FMSAA
News From Fort Schuyler
April 16, 2000 - Volume 4, No. 13
BIG APPLE FOR KELLY - During his visit to NYC for the 125th Anniversary Ball, NASA Shuttle Pilot LCDR. SCOTT J. KELLY, Class of 1987, stopped by City Hall to receive the city's Crystal Apple from Mayor Giuliani.
NEED MUSICAL MARINERS - According to the Plan of the Week, the American Wind Symphony Orchestra is looking for graduates with 500-ton Master's licenses for coastal work aboard its self-propelled barge, POINT COUNTERPOINT II. Just the thing for Y2K graduates ' who are urged to contact the Commandant of Cadets, ROBERT WEAVER, Class of 1969, for details.
MURMANSK RUN MEMORY - The library has received two publications relating to WW II Arctic Convoys which departed from Loch Ewe, Scotland. The donor, IAN McCUNN, Class of January 1944, recently returned to Lock Ewe "for old times sake," and writes: "I made this run in Convoy JW-57, departing Lock Ewe, February 20, 1944. It was my first trip after graduating from the Academy. I had signed on as 3rd Mate on the Liberty Ship SS JOHN W. POWELL (Cosmopolitan Steamship Company). It was on my watch, 2000 to 2400 hours, that the HMS MAHRATTA was torpedoed abreast our starboard side. She was a destroyer. It was pitch dark, sub-zero, with on and off blowing snow. She lost steerage when a torpedo struck her stern and moments later, when a second one hit her magazine, she exploded like a rocket, lighting up much of the convoy momentarily, and then went down in minutes. Over 200 British Tars were lost. We could hear her radio operator over the speaker on our flying bridge explaining what he knew of the situation right up to the moment the magazine was hit. On this run we seldom conned the ship from the main bridge, but rather from a steel and cement housing located over the main bridge with windows all around for better visibility. Yes, proper windows, not portholes."
"Incidentally, our ship never got closer to the port of Murmansk than anchorage in the Kola Inlet leading to the port. Instead, a small convoy was formed and we continued on to Molotovsk, since renamed [Severodvinsk], which was the winter port for Archangel. It took three ice breakers to get us through the White Sea. I finally did get to Murmansk 50 years later in the early 1990's..." [The library always welcomes donations of such publications. NFFS always welcomes alumni reminiscences.]
EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION - In the first event of its kind, a special awards luncheon was held on April 14 to recognize those who have been at Fort Schuyler 25 or more years. Certificates and commemorative mementos were presented to 30 faculty, professionals and staff, including the following alumni: AARON KRAMER, Class of 1954, JOHN MATHIESON, Class of 1959, CHARLES MUNSCH, Class of 1973, WALTER NELSON, Class of 1961, and CONRAD YOUNGREN, Class of 1967. The ceremony concluded with the following 'Historical Reflections' by College Librarian RICHARD CORSON, thirty-eight years at Schuyler:
"If anything defines the Maritime College it is CHANGE - When I came to Fort Schuyler in 1962, the school was 88 years old and I was nearly 24. Now we are both a lot older. At that time the library was using cutting-edge technology - 19th century style ' the manual typewriter. That has changed. Now, only 37 years later, library patrons routinely use 21st century technology on a daily basis. Is there a virtual library in our future?"
"Back in 1962 cadets paid a total of $6K over 4 years for their education. Tuition was $400 per year. That has changed. Today, those four years cost students over $53K. But wait a minute! Do you think the 1962 deal was a bargain? Back in 1899 applicants only paid "... $25 on admission to defray the expense of uniform and bedding during the two year course."
"Maritime started off as a vocational-type high school 125 years ago, run by the NY Board of Education. That has changed. In 1913 we came under state control. In 1948 we became a charter member of SUNY. We began granting baccalaureate degrees in 1947 and master's degrees 25 years later. Is there a PhD in our future ?"
"The New York Nautical Training School began as an all-sail school aboard the venerable sloop-of-war ST. MARY'S. That has changed. The school went to the combined sail/steam NEWPORT in 1909. We abandoned sail in 1931 with the advent of the EMPIRE STATE I. We are now up to TSES VI. Is there a diesel-powered training ship in our future?"
"For our first 64 years we had no permanent land campus. Our training ships WERE the school - and our address depended on the location of free dock space: Foot of E. 23rd Street - Bedloe's Island - Greenwich Street - Brooklyn Navy Yard '129th Street and the Hudson River. That has changed. We have been securely anchored at Fort Schuyler since 1938. Is further expansion of campus acreage on the Schuyler Reservation in our future?"
"Back before we had a campus, cruises were LONG ! For example, in 1908, the NEWPORT departed NY on April 29 and did not return until September 20 - five long months. That has changed. In recent years the cruise has been 2 months long. Effective July 2000, graduate students can opt for a 3-day cruise on the EMPIRE STATE ! Is there a "cruise to nowhere" in our future?"
"The 1880 Annual Report indicated that, as a rule, students 'weighing under 100 pounds or measuring less than 5 feet in height' were not admitted. Back then the average weight of incoming students (they were all male then) was 131 pounds. That has changed. People are bigger today than they were125 years ago."
"Oh yes. One more thing: When I came to Maritime there we no women students and just ONE woman on the faculty, FILOMENA MAGAVERO, our long-time Reference Librarian. That has changed too, but only after a lot of anguish, gnashing of teeth, and predictions of doom - and today the women at Maritime are leaders in the student body, faculty and staff. Things do change, indeed."
"Despite all these changes many other things DO remain the same at Maritime. We still consistently have wonderful students of whom we are justifiably proud. We are still the school that remains the best kept secret in New York. We still work at one of the most spectacular locations in New York City, if we only take a moment to enjoy the view, AND, we still have a dedicated staff, so hats off to all of you today !"