Richard Mamiya

Mamiya was born on March 8, 1925 in Kalihi, Honolulu, Hawaii. He was a third-generation Japanese American.[1] He attended Saint Louis School, where he played on the football, baseball, and basketball teams. He then earned an athletic scholarship to the University of Hawaii at Manoa, where he played as a quarterback.[2] He had a reputation as a skilled athlete,[3] and was later inducted into the UH Sports Hall of Honor.[4] Mamiya also became student body president,[2] and maintained high grades.[5]

Mamiya's zoology professors encouraged him to go to medical school when he graduated in 1950. He studied medicine at St. Louis University School of Medicine, and specialized in heart surgery. After graduation, he worked for a short time at the St. Louis University,[6] then returned to Hawaii.

Mamiya opened his practice in 1961. In 1965, he helped to establish the John A. Burns School of Medicine.[2]

Mamiya performed the first coronary bypass in Hawaii at Queen's Hospital in 1970. During his career he reduced the amount of time the surgery took from four hours to two while maintaining a mortality rate of less than 1%.[2] He performed more than 30,000 surgeries throughout his career.[4]

Mamiya retired in 1995 and became a philanthropist. Several buildings in Hawaii bear his name, including a theater at Saint Louis School, the science center at the Bishop Museum, and the science center at Punahou School.[7][2]

Mamiya died on August 27, 2019.