Linda Kahn had never been west of the Mississippi River before marrying Paul Markham Kahn. Their life together for nearly 29 years was one of constant learning for both of them , including travel to many countries. Each trip was planned with specific objectives in mind, always relating to family and friends and especially to discovery and possible purchase of new source material on Hawaiian history.
Each was highly educated . They had active, independent professional lives. They supported each other in their careers. Paul’s passion for collecting and his resulting collection of Hawaiiana became a driving force in their lives. Linda’s expressed concern for the survival of Paul’s Hawaiian material for future generations and the obligation that imposed on the two of them, drove home the point to Paul that he should make arrangements for its disposition while he was still living. Paul expressed concern about making available resources for the public, especially Hawaiians, concerning the treasure which the State of Hawaii now has in Paul’s collection, the finest of its kind in existence, which resides in the state archives building on Iolani Palace grounds. This was the primary motivation for the establishment of the Paul and Linda Kahn Foundation after Paul’s death.