News From Fort Schuyler

February 4, 2001 - Volume 5, No. 04

THROGS NECK'S LINK TO WORLD'S LARGEST SHIPBUILDER - The author of "Newport News Shipbuilders," a historical sketch in the February issue of Sea Breezes, states that: "The driving force behind the shipyard was industrialist Collis P. Huntington." The link to Throgs Neck? Down the road from Fort Schuyler is a New York landmark, "The Homestead." According to the AIA Guide to New York City, this impressive house was the summer residence of the same Collis P. Huntington until his death in 1901. Located at 2780 Schurz Avenue, it has served as Preston High School (a parochial school for young women) since 1924. For a distant view of the EMPIRE STATE VI and the Throgs Neck Bridge go to the Preston website at: http://www.prestonhs.org/Co-curriculars.html . Visit Newport News Shipyard at http://www.nns.com . BTW - Regatta participants may get a splendid riverside view of "The Homestead"on May 13.

ANOTHER ALUMNI AUTHOR - Congratulations to ROGER WESSEL, Class of 1954, who co-edited the new, massive (1200 pages), reference manual recently published by McGraw-Hill Professional Publications, "Facilities Engineering and Management Handbook: Commercial, Industrial and Institutional Buildings." According to the blurb, the book "... gives you all the tools you need for analyzing, comparing, anticipating, and managing the implications of engineering, maintenance, operating and design decisions...." Roger is donating a copy to the college's Luce Library, so check the new book display in the Reading Room. For more information go to: http://www.books.mcgraw-hill.com/engineering.html .

ARE THEY VISITING MICKEY ? The Class of October 1946 came together for a winter mini-reunion in Orlando, Florida this weekend. According to a message from LEONARD J. WEISS: "We expect to have 17 members of our class and their spouses in attendance. CARVER DUMKE and BILL STRATMANN handled all the arrangements. Our class leader, OTTO LIEPIN, was in charge of setting the dates and place." Check out all their options at: http://www.cityoforlando.net/index.htm

FROM THE GIT-GO - MIKE BURKE, classmate of a Schuyler SEAL writes, "I was also a 1986 graduate and knew CARL TISKA. He told me he wanted to be a SEAL on the first day of IDO week. I had no idea what he was talking about." Mike continues: "But also, I happened to see a familiar face on the Discovery Channel. It was a group of people looking for, I believe, a lost ship...and Carl was one of those guys. Doing some moonlighting, I guess." [Can anyone identify the ship featured in this Discovery Channel program ?]

DEAL FOR SEASICK ENGINEERS - The Navy has a program (Civil Engineers Corps) which begins the sophomore year and provides scholarships from $1900 per month for up to 36 months with commissioning as naval officers upon graduation. But this is an unusual program ! According to information provided by the Chairman of the Naval Science Department, CDR ALLEN STUBBLEFIELD: "This is not ROTC - CEC Scholarship students do not drill, wear uniforms, get haircuts, take additional classes, attend meetings or participate in military fun. They do get paid to go to school and get a degree." In addition, "You serve on land not at sea, overseeing construction and public works organizations at locations around the world." To read about other iterations of this program (and the fine print), go to: http://www.cec.navy.mil/scholarships.html

CLASSIC CINEMA CONTINUES - Now that comfortable new armchairs have been placed in the newly re-carpeted Library Media Lecture Room, come join the viewing segment of "Groundbreakers: Film Firsts and Cinema Challenges," the course taught by Humanities Department professors JOHN ROCCO and ED TASSINARI. Showtime is at 7:30 on Wednesday evenings. The tentative schedule: Feb 7 - Battleship POTEMKIN (Russia,1925); Feb 14 - Citizen Kane (USA,1941); Mar 7 - Psycho (USA, 1960); Mar 14 - Night of the Living Dead (USA, 1968); Mar 21 - The Searchers (USA, 1956); Mar 28 - Taxi Driver (USA, 1976); Apr 11 - The Asphalt Jungle (USA, 1950); Ap 18 - Reservoir Dogs (USA, 1991). Professor Rocco points out that: "show times will vary slightly because of our class work, so interested students [and other NFFS readers] can call me for show times (718-409-7253) or e-mail me (JRocc44@aol.com )"