Chad Blair: Why Is It So Hard To Name Something After Obama In Hawaii? - Honolulu Civil Beat Chad Blair: Why Is It So Hard To Name Something After Obama In Hawaii? Obama is the only U.S. president born in the islands and has many ties to the 50th state. About the Author Was Barack Obama conceived in a YMCA in Honolulu? Short answer: maybe. A University of Hawaii Manoa administrator and scholar says the father of the 44th U.S. president, Barack Obama Sr., was among the original dormitory residents of the Charles Atherton House, as it is officially called, on University Avenue.