United States Merchant Marine Academy - Midships Yearbook (Kings Point, NY)

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Herman Melville As is the case with many authors, Herman Melville ' s writ- ings are closely allied with his actual life. The more mundane portions of Moby Dick are based on his experiences aboard American whaling vessels in the early 1800 ' s. Because of econom- ic reasons, Melville was forced into die role of provider before he had completed liis schooling. During his years of peak pro- ductivity his lack of education handicapped him se ' crely and he was forced to rel ' heavily on a dictionary in order to make his works readable. By the time he wrote Moby Dick his eyesight was so bad that tlie manuscript had to be redor e by his rela- tives. In tlie original form, his writings were flowery and deeply moving but became so changed after the corrections tliat many of the passages were unrecognizable to him. In Moby Dick he allows his characters to peruse the nature of good and evil by asking spiritual questions and permitting the reader to reason the answers for himself. This style combined with the ex- citing and colorful plots make all of Melville ' s works enjoyable reading for young and old alike.

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The iMission of the United States Merchant Marine Acad- emy is C[uitc a challenging one. It is the formula for the making of the best merchant marine officers in the world. The ful- fillment of the Mission requires a highh ' skilled organization which is proficient in the train- ing of young men. It is a weighty assignment indeed. This all- important task is guided by the Academy ' s capable Adminis- tration. In tlie hands of the Administration lies the future of the Academy. It is to this body of men that we must look for leadership, for it is they more than any others, who con- trol the life of each and every Cadet. It is the burden of the Administration to run the Acad- emy so that it will continue to fulfill its Mission by producing compet(Mit officers to man tlie ships of tlie American Merchant Marine. ' ADMINISTRATION

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The Mission of the United States Merchant Marine Acad- emy is quite a challenging one. It is the formula for the making of the best merchant marine officers in the world. The ful- fillment of the Mission requires a highh- skilled organization which is proficient in the train- ing of young men. It is a weighty assignment indeed. This all- important task is guided by the Academy ' s capable Adminis- tration. In the hands of the Administration Ues the future of the Academy. It is to this body of men that we must look for leadership, for it is they more than any others, who con- trol the life of each and every Cadet. It is the burden of the Administration to run tlie Acad- emy so that it will continue to fulfill its Mission by producing competent officers to man tlic ships of the American Merchant Marine.