Martha Carrell was drawn to ideas and to people who explored them. She enjoyed conversations that moved easily between subjects, from philosophy to everyday habits, and she made space for others to join in. In classrooms, living rooms or public media, she brought people together, asking questions and letting discussion unfold.
“She was fierce, complex, determined and smart,” says Diane Smith, a close friend and trustee of Carrell’s estate. “For many years we were members of a small discussion group that met monthly and picked a different topic every month, such as quantum physics, diets, solar energy or the nature of faith. What a great ride that was.”
Diane met Martha in retirement. Their group gathered regularly, sometimes in restaurants and sometimes over a glass of wine. Each person independently researched the selected topic and arrived ready to share. The conversations could be lively and contentious, but they were always educational.
This approach carried through Martha’s work. Born and raised in Honolulu, Martha earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in speech at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. Her career spanned public broadcasting, education and communications, and she worked for PBS stations and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
She produced a documentary in the 1970s about Hapa Haole music in Hawaiʻi and, unsatisfied with the final scene, stepped in to perform a hula herself. She also taught speech and coached debate, bringing the same focus on clarity and exchange into the classroom.
In later years, this instinct found a home at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at a university in Las Vegas. Her classes became some of the most popular in the program. Rather than lectures, they were structured discussions, grounded in research but open to wherever conversation led. Students returned again and again, drawn to the format and to Martha’s energy.
Her lifelong connection to communication now continues through an estate gift establishing the Martha Carrell Endowed Scholarship in Communicology at UH Mānoa. The fund supports students in the Communicology Program in the School of Communication and Information, within the UH Mānoa College of Social Sciences, with a preference for Hawai‘i residents with financial need.
Diane says the scholarship reflects Martha’s experience and her priorities. “She loved ideas, but she loved people more. She loved bringing these two things together.”
“In an era where digital noise often replaces meaningful connection, teaching human communication skills to our students is more essential than ever for individual success and a healthier society,” says Hye-ryeon Lee, former Communicology department chair. “Martha’s life clearly illustrates this point, and we are tremendously grateful for her vision and generosity. This scholarship will provide our Communicology students with financial support so they can fully focus on their academic and professional growth.”
For the full story, see the UH Foundation website.
