»A Conversation with George Miyake '52

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SPRING 2003 NEWSLETTER VOL.3 NO.2

A Conversation with George Miyake '52
by Aimee Chang '97

     As the new Asian Pacific American Alumni Council (APAAC) representative for the Wesleyan Club of New York City, I recently had the pleasure of meeting one of Wesleyan’s most enthusiastic New York alumni,
George Miyake ’52. A witty and friendly man, Mr. Miyake has enjoyed many accomplishments in his life including successful careers in both law and finance, a loving marriage, honorable military service to our country, and an active role in the community. In addition, Mr. Miyake has the distinction of being one of the first Asian Americans to attend Wesleyan.


Aimee Chang '97, left, and George Miyake '52
Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, Mr. Miyake was the eldest of five children. His grandparents had arrived in Hawaii from Japan in 1899. As a third-generation Japanese American, he was raised by both his parents and grandparents in the 1940s. During this post-war period, many Asian Americans who returned from service were able to attend universities and pursue their education through the financial support of the GI Bill. In the fall of 1950, Mr. Miyake arrived in Connecticut to attend Wesleyan. I spoke to him about the many experiences he has had since that first day in Connecticut, including his various adventures and memories in the fifty years since graduating.

Aimee Chang ’97: What made you choose Wesleyan?

George Miyake ’52: I attend-ed my first two years of college at the University of Hawaii where I planned and prepared to attend a university in the East. I knew I wanted to go to a Little Three school and so I applied to all of them. When I was accepted to Wes-leyan I was very excited and left Hawaii in the fall of 1950.

AC: Why did you decide to study on the East Coast?

GM: I actually could have gone to Stanford, but I wanted to go east.

AC: What was it like coming to Wesleyan?

GM: Middletown was very different from Hawaii. It was different because I was a minority, but that is exactly what I expected and wanted.

AC: Were there other students of color attending Wesleyan at the time?

GM: In my graduating class, there were two African American students, and three students of Asian descent, including me.

AC: What activities did you participate in on campus?

GM: I transferred to Wesleyan during my junior year, so it was a little difficult to get to know people and form
friendships. I joined the Sigma Nu fraternity as a way to meet people.

AC: Were you the only Asian American in the fraternity?

GM: Although Sigma Nu was one of the more accepting fraternities, the members were primarily all white. There was an African American man from Hartford who was not accepted by another fraternity on campus, but our fraternity accepted him. As a result, our fraternity lost its national accreditation and had to become a local chapter.

AC: What did you do after graduation?

GM: While I was at Wesleyan the local draft board in Hawaii contacted me several times to join the army. I was able to defer so that I could graduate. After graduation I was accepted to Cornell Law School with a scholarship and arrived there in August of 1952. In October of 1952 my local draft board contacted me once again and would not let me defer any longer. I was forced to transfer to the University of Minnesota while I awaited my assignment. I was very angry and disappointed but I went. I was drafted into the army in 1954 for two years of service. I spent time at several posts around the United States. Eventually I was sent to Japan. When I returned from the service I completed my studies at the University of Minnesota Law School where I graduated in 1958.

AC: What type of career did you pursue after law school?

GM: My first job was with the legal department of Continental Casualty Company in Chicago. After a year in Chicago I moved to New York where I eventually met my wife, Soo-Bang Chin. In New York I began working for Mitsubishi International as the account executive for their sales and service department. In 1970 I became a life-insurance agent with Mutual Benefit Life Insurance. Finally, in 1990, I changed companies and went to work for Massachusetts Mutual Financial Group. I retired in 1995.

AC: Has your Wesleyan education and experience helped you in life?

GM: I was the minority at Wesleyan and I purposely sought that. Because of that experience, I am able

 to interact within any group and relate to people who are different from me. This ability has definitely helped in my career, especially so at Mitsubishi where, because I was accustomed to interacting and communicating with non-Asian people, I actually had an advantage over other Japanese employees who were able to speak English, but who were not experienced at interacting with non-Asians.

AC: You are one of the most active alumni, both in the New York City area and the overall Wesleyan community. Why have you chosen to stay so involved?

GM: I enjoy going to Reunion, Homecoming, and other alumni events. It gives me the opportunity to meet students and other alumni, and I am always so amazed, proud and delighted to see how well people are doing. I’ve come to realize that Wesleyan is the best training for anything you want to do. A liberal arts education teaches you how to analyze and synthesize facts and how to make decisions. People from Wesleyan have a gut feeling about things that helps them to make good decisions in life and succeed. This gut feeling is important. But overall, I stay involved because I just enjoy talking to other Wesleyan people and finding out more about them.

 [Note from AC: I can definitely confirm this fact! Mr. Miyake—with curiosity and enthusiasm—asked me many questions about my life, my time at Wesleyan, and my career throughout our interview.]

Mr. Miyake is retired but remains an active financial consultant. In his spare time he enjoys listening to music and is an avid reader, averaging about five books a week. He resides in New York City and is an involved member of his Flushing, Queens, community, his church and his Masonic affiliations. Last year George Miyake ’52 celebrated his 50th Wesleyan Reunion with his former classmates, colleagues, and friends.
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