SUNY Maritime College is a
maritime college located in
the BronxThe Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
,
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in historic Fort Schuyler on the Throggs Neck peninsula where the
East RiverThe East River is a tidal strait in New York City. It connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates Long Island from the island of Manhattan and the Bronx on the North American mainland...
meets
Long Island SoundLong Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...
. Founded in 1874, the SUNY Maritime College was the first college of its kind (federally approved, offering commercial nautical instruction) to be founded in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Overview
The school offers
BachelorA bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
of Engineering degrees in
electricalElectrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
, facilities,
marineMarine propulsion is the mechanism or system used to generate thrust to move a ship or boat across water. While paddles and sails are still used on some smaller boats, most modern ships are propelled by mechanical systems consisting a motor or engine turning a propeller, or less frequently, in jet...
, and
mechanical engineeringMechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...
; marine electrical and electronic systems; and
naval architectureNaval architecture is an engineering discipline dealing with the design, construction, maintenance and operation of marine vessels and structures. Naval architecture involves basic and applied research, design, development, design evaluation and calculations during all stages of the life of a...
. All engineering degrees are accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). It offers the
Bachelor of ScienceA Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in business administration/marine transportation, general business and commerce (with a humanities concentration), general engineering, international transportation and trade, marine environmental science (with a
meteorologyMeteorology is the interdisciplinary scientific study of the atmosphere. Studies in the field stretch back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did not occur until the 18th century. The 19th century saw breakthroughs occur after observing networks developed across several countries...
or
oceanographyOceanography , also called oceanology or marine science, is the branch of Earth science that studies the ocean...
concentration), and marine operations. All bachelor's degree programs may be combined with preparation for the professional license as a
United States Merchant MarineThe United States Merchant Marine refers to the fleet of U.S. civilian-owned merchant vessels, operated by either the government or the private sector, that engage in commerce or transportation of goods and services in and out of the navigable waters of the United States. The Merchant Marine is...
Officer. The College also offers a
master's degreeA master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in International Transportation Management, as well as several
graduateA graduate school is a school that awards advanced academic degrees with the general requirement that students must have earned a previous undergraduate degree...
certificate programs.
Most of the degree programs may be completed while concurrently preparing for the
United States Merchant MarineThe United States Merchant Marine refers to the fleet of U.S. civilian-owned merchant vessels, operated by either the government or the private sector, that engage in commerce or transportation of goods and services in and out of the navigable waters of the United States. The Merchant Marine is...
officer's license as a
third mateA Third Mate or Third Officer is a licensed member of the deck department of a merchant ship. The third mate is a watchstander and customarily the ship's safety officer and fourth-in-command...
or
third assistant engineerThe Third Assistant Engineer, also known as the Fourth Engineer, is a licensed member of the engineering department on a merchant vessel....
. Additionally, SUNY Maritime College has the only
United States NavyThe United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
/
United States Marine CorpsThe United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) program in the metropolitan New York City area, which prepares enrollees for commissioned officer positions in the
United States NavyThe United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
and
United States Marine CorpsThe United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
.
History
Maritime College is the oldest institution of its kind in the United States. In part, due to the
Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
there was a decline in the American maritime industry and a growing concern in the professionalism of its officers. As a result, the New York Chamber of Commerce and maritime interests of the port of New York, lobbied the state legislature to create a professional nautical school for the city. This was done in 1873, but the school lacked a ship. The chamber then teamed up with the noted naval education reformer and modernizer, Stephen B. Luce. Luce lead the charge and through his efforts, an act was passed by Congress in 1874 that enabled individual states to request from the Navy retired or obsolete vessels to train seamen. The state of New York then appealed to the Navy for a training vessel. On December 14, 1874, the
USS St. Mary'sThe second USS St. Mary's was a sloop-of-war in the United States Navy.St. Mary's was built in 1843-44 at the Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C., was commissioned in the fall of 1844, Commander John L. Saunders in command....
arrived in New York harbor and became the home of the longest running nautical school in the United States. Originally administered by the Board of Education of the City of New York, it was conducted as a grammar school that taught common school subjects (along with nautical classes) during the winter term, and then held practical cruises during the summer term. As time advanced, the school began to teach more advanced professional subjects. During this early period, the school was typically run on an annual appropriation of $20,000 to $30,000 with the school often facing closure because the cost per pupil was much higher than in a regular public school mainly due to the overhead of ship maintenance and student board.
By 1907, the
St. Mary's was replaced by the gunboat
NewportUSS Newport was a United States Navy gunboat. She was laid down by Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine in March 1896, launched on 5 December 1896, sponsored by Miss Frances La Farge, and commissioned on 5 October 1897, Comdr. B. F...
, a sail-steam hybrid.
In 1913, New York City threatened to close the school due to its costs. However, the state of New York took over its management and renamed it the New York State Nautical School. Despite being under state guidance, the school was almost closed in 1916, again for budgetary reasons, but efforts from the maritime industry and the school's alumni kept it alive. After this time, the American merchant marine grew and subsequently a greater demand for trained American merchant marine brought growth to the school.
During this period, the school was administered by a Board of Governors in addition to the Superintendent. In 1921, the school, which had for long moved from berth to berth, found itself at Bedloe's Island in New York Harbor. There, they were allowed to use the army facilities. Over time, conditions on the island were deemed inadequate to teach modern merchant mariners.
With the growing demand, a push was made by then superintendent
James Harvey TombCaptain James Harvey Tomb served as Superintendent of the New York State Merchant Marine Academy and was the first Superintendent of the United States Merchant Marine Academy...
beginning in 1927 to acquire a larger ship and a land-based institution. The ship came in the form of the
Procyon which was renamed the
Empire State. This ship effectively doubled the size of the school.
Finally, the school, renamed the
New York Merchant Marine Academy, became land-based in 1934 at the Maritime College's present Throggs Neck campus in Fort Schuyler. One of
Franklin D. RooseveltFranklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
's last acts as governor of New York State was to sign the act turning Fort Schuyler and the Throggs Neck peninsula over to the school for use as a shore-based facility of higher education. Work restoring Fort Schuyler for the academy's use was done at first by the Temporary Emergency Relief Administration (TERA) in 1934 followed by the
Works Progress AdministrationThe Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
in 1935. The fort was restored and allowed the school to operate there by 1938. In 1946, degree conferring status was granted and the academy became a college. The college was one of the original institutions incorporated into the State University of New York system in 1948.
Regiment of Cadets
The majority of the undergraduate student body at the Maritime College is organized into a Regiment of Cadets. The Regiment is a military-style organization similar in structure and operation to those of the
US federal service academiesThe United States Service academies, also known as the United States Military Academies, are federal academies for the undergraduate education and training of commissioned officers for the United States armed forces.There are five U.S...
, but military service for regimental students is not compulsory following graduation. The Regiment is led by cadet officers under the supervision of professional personnel of the Office of the Commandant of Cadets. It should be noted that participation in the Regiment is only required for students pursuing a USCG License as a Third Mate, or Third Assistant Engineer. "Civilian" students (those who do not participate in the Regiment) make up about 1/12 of the undergraduate population.
During the academic year, regimental students are obligated to fulfill duties above those necessary for their degrees, as a component of their training. Cadets are required to adhere to regimental rules and regulations, wear prescribed uniforms during business hours, stand watches as part of a duty rotation, and attend formation/muster each morning during the academic week, as well as a weekly uniform inspection on Friday afternoons. Prior to their freshman (fourth-class, or MUG - an acronym meaning "Midshipmen Under Guidance" or "Mariner Under Guidance") year, incoming students attend a two-week indoctrination period, similar to the
United States Naval AcademyThe United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
's "plebe summer," which is designed to introduce them to the regimental lifestyle. During "Indoc," MUGs go to morning physical training, learn to march, engage in teamwork-building activities, and are immersed in the nautical terminology and lore of the College. The strict lifestyle for MUGs continues throughout the first year, after which they are permitted privileges (with corresponding responsibilities) pertinent to their increasing seniority within the regiment. First-class (fourth year) cadets, as the most senior members of the regiment, can assume leadership positions within the regiment and are expected to set the example for their subordinates. First-class are also permitted the most privileges, and accordingly are also obligated with the most important duties.
At Sea
The College's primary ship,
Empire State VI, is a 565 foot (172.2 m) vessel driven by a 17,160 horsepower (13 MW) steam turbine engine. Originally built as the SS
Oregon, a
break bulk cargoIn shipping, break bulk cargo or general cargo is a term that covers a great variety of goods that must be loaded individually, and not in intermodal containers nor in bulk as with oil or grain. Ships that carry this sort of cargo are often called general cargo ships...
freighter for States Lines, it was converted by the Maritime Administration and delivered to the College for use as a training ship in 1990. The
Empire State VI is host to cadet watches, classes and work parties during the "Summer Sea Term", and departs each May with the college's cadets on board for "Summer Sea Term," a 90 day training voyage that is separated into two different legs. First-class cadets make the full 90 day trip, while the Second and Third-class cadets are divided between the 45 day legs, due to the fact that with a smaller crew, each cadet can get more one-on-one training than they would if all of the cadets were on board at once. This idea had been used in the college's past, and with the student population growing rapidly, was reinstated for the 2010 Summer Sea Term.
AthensAthens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
,
Dublin,
BarbadosBarbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
,
Antwerp,
NaplesNaples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
,
BarcelonaBarcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
,
GenoaGenoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
,
LondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
,
TallinnTallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
,
IstanbulIstanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
,
DubrovnikDubrovnik is a Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea coast, positioned at the terminal end of the Isthmus of Dubrovnik. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations on the Adriatic, a seaport and the centre of Dubrovnik-Neretva county. Its total population is 42,641...
,
SplitSplit is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...
,
KielKiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
, Valetta, and
CopenhagenCopenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
are some of the recent ports of call for the
Empire State VI.
During the Summer Sea Term cadets are split into
DeckThe Deck Department is an organizational unit aboard naval and merchant ships. A Deck Officer is an officer serving in the deck department.-Merchant shipping:...
and Engineering disciplines, which are further partitioned into three divisions each. These divisions form the basis of shipboard life during Summer Sea Term, and follow a rotating schedule of work, classes, and watch-standing. Cadets must complete three Sea Terms, each with progressively more responsibilities and higher expectations. On Third-class 'cruise,' the first of three, the cadets are given their first exposure to the rigors and requirements of shipboard life. They perform basic tasks and are trained in the most fundamental aspects of their respective disciplines. By the end of their First-class 'cruise,' the last they are required to complete, the cadets are expected to perform competently most of the routine duties of a Third Mate or Third Assistant Engineer on watch.
In the wake of
Hurricane KatrinaHurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
, the
Empire State VI was mobilized on September 8, 2005, to provide berthing for up to 700
ConocoPhillipsConocoPhillips Company is an American multinational energy corporation with its headquarters located in the Energy Corridor district of Houston, Texas in the United States...
employees and National Guardsmen. The ship was readied for departure in record time, and remained in Belle Chasse,
LouisianaLouisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
for six months before returning to her berth at the college on March 8, 2006. The crew and the College were awarded a commendation for their service from the Maritime Administration.
The
Empire State VI is the only registered
troopshipA troopship is a ship used to carry soldiers, either in peacetime or wartime...
maintained as part of the US Navy's
Ready ReserveThe Ready Reserve is a program maintained by the U.S. Department of Defense to maintain a pool of trained service members that may be recalled to active duty should the need arise. It is composed of service members that are contracted to serve in the Ready Reserve for a specified period of time as...
Force, prefixed the T-AP 1001. The
Empire State VI was also activated in 1994 to transport American soldiers home from
MogadishuMogadishu , popularly known as Xamar, is the largest city in Somalia and the nation's capital. Located in the coastal Benadir region on the Indian Ocean, the city has served as an important port for centuries....
, Somalia, the first time a troopship was used to transport soldiers since 1968 in Vietnam.
With twenty years of service to the Maritime College (as of 2010), the
Empire State VI holds the record as the longest serving power driven training vessel the school has ever owned. She is expected to remain in operation until at least 2020.
The college also "operated" the former , which was delivered to SUNY in 2004. The vessel was inoperable since the engines did not work and the vessel was mostly gutted after its decommissioning as a Naval vessel. The vessel was eventually sold to a private company specializing in Arctic research and was towed away from the Maritime College pier early in 2011.
Notable alumni
- John W. Anderson
Commodore John W. Anderson was the longest serving captain of the , the fastest ocean liner in history. In 1952, he relieved Commodore Harry Manning as master of the superliner after the recordbreaking voyage on which she broke the translantic speed record previously held by the RMS Queen Mary and...
, longest serving Master of the
- Joseph Hazelwood
Joseph Jeffrey Hazelwood is an American sailor. He was the captain of the Exxon Valdez during its 1989 oil spill. He was accused of being drunk at the time of the accident, though at trial he was cleared of this charge...
, Master of the Exxon ValdezOriental Nicety, formerly Exxon Valdez, Exxon Mediterranean, SeaRiver Mediterranean, S/R Mediterranean, Mediterranean, and Dong Fang Ocean is an oil tanker that gained notoriety after running aground in Prince William Sound spilling hundreds of thousands of barrels of crude oil in Alaska...
- Scott Kelly, NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
astronautAn astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
- Commodore
Commodore was an early title and later a rank in the United States Navy and United States Coast Guard and a current honorary title in the U.S. Navy with an intricate history. Because the U.S. Congress was originally unwilling to authorize more than four ranks until 1862, considerable importance...
Leroy J. AlexandersonLeroy J. Alexanderson was the last captain of the SS United States, the largest ocean liner ever built in the United States and the fastest ocean liner in history...
, the last Master of the
- Edward Villella
Edward Villella is an American ballet dancer and choreographer, frequently cited as America's most celebrated male dancer at the time....
, dancer and choreographer
- Felix Riesenberg
Felix Riesenberg was an American maritime officer and writer of maritime professional, historical, and fictional literature in the early 20th Century.-Biography:...
, class of 1897, master mariner, author
- Paul C. Grening, class of 1897, master mariner, Captain of the President Harding that rescued the Ignazio Florio
- Gary Jobson
Gary Jobson is a decorated sailor, television commentator, sailing lecturer, and author based in Annapolis, Maryland. He has recorded many achievements in his sailing career, having won multiple championships in one-design classes, the America's Cup with Ted Turner in 1977, the Fastnet Race, and...
, class of 1973, America's CupThe America’s Cup is a trophy awarded to the winner of the America's Cup match races between two yachts. One yacht, known as the defender, represents the yacht club that currently holds the America's Cup and the second yacht, known as the challenger, represents the yacht club that is challenging...
tactician in 1977 for Ted TurnerRobert Edward "Ted" Turner III is an American media mogul and philanthropist. As a businessman, he is known as founder of the cable news network CNN, the first dedicated 24-hour cable news channel. In addition, he founded WTBS, which pioneered the superstation concept in cable television...
. Self-proclaimed pre-eminent ambassador for sailingSailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
in the U.S. http://jobsonsailing.com/
- Commander Kevin Mannix, United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, Class of 1986, Flight Leader and Commanding Officer, Blue AngelsThe United States Navy's Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, popularly known as the Blue Angels, was formed in 1946 and is currently the oldest formal flying aerobatic team...
Flight Demonstration Team. CDR Mannix assumed command of the Blue AngelsThe United States Navy's Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, popularly known as the Blue Angels, was formed in 1946 and is currently the oldest formal flying aerobatic team...
in November 2006. http://www.blueangels.navy.mil/officers/01.pdf
- Ross Marvin, class of 1902, accompanied Peary on his expeditions to the North Pole where he was murdered.
Notable attendees
- Geraldo Rivera
Geraldo Rivera is an American attorney, journalist, author, reporter, and former talk show host...
(1961–1963), an AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television journalistJournalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
and former talk showA talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
host.http://www.geraldo.com/v5/Biographical/Sailing-Book-continues.gr http://www.fsmaa.org/NFFS/1998/nf980924.cfm
- Louis E. Willett, Private First Class
Private First Class is a military rank held by junior enlisted persons.- Singapore :The rank of Private First Class in the Singapore Armed Forces lies between the ranks of Private and Lance-Corporal . It is usually held by conscript soldiers midway through their national service term...
, U.S. Army, Recipient Medal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
http://www.mishalov.com/Willett.html
See also
- United States Merchant Marine Academy
The United States Merchant Marine Academy is one of the five United States Service academies...
- List of Presidents and Superintendents of the State University of New York Maritime College and Preceding Organizations
- List of Training Ships of the State University of New York Maritime College and Preceding Organizations
External links