Charles Edward King (January 29, 1874 – February 27, 1950) was an educator, Hawaii territorial legislator, and a songwriter who is most widely known as the composer of "Ke Kali Nei Au".

[3] Charles E. King was born of part Hawaiian ancestry, at the Nuʻuanu Valley estate of Queen Emma of Hawaii, in Honolulu, to Walter and Mary Ann Brash.

He appointed alumnus King, who had spoken openly about his concerns that the school was under-performing academically and not adequately preparing its graduates for career or economic success.

A community need to expand the school's curriculum and offer university-level degrees, led to King's introducing Senate Bill 76 in 1919, creating the legislation to establish the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

[11] The song was performed in 1914 by the King Glee Club as part of The Woods of Hawaii musical presentation at the Honolulu Opera House, sponsored by the Christian youth organization Young People's League.

At its May 4, 1925 premiere, Ray Kinney starred in the lead of Prince Kauikalu, with Rose Tribe as Queen Kamaka, and Joseph Kamakau as King Kalani.

[18] At the 1917 state funeral of his musical mentor Liliuokalani, King led the Young People's League in singing her composition "Aloha ʻOe" on the balcony of ʻIolani Palace as her catafalque was carried out to take her casket for entombment in the Kalākaua Crypt of the Royal Mausoleum of Mauna ʻAla.

[22] When the United States entered World War II, King relocated to Elmhurst, New York, with his last wife Regina P. Hughes and began pursuing his music publishing interests.