Giving to Punahou
Giving Report Archive
2019 Annual Report
Endowed Fund Legacies

Ellen Fullard-Leo

Born in 1884, the legacy that Ellen Fullard-Leo established remains relevant today. One of twelve children, Ellen was ‘home-schooled’ at the large family farm in South Africa. Her early education and missionary training taught her the importance of being well-rounded, spirit centered, and community-minded. She always said, “Education is the key to life.”
Ellen and her husband, Leslie Fullard-Leo, made their home in Honolulu in 1915, though she would continue to travel the world. The couple raised three sons in Waikiki and sent them to Punahou School: Leslie, Jr. (1927), Dudley (1948) and Ainsley (1951). Together, Ellen and Leslie encouraged all youth, and organized and promoted a myriad of sports in their Honolulu community. They also invested in Palmyra and became stewards in the Pacific.
Countless articles were written about Ellen, crediting her for the stature and widespread public support of amateur sports in Hawai`i. Ellen herself wrote a regular newspaper sports column and her editor described her as “indefatigable.” “The impact she left on Hawaii sports will last as long as the Islands survive the lapping waters of the Pacific”.
As one of its first inductees, Ellen Fullard-Leo has a place in the Hawai`i Sports Hall of Fame. Through her work with the National AAU, and as their director in Hawai`i, Ellen received numerous awards and was recognized internationally. In 1972, she was voted Hawaii’s Mother of the Year. Of all her many accomplishments, most important to Ellen Fullard-Leo was the spirit of sportsmanship. This endowed fund was established to benefit students at Punahou in honor of Ellen Fullard-Leo by her son, Dudley Fullard-Leo (1948).
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