Beginnings: Takanaga Mitsui, Class of 1915

The connection between the Mitsui family and Dartmouth College reaches back to the early twentieth century. Takanaga Mitsui (Class of 1915), a member of the prestigious Mitsui zaibatsu, was among the earliest Japanese students to study in Hanover. His arrival represented both personal ambition and his family’s broader global outlook.

While studying at Dartmouth, Takanaga suffered a serious case of appendicitis. Japanese consular representatives came to New Hampshire, and Dartmouth President Ernest Fox Nichols personally intervened. In gratitude, the Mitsui family later donated a bronze temple bell to the College, symbolizing early acts of friendship between Dartmouth and Japan.

(Insert image: Portrait of Takanaga Mitsui, Class of 1915, Rauner Library or Dartmouth Exhibits)

Wartime Student: Takanobu “Nobu” Mitsui, Class of 1943

Takanaga’s son, Takanobu “Nobu” Mitsui, enrolled in 1939 as a physics major. When the United States entered World War II following the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Nobu was already a student. He was not part of any Student Relocation Program. Yet he became vulnerable in many unexpected ways.

One such incident involved the Dartmouth Broadcasting System (DBS). In mid-1942, Nobu had been participating in DBS activities (broadcasting, technical work, class projects) under Professor Willis Rayton, including helping with installation of a new transmitter. On July 3, 1942, a community member, John H. Shaw, wrote to President Ernest Martin Hopkins expressing concern that Nobu’s involvement in DBS might draw wartime criticism, especially with naval authorities nearby. Shaw urged that Nobu be removed from the broadcasting system. ([Rauner Library, “Anti-Japanese Discrimination in the Dartmouth Broadcasting System”])

On July 6, Nobu formally agreed to withdraw from DBS. In his letter he expressed regret—not because of wrongdoing, but because he valued the technical and social experience, had grown close to people involved, and believed he might have been “wise enough” to avoid the risk. President Hopkins defended him, stating that Nobu had no malicious intention and that the fear was more one of public perception and misinterpretation. Throughout this period, Dartmouth support continued in other ways: Hopkins intervened with immigration authorities and made sure financial aid arrangements stayed intact.

Alongside this DBS incident, Nobu also faced financial hardship. His tuition was managed via a cousin in New York, who was interned, and his family bank accounts were frozen. Dartmouth arranged emergency loans so he could remain. Although under pressure, Nobu stayed, expressing later that his presence at Dartmouth during wartime was his way of “fighting for democracy.” In 1943 he graduated.

After the war, Nobu returned to Japan, where he took a leadership role with the Japanese edition of Reader’s Digest. Though he died in 1965, his wife preserved his journals in a volume titled Thank You and So Long, and copies were given to Dartmouth.

A Postwar Generation: Mamoru Mitsui, Class of 1958

The Mitsui family’s legacy at Dartmouth extends to Mamoru “Mori” Mitsui, Nobu’s younger brother, Class of 1958. Born in 1934, Mamoru graduated in the relatively calmer post-war period. Alumni records show he pursued architecture, working in New Hampshire during the 1960s; some accounts suggest further study at Yale (though that remains to be confirmed). He became a U.S. citizen in 1967 and died in 2010 at Tufts Medical Center. Mamoru’s life represents the transition from wartime turbulence to rebuilding, continuity, and professional growth.

Context: Japanese and Japanese American Students During WWII

The story of the Mitsui family is part of a larger tapestry. For instance, George Tadashi Shimizu, a Nisei student, also attended Dartmouth during the same period. Unlike Nobu—whose challenges were often because of his nationality and public perception—Shimizu’s path involved relocation policies and eventual service in the U.S. Military Intelligence Service. Comparing their experiences helps illuminate the diverse sources of pressure faced by Japanese and Japanese Americans: legal restrictions, racial prejudice, and personal identity.

Legacy and Continuity

From Takanaga’s early presence in 1915 to Nobu’s wartime trials, to Mamoru’s post-war career, the Mitsui family connection to Dartmouth spans deep and turbulent history. The bronze bell donated by Takanaga’s family, Nobu’s DBS withdrawal under threat of discrimination, and Mamoru’s emergence as a professional all testify to resilience and evolving institutional culture. In 2011, Mitsui & Co., Ltd. formalized part of this legacy by endowing a professorship in Japanese studies at Dartmouth, reaffirming ties that were forged in friendship, strained through war, and renewed in peace.

Bibliography

• “Date of Infamy.” Dartmouth Alumni Magazine, November–December 2010. https://dartmouthalumnimagazine.com/articles/date-infamy.
• Rauner Library Blog. “Hopkins and Mitsui.” May 9, 2014. https://raunerlibrary.blogspot.com/2014/05/hopkins-and-mitsui.html.
• ———. “Anti-Japanese Discrimination in the Dartmouth Broadcasting System.” February 10, 2025. https://raunerlibrary.blogspot.com/2025/02/anti-japanese-discrimination-in.html.
• ———. “Remembering Pearl Harbor.” December 6, 2011. https://raunerlibrary.blogspot.com/2011/12/remembering-pearl-harbor.html.
• Dartmouth College Library. Learning Our History: Dartmouth, Asia, and America. Digital exhibit. https://exhibits.library.dartmouth.edu/s/dapaaa25/page/dartmouth-asia-america.
• Tessaku Project. “George Shimizu Oral History.” 2017. https://tessaku.com/oral-histories/2017/08/01/george-shimizu.