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Throggs Neck , New York …May 23, 2006 May 11 was a night of setting records for SUNY Maritime College, as the 2006 Admiral’s Scholarship Dinner got underway at the waterfront campus located on the Throggs Neck peninsula in the Bronx. Over 575 guests were in attendance to help honor prominent shipping executive, long-time friend and supporter, Mr. Clay Maitland, managing partner of International Registries, Inc., alumni including Captain James DeSimone ‘73, chief operations officer for the New York City Department of Transportation, Staten Island Ferry Division, Captain Thomas Sullivan 81, vice president of operations for K-Sea Transportation on Staten Island, and the Marine Society of the City of New York.
Clay Maitland launched a new era in SUNY Maritime College’s history by establishing an endowed scholarship for $100,000 to be known as the Clay Maitland Scholarship in International Transportation Management. SUNY Chancellor, Vice Admiral John R. Ryan, USN (Ret.), commended Maitland for making the largest gift by an individual in the history of the school. “Not only is Clay a guardian of all that is good within the world’s commercial shipping industry, he cares deeply about its future. That is why he chooses to invest his time, energy, talent and financial support in educating future leaders within the maritime industry.”
Maitland inspired another philanthropist to make an equally generous pledge that evening. SUNY Maritime alumnus and 2005 Admiral’s Dinner honoree, Captain Brian McAllister ’56 of McAllister Towing announced that he would pledge an endowed scholarship for $100,000 through his class gift. The Class of 1956 celebrates its 50 th reunion this fall. Motivated by fellow classmate Charlie Balancia ’56, the Class started organizing its milestone anniversary three years ago. They surpassed their initial fundraising goal of $200,000 quickly expanding it to $300,000. With McAllister’s $100,000 pledge –it looks like they may have to “up the ante” even more. Balancia also received the Admiral’s Award for Outstanding Service to SUNY Maritime College. He credited the school with having “saved his life” and catapulting him into a worthwhile career, first as a seafarer and later by as vice president of facilities for Montefiore Medical Center spanning over 45 years.
Captain James DeSimone ’73 reflected upon his time growing up at Maritime, literally having been born while his father Guy DeSimone, worked at Maritime as a department head and professor. Jim later earned the distinction of being the longest tenured commandant of cadets and master of the training ship, Empire State VI since Captain Olivet, for whom the college pier is named. DeSimone emphasized that Maritime’s greatest strength is the applied education that cadets receive. “When you’re on the training ship you are thrown into situations where you have to deal with people and you quickly learn what works and what doesn’t.” DeSimone is certainly the right man for the job he has now –as the first chief operating officer of the New York City Department of Transportation, Staten Island Ferry Division.
Captain Thomas Sullivan ’81 was quick to point out that as an employer, K-Sea recognizes the quality of SUNY Maritime students, as compared to other applicants they interview. “We get applicants from some very prestigious universities, but more often then not the Maritime candidate rises to the top.” K-Sea employs 27 Maritime partners, including ten vessel officers, three port captains and Sullivan’s partners, Tim Casey and Rick Falcinelli are graduates of Maritime’s Master’s program.
Fellow alumnus, Captain Timothy Ferrie ’78 was also on board to honor his cousin, Tom Sullivan ‘81 and to represent SUNY Maritime’s final honoree – the Marine Society of the City of New York. Ferrie is Marine Society president and spearheaded the formal presentation (also made that evening), of their 1770 charter signed by King George III. The newly restored document will be displayed in the college’s Stephen B. Luce Library. Other documents of historic significance were presented to Admiral Craine and the college that evening.
The Marine Society, in 1874 assisted in procuring the training vessel “Saint Marys” from the Navy Department for training and education of merchant seamen. One or more officers of the Marine Society were appointed by the Governor of the State of New York to serve on the Board of Governors for the new nautical school until it became part of the State University of New York in 1949, and evolved into what SUNY Maritime College is today.
The evening concluded with a festive tradition known as the auctioning of the covers. Covers are the uniform hats worn by admirals and other high-ranking officers. Under the artful supervision of SUNY Maritime chaplain turned auctioneer, the Reverend Michael R. Moynihan was able to generate over $60,000 in donations for five covers including three admirals’, one marine brigadier general’s and the good chaplain’s himself.
Vice Admiral John W. Craine, USN (Ret.), and acting president of SUNY Maritime College said that the entire evening’s success was indicative keeping up with the continued growth at the college. “The arriving class this September is expected to be one of the largest ever, with the total strength of the regiment expanding to 1,000 cadets. This will be the highest cadet enrollment in the 132-year history of our college. The growing internationalization of world trade makes it imperative for us as educators to collaborate with the private sector, to assist us in developing the next generation of maritime industry leaders.”
