News From Fort Schuyler

January 27, 1999 - Volume 3, No. 7

COUNTING DOWN TO THE BIG GAME - In just three days, NASA Astronaut SCOTT KELLY, Class of 1987 and his twin brother NASA Astronaut Mark Kelly, a 1986 KP graduate, will jump-start the rivalry between SUNY Maritime and Kings Point when they face off to begin this basketball classic on Saturday afternoon, January 30, at Madison Square Garden. According to information posted on the Alumni Association web page:

"The Maritime Privateers are maintaining a winning season, so far, with a 6 and 1 record. The team is being led by All American MICHAEL NUKK, a senior, who is averaging 18.7 points and 9 rebounds per game."

"JOSE PEREZ, a sophomore, is leading the team in scoring, with an average of 21 points per game, along with an average of 7 rebounds. In addition to his high scoring, Perez has been named player of the week in the Skyline Conference."

"Point Guard DAN DOHERTY, also a sophomore, is another high scorer, having put up 28 points in one game. New freshmen standouts are JACK KELLY from Christ The King in the Bronx, and SHANNON MEALER of Youngstown, Ohio."

"The Kings Point Squad is currently holding a 5 and 2 record. The teams are so closely matched it will be tough to call the outcome, but if either team were to have an edge, it would probably be Kings Point because they have more returning letterman than New York Maritime, including All-American Bradley and Point Guard Robinson." (Ladies and gentlemen, place your bets now, the race is about to begin.)

SUMMER SEA TERM SCHOLARSHIPS: According to the January 25 Plan of the Week, the Class of 1947, Scissorbills all, has funded twelve full-tuition scholarships for cadets participating in SST 1999. The program will be administered by the Alumni Association. Cadets interested in applying for these scholarships should contact PROF ELMO BAUMGART, Class of 1976, at the Engineering Department. (Note: According to the current college catalog, the Sea Term costs cadets $ 1,600+)

MNEMONIC OLIVET MEMORY - An engineering major from the past, DAVE BAKER, Class of 1960, recalling that, "Those were the days!," contributes another choice anecdote about CAPT. OLIVET. "One of the few times I stood watch in the evening at the Fort we had to muster in the morning, I think. It was the usual thing he did: assemble all of the watch cadets from the previous evening and all night. We would all stand at attention, but the guys in the rear lines would screw around. They would zip their flies up and down. You could hear it but your must not smile ! Someone behind you would give you a quick push and them come back to an immediate attention. You would have to explain to the Captain why you couldn’t stand up straight. One day one of the cadets came to the muster just as we were finishing. The Captain said, and I can quote it to this day: ‘You must have missed the muster, Mister.’"

AN ADMIRAL FROM THE PAST - A note from CRAIG SMITH, Class of 1954, reminds us that during his day, the President of the school was ADMIRAL LEARY. "My MUG year, 1950-51, was the last of his Schuyler watch. Though I’ve since hear tales of how awestruck the faculty was of him, my recollections are pretty much limited to the Saturday AM inspections. He and OLIVET took two companies each along with the battalion and appropriate company rates. Together they made a terrifying inspection team. I doubt the likes of it had been seen at Schuyler since. I think we all agree that the good Captain was a volatile as nitro – you just never knew what would set him off. Leary, on the other hand, I remember for his thundering voice. When lifted in anger, it would echo off and around the walls of the Inner Gorge.

Herbert Fairfax Leary apparently incurred Admiral [Ernest J.] King’s displeasure during WWII. This was not the key to happiness or advancement for a naval officer of any rank. But he had plenty of horsepower for Fort Schuyler. He was a tall man, ramrod straight, with laser-like gray eyes that you did not want seeking you out. I recall seeing him lifting a good sized, wrinkled cadet off the pavement by the lapels of his cravenette. I’m sure the classes just ahead of mine have many more tales to tell of Leary - any to share?" [Cravenette = black Navy-style, issued overcoat/raincoat.]

FILLING SOME GAPS - The Luce Library needs to replace missing issues of SEAWAYS magazine, published by the Nautical Institute. Can you help us so that we can get the complete run of this important professional journal properly bound? Missing are: 1980 (all issues except November; 1981(all from January through June); 1982 (August); and 1994 (February). Before you send them, please e-mail Rcorson@sunymaritime.edu so that duplication can be avoided.