public Instruction Honolulu, HI

1949-1950 Instructor in Group Dynamics for State Parent-Teacher Association of Hawaii, Honolulu

1954-1960 Educational Administrator, Department of Interior for Trust Territory of Pacific Island (Micronesian) students in Hawaii public schools and the University of Hawai‘i

1955 Purchased and moved into Woodlawn home, named Hale Ha‘a‘a (hospitality)

1961-1968 Program Officer, Institute for Student Interchange, East-West Center: Organized counseling/cross-cultural training/evaluation program for Asian, Pacific, and US students 1965 Worked to expand league to statewide organization

Unknown Appointed to Governor’s Commission on the Status of Women, Hawai‘i’s Advisory Committee on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, and United Nations Chapter

Unknown Helped to Launch the Hawaii Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union

1968-1974 Launched continuing education program for women at University of Hawai‘i (precursor to Women’s Studies program)

1968-1974 Organized community forums for discussion of current affairs, such as “Conversation with Youth”

1968-1974 Initiated Woman-in-Residence program bringing Caroline Bird, Kay Clarenbach, Bernice Sandler, Eva Schindler-Rainman to the University

1974-1980 Board member for the Hawaii State’s Board of Education

1996 Founded the University of Hawaii’s Academy of Lifelong Learning at the East-West Center

Aug. 6, 1998 Marion Saunders’ Death