The Marshall R. Pihl Collection at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa Library

Ellie Kim

Korean Studies Librarian

University of Hawai'i at Mānoa Library

The history of Hawaii is as unique as its geographical location. Incorporated into the US as the country’s last state, the islands were a kingdom until not too long ago. The University of Hawaii was established in 1907 with a goal of providing modern tertiary education to local residents, who were mostly native Hawaiians and people of Asian descent. Since its introduction of Asia-related courses in the 1920s, the university has become an international center for Asian studies. As a support organization for the university’s research community, the University of Hawaii Library houses over 5.6 million items and is visited by some 40,000 people on average every month.

The history of Korean immigration to the United States began in Hawaii. A number of Koreans came to Hawaii as farm workers in 1903 and founded a large Korean diaspora community in the islands. The local Korean community has a proud history of supporting the Korean independence movement during the Japanese occupation. This vibrant and intricately connected Korean community was fertile soil for the growth of the Korean Studies program and collection at the University of Hawaii. The Korean Collection encompasses over 83,000 items, including a number of precious materials related to Korea. In this article, I would like to introduce the Marshall R. Pihl Collection at our university library.

Dr. Marshall R. Pihl (1933-1995) was one of the first generation of Korean Studies researchers in the US. He studied Korean literature and translated Korean books for overseas readers. After receiving a doctorate at Harvard University with a specialization in the study of pansori, a Korean genre of musical storytelling, he served as a professor of Korean literature at the University of Hawaii in the 1980s and 1990s. The Marshall R. Pihl Collection consists of his personal collection donated to the University after his death.

The most popular items in the Marshall R. Pihl Collection are early publications written in hangeul during the modern period. They are especially valuable materials for researchers on modern Korean language and its education. The collection includes a number of Korean language textbooks, dictionaries, and grammar books published in the modern era. The following is a partial list of these books. Their authors are considered pioneers in Korean language education and research. The Marshall R. Pihl Collection houses original copies of these volumes.

The Marshall R. Pihl Collection is not limited to materials on Korean language education, but includes other educational books such as the following:

Yumongcheonja is a textbook written by the Canadian missionary James Gale for the study of Chinese characters by Korean children. Eupmyeon Jinheung Dokbon is an educational material published by the Busan-bu office to teach local residents about simple arithmetic and how to read and write Japanese and Korean.

The collection also has books that reflect the daily use of Korean language in the modern era.

Yesu Syeonggyo Jyeonshyeo is the first Korean translation of the New Testament. As a joint work of translation involving Western missionaries and local Koreans, this Bible is an excellent primary source material through which the usage of Korean words and grammar at the time of its publication can be traced.

In addition to these books, the Marshall R. Pihl Collection of the University of Hawaii at Mānoa Library has many other fascinating original volumes. We invite Korean Studies researchers to explore this valuable collection created by a scholar dedicated to the exploration of Korean literature.