S. I. Hayakawa

Date of Birth: July 18, 1906

Zodiac Sign: Cancer

Date of Death: February 27, 1992

Biography

Samuel Ichiye Hayakawa, commonly known as S. I. Hayakawa, was a prominent American academic, politician, and linguist. He was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and later became a naturalized U.S. citizen. Hayakawa is best known for his contributions to the field of general semantics and his tenure as a U.S. Senator from California. He began his academic career as an English professor and eventually became the president of San Francisco State University. During his presidency, Hayakawa gained national attention for his firm stance during the student protests of the 1960s. As a Republican Senator, he served from 1977 to 1983, advocating for English as the official language of the United States. Hayakawa continued to write and lecture on semantics and linguistics until his retirement.

5 Interesting Facts about S. I. Hayakawa

1. S. I. Hayakawa was a well-respected expert in linguistics and authored the best-selling book “Language in Thought and Action.”

2. He was a vocal advocate for making English the official language of the United States.

3. Hayakawa famously pulled the plug on a sound system during a student protest at San Francisco State University, which was a defining moment of his career.

4. He served as a U.S. Senator from California from 1977 to 1983.

5. Hayakawa was of Japanese descent and moved to the United States in 1927, becoming a naturalized citizen in 1941.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from S. I. Hayakawa

1. “The meanings of words are not in the words; they are in us.”

2. “In a real sense, the differences between people are differences in the way they interpret the world.”

3. “If we can see the world as a system of interrelated parts, we can begin to solve the problems that confront us.”

4. “We should keep our word, even to our own hurt, because in the end, our word is all we have.”

5. “I am an advocate of the English language because it is the language of opportunity.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

S. I. Hayakawa’s highest net worth is not well-documented, but as a U.S. Senator and academic, he was comfortably well-off.

Children

S. I. Hayakawa had three children: Alan Hayakawa, Wynne Hayakawa, and Mark Hayakawa. Alan followed in his father’s footsteps in academia and public speaking.