International Bulletin - December 2001
Tutasi Wilson Steinhilber
 Tutasi Wilson Steinhilber - A life Member and a true PPSEAWA Treasure! Photo taken in the 1960's (Tutasi's personal collection) |
Few of our present PPSEAWA-Hawaii members know that our cherished Tutasi is the daughter of one of the founders of our organization.
In 1928, Carolyn Ripley Wilson, Tutasi's mother, joined distinguished women from the Pacific area and the United States whose objectives were to strengthen the bonds of peace among Pacific peoples and to encourage cooperation among them for the betterment of existing conditions.
Tutasi's great-grandmother, grandmother and mother were all of Samoan-Pacific ancestry. In 1925, when Tutasi was 10 years old, she was sent to Honolulu where she attended Lincoln School and later Kamehameha School for Girls, thus, in 1933, becoming the first non-Hawaiian girl to graduate from the school.
Between trips back to Samoa, she studied at the University of Hawaii, worked in social services, and later returned to Samoa to work in this field. Eventually, Tutasi left Samoa for California to further her studies, but the offer of a role in "Mutiny On the Bounty" was too tempting, and thus her career in movies began.
She was in many of the Bing Crosby and Bob Hope movies, and eventually she joined "The Honolulu Maids", a show at the Hawaiian Room of the Hotel Lexington in New York. Thus, her career began as a dancer and designer of costumes for Polynesian shows. Later, she also became an important part in Arthur Godfrey's weekly CBS-TV programs in New York.
Her New York penthouse was furnished in typical Hawaiian and Samoan style where she hosted authentic lu'aus. She got involved in the lucrative New York tourist business with tour packages for a "Hawaiian South Seas Weekend in Atlantic City" with her supervising everything from the Luau Dinners to Polynesian Dancing to Fashion Shows.
She became well-known as the Manhattan representative for a New York-to-Honolulu flying service using DC-4s that took 25 hours with stop-over in Los Angeles.
One wonders why her name "Steinhilber"... After losing her first husband who was killed testing a navy plane, she later married Dr. Lewis Steinhilber who was head surgeon at the American Samoa Hospital. After he passed away in 1982, Tutasi then settled in Honolulu and soon thereafter joined PPSEAWA.
Lately, our precious Tutasi has not enjoyed good health, so she is no longer able to be an active member , although she still encourages and supports us in our various endeavors.
Written by Elizabeth (Ibbie) Haas, Membership Committee Chair, who is Tutasi's neighbor and visits her frequently. We thank you, Ibbie, for providing this fascinating insight into Tutasi's life.
Editor: Ulrike Siddiqi
Last Modified: November 29, 2002