Futa Helu

ʻIlaisa Futa-ʻi-Haʻangana Helu (17 June 1934 – 2 February 2010) was a Tongan philosopher, historian, and educator. He studied philosophy under the Australian empiricist John Anderson. In 1963, he founded the ʻAtenisi Institute (Tongan for Athens) in Nukuʻalofa, Tonga, as a tribute to ancient Greek philosophers, particularly Heraclitus. The institute began as a continuing education program for civil servants, then expanded to include a high school in 1964 and a university in 1975. By the 1990s, it offered Master's and PhD degrees in collaboration with Australian and New Zealand universities. Helu also designed the institute's buildings, often in a classical style. In 1992, he co-sponsored a conference advocating for Tonga's transition to a parliamentary monarchy, which led to government resistance and a boycott of ʻAtenisi graduates. This boycott was lifted after democratic reforms in 2006. Helu was married to Kaloni Schaaf, with whom he had six children. His daughters, Sisiʻuno and ʻAtolomake Helu, have distinguished themselves in the performing arts, and his son Niulala was a lecturer in Tongan culture. In retirement, Helu remained an influential voice on Tongan history, tradition, and education, retaining the title of professor emeritus. His later years were affected by declining physical and mental health, including Alzheimer's disease. A documentary about his life and the ʻAtenisi Institute, titled 'Tongan Ark', was released in 2012.