News From Fort Schuyler

July 25, 2009 - Volume 9, No. 31

ARRIVING - Enrollment continues to do well at Fort Schuyler. According to preliminary figures provided to NFFS by Provost/VPAA JOSEPH C. HOFFMAN '75,there will be 386 freshman in the Class of 2013. In addition, there are 104 new transfer students and 56 new graduate students, for a grand total of 546. He writes: "We will have a total enrollment of 1,700 students with 1,150 in the Regiment for Fall 2009.... Interestingly a good number of those transfers are into our cadet-license program." Joe also reported that the male/female ratio of incoming students is 498:48

DEPARTING - In recognition of his retirement as Professor of Engineering, JOHN BOCKELMANN carried the academic mace as he led the faculty and students in the graduation parade this past May. John, who was presented with a St. MARY's Coin and Certificate of Recognition by ADM. CRAINE, had been earlier feted by his colleagues and friends at a reception held at the Harbor Inn.

WHEELS ACROSS AMERICA - Some people are indefatigable. Take BOB LANG '58, for example. He writes: "I am on a bicycle ride from San Francisco to Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Today is our 47th day on the road and we covered 3508.5 miles to date. This is my third cross country ride: Northern Route in 1999, Southern Route in 2002 and this is the Central Route." More when Bob returns home in early August. [For his earlier rides see NFFS 3:38 and NFFS 6:18] LOST AT SEA II - The Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx will run a special walking tour at 2:00 on Sunday, July 26th focusing on the graves of people lost on the TITANIC, MORRO CASTLE, LUSITANIA, and U.S.S. JEANNETTE. The tour leader, folklorist Dr. J. Joseph Edgette, presented his first 'maritime disaster' walk at Woodlawn last year. Several of this year's tour highlights have strong associations to the Maritime College. For example, the cemetery's George Washington DeLong Memorial commemorates the commander of the Arctic exploration expedition ship, JEANNETTE, who lost his life on that expedition in 1881. DeLong was the first Executive Officer of the Schoolship ST. MARY's, serving from 1874 to 1878. The MORRO CASTLE stranding is one of the featured displays in the Maritime Industry Museum at Fort Schuyler, as is the GENERAL SLOCUM disaster which took place in 1904, just down-river from Fort Schuyler. [Sorry we got late news about this tour for NFFS. Check the cemetery's website for details at www.thewoodlawncemetery.org]