News From Fort Schuyler

July 1, 1999 - Volume 3, No. 32

ANOTHER RIESENBERG AT THE HELM? - The following email was sent to Reference Librarian, JOHN LEE, by a colleague at SUNY Oneonta who is following SST 1999 via the college web page. She writes: "This is the second summer that I have read the logs from the ship and wondered if you could pass on to the president or whomever, my enjoyment in reading the logs. The captain [JOE AHLSTROM, Class of 1982] writes so well that his descriptions often have me in tears. The students also do a great job writing about what they see and feel. Maritime should be very proud of their faculty and students! P.S. I assume you would realize I became aware of the logs through Nancy Meade who is BRIAN MEADE's [Class of 2001] mother."

[Editor's note: FELIX RIESENBERG, Class of 1897, was the author of numerous books, including the 1927 novel upon which the film "East Side, West Side" was based. To get an idea of how prolific a writer he was, check the Luce Library catalog at: http://bufweb2.sunyconnect.suny.edu/marit/ Riesenberg was Captain of the training ship USS NEWPORT/Superintendent of the NY Nautical School from 1917-1919 and 1923-1924.]

LIBERTY SHIP ITEM RINGS A BELL - During the summer of 1997 twenty members of the New England Chapter of the Alumni Association cruised on the Liberty Ship JOHN W. BROWN out of New London, CT," reports ED SHEPHERD, Class of 1957. "The outing included an extensive tour of the vessel, a three-hour cruise on the Long Island Sound with two exciting fly-overs by World War II aircraft and a luncheon in the ship's mess hall. It was an experience which revived many old memories. The all-volunteer crew from the Baltimore area was very enthusiastic and handled the ship expertly. [See: NFFS 3:31 (June 24) for links to Liberty and Victory ship sites.]

THAT FORT SCHUYLER FOUNDATION -"Your notes on the Victory ships that are sailing this summer and the corresponding web pages showing the ships and engine room takes me back to 1958 when I took my mug cruise to Bermuda, Plymouth, Belfast, Antwerp and Santander on the EMPIRE STATE III which was a Victory ship and in WWII served as the Hospital Ship The MERCY. [For more details go to: http://www.sunymaritime.edu/museum/ships.htm ] The cruise and Fort Schuyler experience and education was excellent and has provided me with excellent opportunities," writes FRANK WICKS, Class of 1961. "After graduating with a Marine Engineering degree in 1961, receiving a Naval Reserve Commission and sailing on Military Sea Transportation ships, I went to work for General Electric and was able to complete a Masters in EE from Union College and a PhD in Nuclear Engineering from Rensselaer while also attaining a Professional Engineer's license." "For the last 11 years I have been a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Union College which was co-founded in 1795 by General Phillip Schuyler. Fort Schuyler was built after his death and named in his honor." "I teach Thermodynamics, Energy Conversion, Heat Transfer, Heating, Ventilation and Conditioning and Nuclear Engineering. I am also Director of the Professional Engineering Refresher Course with about 100 working engineers attending each year. I teach all of the sessions for the Engineer-in-Training and for the Mechanical exam." "Much of what I teach in this variety of courses is what I learned between 38 and 42 years ago at Fort Schuyler, which is my ultimate testimonial to the lasting value of my Fort Schuyler education."

VIEW 40 YEARS ON - It is interesting to compare Frank's thoughts on the Schuyler experience with those of 1/c engineering cadet CHUCK CENTORE, who is in the Class of 2000. Chuck's piece, titled "An Engineer's Thoughts on the Profession," was posted in the June 24 issue of the SST '99 Cruise Log at the college web site: http://www.sunymaritime.edu

GETTING BACK IN TOUCH - "At our average age of 75," writes STAN LLOYD, Class of January 1944, "the report is usually not a happy one, but this time it's different. Through the official (?) school roster book [1999 Alumni Association Roster], ROBERT HUTCHINGS was noted for the first time. I called him for a great conversation and forwarded to him the class roster that I maintain. Upon receipt, he called FRANK JACOBELLI in PA. (I should note Hutchings lives in Blaine, WA.) He told Frank... about JOHN AXELSON, who regrettably left NYSMA just before graduation. In his anxiety, he shipped out AB and never returned to tell us. John lives in Bellingham, WA ..."