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

Page 11 text:

The Fight for a Federal Academy sonnel for Subsidized Lines RS for the . „ R AMERICAN MERCHANT MARINE , , .--a...ht of the American ------- arine Naval Reserve rtV.t to revive its international 1 the late 1920’s, the United States again s0 shipping executives, 1 th the passage of the Shipping Act of U- • federal Academy shipping with the passag officers suggested that a e Merchant Marine officers, an shipbuilding program. A . started in conjunction with th 1 {or the “Nautical Gazette . “ cadet— fo eht (rom a “All the News That’s Fit to Print.” She Ncxtr jjork Sitncjs. LATE CITY EDITION Disaster Strikes The burning of the CASTLE, and the collision of the MOHAWK, another passenger vessel of the same line, which san with a loss of 45 lives, rekindled —crniisr articles criticizing chant nne personnel continued as the - RO CASTLE investigation pi pressed. These calamities lent much weight to the arguments of Te men who were attempting to NEW YORK, MONDAY. SEPTEMBER 10, 1934. two cents u v;,. - | I 'ZZ 182 DEAD OR MISSING IN M0RR0 CASTLE FIRE; 375 SURVIVORS LISTED, 94 BODIES RECOVERED; p , OFFICERS WILL TESTIFY AT INQUIRY HERE TODAY le.’ Says Head. (Acting Captain Refuses to Tell His Story Till Hearing Opens. 72 VICTIMS »HE IDENTIFIED Senior Surgeon of the Ship I Among the Dead—Many Sent to Jersey City Morgue. 24 STILL IN HOSPITALS THE FIRE-SWEPT MORRO CASTLE ON BEACH AT ASBITRY PARK. I|||PQTIII DIIDWIKIC. I

Page 10 text:

The Schoolships and the First Cadet Systems The Company Cadets When steamship subsidies were first offered in the guise of mail contracts, the Federal Government stipulated that a Cadet was to be trained on every vessel carrying such mails. Steamship operators were to select and train these Cadets under their own programs. Here a Grace Lines Cadet practices steering on board the old SANTA ROSA. In 1874, Congress granted certain ports naval vessels for the purpose of establishing “a school or branch of a school for the instruction of youths in navigation, sea- manship, and marine enginery.” These vessels were old sloops of war, staffed by Naval and Merchant Marine officers. The system of training was closely patterned after that used in British training vessels. The Massachusetts Schoolship NANTUCKET This famous vessel began her career as a schoolship in 1891. During World War II, she was transferred to the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point and renamed the EMERY RICE. The ST. MARY'S This vessel was operated by the city of New York as a training vessel from 1874 to 1913. She was the predecessor of what is now the New York State Maritime Academy at Fort Schuyler.

Page 12 text:

Cadet Corps Established-1938 i ! ! e ■ R X After the passage of the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, which provided for the construction of 500 vessels over a period of ten years, it became evident that a Federal system for training officers for the new vessels was necessary. On March 15, 1938, Congress passed a law providing for the establishment of the Cadet Corps. IlgiTMtllf r A formal Saturday morning review at the Algiers School in 1941 8 The first of the Cadet Training Programs was a four year course of study in which the first, second, and fourth years were to be spent at sea, while the third year was to be spent at one of the Cadet Schools. These Schools were located at the Algiers Navy Yard in New Orleans, the Naval Air Station on Treasure Island, Cali- fornia, and at the New York State Maritime School at Fort Schuyler. Men who entered the Cadet Corps spent eight weeks in basic training | at these schools before being assigned to their first ships. In order to check the progress of Cadets at sea, Officer-Inspectors at the Cadet Schools visited their ships whenever they arrived in United States ports. Because of the outbreak of the war in Europe, Naval facilities being used by the Cadet Corps had to be returned to the Navy, and the Cali- fornia Cadet School was faced with the loss of its facilities. The upsurge of demand for neutral American ships, caused by the war, led to an expansion of the Cadet Corps. As more men entered the program, the accommodations at Fort Schuyler and at the Algiers School became increasingly inadequate.