Who was Hawaii's territorial governor during the Pearl Harbor attack?

Joseph Poindexter was Hawaii’s territorial governor during the Pearl Harbor attack.

Poindexter, a Democrat, served as governor of the Territory of Hawaii from 1934 until 1942. He was in office when Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbor and other military sites across Oahu on December 7, 1941. The territory was placed under martial law shortly afterward, and military authorities assumed extensive control over civil administration.

Before becoming governor, Poindexter had worked as a lawyer and judge in Hawaii. His administration faced the extraordinary problem of governing a strategically vital U.S. territory during a surprise attack and the rapid transition to wartime conditions.

Poindexter is sometimes confused with military leaders such as General Walter Short or Admiral Husband Kimmel. Those officers commanded Army and Navy forces, respectively; Poindexter was the civilian territorial governor. He left office in 1942 and was succeeded by Ingram Stainback.