William Charles Achi, Jr.

William Charles Achi Jr. (July 1, 1889 – June 17, 1947) was a Hawaiian attorney and territorial judge, as well as composer.

Biography William Charles Achi Jr. was born July 1, 1889, in Honolulu. His father, William Charles Achi, was a political figure in both the Kingdom of Hawaii and the Territory of Hawaii, following annexation by the United States.

Achi attended a diverse collection of colleges, beginning with St. Louis College in Honolulu in 1904, followed by Oahu College in 1908, Stanford University from 1909 to 1911 (where he was a member of both the Stanford varsity baseball team and the Stanford University Symphony Orchestra), Yale University from 1911 to 1912, and the University of Chicago from 1912 to 1913. He completed his B.A. at the University of Michigan in 1914, becoming the first Native Hawaiian to receive a degree from that institution, thereafter receiving a B.L. from the University of Michigan Law School in 1917. The replacement was motivated, at least in part, by an internal feud between territorial delegate Lincoln L. McCandless and Achi's close friend, Honolulu mayor John H. Wilson. They had six children: William Charles III, Richard Kelii, Mary Ann, Rebecca Kaohuleilani, Lincoln Leleiwi, and Stanley Alapai.