John E. Milligan (1913–1991), a native of Oklahoma, took a trip to Hawaii after his second year of college and decided to make it his home. Other than a brief stint in Shanghai, where he ran a civilian radio station, he lived on Molokai, Maui, and Oahu, working as a management representative in personnel and labor relations for several pineapple and sugar companies. He served two terms as a member of the Territorial Legislature representing Maui, ran his own consulting business, and was a part owner in a boat business. Milligan built and raced several boats and was the president of the Hawaii chapter of the Industrial Relations Research Association. He is the author of Celestial Navigation by H.O. 249.