News From Fort Schuyler

November 2, 2009 - Volume 9, No. 39

FIFTY PLUS - According to PHIL OHL, seventeen members of the Class of 1956 and their spouses celebrated their graduation from Fort Schuyler 53 years ago with a reunion in Virginia Beach. J.J. BYRNE traveled the farthest (Netherlands) with the three runners-up coming from California, JOHN MALONEY, JERRY FALBO and GEORGE ANDERSON. "The guys relished talk of college shenanigans, long cruises, and memories of caring and devoted professors. To a man, each was grateful to the Maritime College for the excellent preparation for careers and life. Friendships made there so long ago are still strong half a century after."

NEXT HOMECOMING DATE SET - Next year's Homecoming at Fort Schuyler is scheduled for Saturday, September 25, 2010. The football game will pit the Privateers against Husson College, hopefully to avenge this year's loss. (Since that loss, Maritime won 4 straight by wide margins: 61-21, 58-20, 68-6 and 42-0, before losing this past Saturday's final road game to Norwich University by 15-3.)

ONWARD AND UPWARDS - Today, November 2nd Major GREGORY A. WYNN, the XO of the Naval Science Department at Fort Schuyler will be promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. The promotion ceremony for Wynn, a Teddy Roosevelt scholar, will take place in Oyster Bay, on the porch of the Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, President Theodore Roosevelt's home from 1885 - 1919.

Congratulations to GARY JOBSON '73 who has been elected President of US Sailing (formerly the North American Yacht Racing Union), the national governing body for the sport of sailing in the United States. Gary has done it all in competitive sailing: three-time Collegiate All-American Sailor, two-time College Sailor of the Year, participant in the America's Cup, Fastnet and other ocean races, author of 16 books of sailing, and ESPN's sailing commentator since 1985. You can read more about Gary and listen to his acceptance speech at www.ussailing.org

Meanwhile, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has selected ANDRES "ANDY" SABISCH '79, as Senior Resident Inspector at Duke Energy's Oconee Nuclear Plant in Seneca, SC. Prior to joining the NRC in 2003 he worked for various utilities and industry groups. According press release, resident inspectors serve as NRC's eyes and ears at nuclear facilities, conducting inspections, monitoring major projects, and interacting with plant workers and the public. They can serve at one site for up to seven years. Andy majored in nuclear engineering with a minor in computer science at Fort Schuyler.

LIBRARY NOTE - The Luce Library has announced receipt of an $8K grant from the New York State Documentary Heritage Program for work on an archive of papers and manuscripts relating to the Sailor's Snug Harbor, a retirement home for sailors that was located in Staten Island and to the SSH's considerable real estate holdings in Lower Manhattan.

BOOK LOVER - "I don't know if I mentioned before," writes CAPT TIMOTHY FARLEY '84, Chief of the U.S. Coast Guard's Investigations Division, "but working in the library was a Godsend to me ' as I was independently poor throughout my time in college. The one cruise we made to Majorca and Southampton I actually departed with $20 in my pocket, if that. So, the money I was able to make in the Ship's Library on the way East made my trip and allowed me to have some spending money when we got where we were bound' and I've been forever very thankful. Thanks! Plus, there were perks to being able to use the typewriters once in a while to write my papers in the back offices of the fort library after I had completed binding or re-shelving books. I haven't been able to adjust easily to a Kindle or electronic media because I still like the feel of a good book in my hands."

REAL TIMES - Writing about his take on NFFS, CHARLIE BURNS '70 finds that: "It shows to our present cadets the versatility of those who have gone before them. These aren't 'sea-stories', they are humble depictions of achievements that otherwise would be forgotten. It is as important they get reminded of those exploits as well as the variety of achievements they will effect in their own careers in the modern maritime world."

EBB TIDE - One of those graduates of the Maritime College who led an unusually interesting and accomplished life, RICHARD G. SANDERS Oct '46, died after a short illness on May 1, 2009 in New York City. According to the biographical profile he submitted five years ago for the Class of October 1946 reunion book, Dick was a Navy brat who grew up in China, the Philippines and California before coming east to attend Poly Prep in Brooklyn. He originally applied for the engineering program at NYSMA, but after acceptance "'I changed to Deck as possibly the best training for a naval career. The two years at Fort Schuyler and aboard the training ship offered, in my view, sound classroom theory and practical work in close military conditions. In my spare time at the Academy, I organized social events and ran around the track a lot." Following graduation, Dick sailed with US Lines, served in the Navy, returned to the Fort to earn his bachelor's degree and sailed with States Marine Line. In 1951 he received his MBA from Harvard Business School. From then on he worked for shore side businesses including GE, Borden and a food division of Allied Chemical. In 1972, perhaps harking back to his Far Eastern childhood, he and his wife, Marguerite, struck out on their own, starting China Bowl Trading, Inc. importing, packing and marketing specialty foods and teas from Hong Kong. Ten years later they sold the business and bought Grace Tea Co., Ltd., one of the premier specialty tea companies of the United States. Another facet in Dick's life was his avocation as a gourmet, leading to a six-year stint of writing restaurant reviews know as The Fabian Sanders Reports. Dick and his wife, who survives him, had residences in New York City and in a15thcentury house in a 'perching village' located in southwest France.

WILLIAM E. RYAN ' 45, a longtime resident of Rockville Centre, died on May 27, 2009. ROBERT BRANNIGAN '53, recalls that: "Bill Ryan (RIP) was very active as President of the Alumni Association and a supporter of the band." Ryan, who led the Alumni Association from 1957 to 1958, also served on the College Council for many years. Bill is survived by his wife, Catherine, two sons and four grandchildren. He was interred at St. Charles Cemetery in Farmingdale, NY.

BUILDING BACK UP - The NFFS mailing list is already peeking above the ashes of the recent hard disk melt-down, having added a hundred plus names in the past two weeks. If you have not already done so, however, please forward this NFFS issue to your classmates and ask them to get back to rcorson@nyc.rr.com with their name, e-mail address and class year if they wish to receive future newsletters