Going the Distance: Dr. Peter Caldwell ’61 Crosses Open Water, Bridges Boundaries

Longtime Hawaii resident Dr. Peter Caldwell ’61 has not only competed in the men’s world championship in outrigger canoe racing — he also wrote the definitive book about it.

“Moloka‘i-Oahu through the Years” chronicles the grueling Molokai Hoe canoe race, which Caldwell has completed 11 times. As a longtime paddler and history buff, it was natural for him to be interested in the true stories behind this iconic race. But in recent years, the retired pediatrician has also expanded into other forms of storytelling, including a short novel about basketball and another about an adoptee’s quest to locate his birth parents.

“Believe me, I didn’t shine in creative writing in English at Pomona College,” Caldwell says.

Fiction might not have been his first love, but the physician, author and athlete has always pursued new adventures and challenges.

Caldwell is being recognized with the 2026 Blaisdell Distinguished Alumni Award, one of the most prestigious awards given to Pomona alumni for their high achievement in their professions or community service.

“Pete is the definition of a Renaissance Man!” says Robin Flynn, director of development at Pomona.

At Pomona, Caldwell played on the men’s basketball team and was an Alpha Gamma Sigma fraternity member. After graduating in 1961, Caldwell earned his medical degree from the UCLA School of Medicine and completed a post-graduate internship and additional training at the University of Washington in Seattle.

“Pomona helped me to do well in medical school,” Caldwell says. “It was an invaluable part of my education and helped me get going in my chosen profession.”

Caldwell came of age during the Vietnam War era, serving three years in the U.S. Naval Reserve. In 1966, he served as a battalion surgeon with the Marines in Vietnam — an experience that involved the care of Vietnamese civilians in addition to military personnel, allowing him to see another side of the war. His first book, “Bac-si: A Doctor Remembers Vietnam,” is a personal reflection on his wartime experiences.

Caldwell completed his military service in Hawaii where he returned to settle in Honolulu in 1973. As a pediatrician and pediatric cardiologist, Caldwell worked for Hawaii Permanente Medical Group for 32 years. His long tenure is significant, given the state’s persistent physician shortages.

That same commitment to caring extends beyond the hospital and into Caldwell’s writing.

His first book about Vietnam led to a second and third career as an author and publisher of books documenting war, wilderness and Hawaiian culture. He named his publishing company Taote, which is a Tahitian word for doctor.

Three of his books — “Echo Lake Reflections,” “Desolation Wilderness North” and “Desolation Wilderness South” — focus on California’s High Sierra, where Caldwell’s family maintains a fourth-generation cabin on Echo Lake near Lake Tahoe.

A charter member of the Wilderness Medical Society, Caldwell has remained devoted to service in his retirement, volunteering with the Aloha Medical Mission and serving as an admissions interviewer for the University of Hawaii School of Medicine. His mission work includes three trips to Vietnam with a local aid group, providing open-heart surgeries for Vietnamese children in need.

An accomplished endurance athlete, Caldwell has completed seven Honolulu marathons and several triathlons up to half-Ironman distance. For more than 25 years, he has raced with the Anuenue Canoe Club in Honolulu. His age group team — all athletes over 80 — recently won two gold medals at an international paddling competition.

Looking back on his adventure-filled life, Caldwell says he’s still driven to push boundaries. “Pomona gives us all the tools that we need to be successful with whatever choices we make.”

Visit our website to read about the 2026 Pomona College alumni award honorees.