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MMA President’s Watch


T


ime seems to race faster each year, and
August came more swiftly than ever as the
sounds of Regimental Preparatory Train-
ing, athletes practicing on Ritchie Field, and a
full dining hall signaled the excitement of the
transition from summer to a new academic year.
By now, you have received the special 75th
commemorative issue of Mariner. My hope is
that you enjoyed the publication, and perhaps
learned something about Maine Maritime Acad-
emy that you didn’t know before. We heard from
many of you that the articles prompted you to

reach into your memory bank. I consider myself
lucky to have been the recipient of many letters
and stories that you shared as you connected
back to your history with MMA.
Wonderful stories came to light during this
anniversary year, along with all sorts of connec-
tions that were re-kindled. At Homecoming, we
welcomed more alumni and guests than at any
other Homecoming in recent memory. Alumni
came to campus for all of the regular attractions
as well as a few that were planned just for the
75th. On Friday, we invited alumni to partici-
pate in morning muster, attend classes, and play
a round of golf at the Castine Golf Club. That
evening, we held a Welcome Reception, the Hall
of Fame Ceremony, and the Alumni Banquet,
followed by an entertaining show with comedian
Jimmy Dunn. On Saturday, the MMA vs. MIT
football game was very well attended, as was
the March On, with alumni representing every
honor year. The barbecue and street dance at
the town waterfront drew a crowd of nearly 300
people and culminated with cake and a fireworks
show out in the harbor.
The stories I heard from alumni echoed the
pride and genuine affinity they have for a place
that challenged them in more ways than one, but

that they also credit for helping to shape them
into the people they are today. As one exam-
ple, we share with you in this issue a few vivid
memories from Timothy D. Keefe, Class of 1966.
Tim was the band leader during his years as a
deck student at MMA. Of his visit to Castine for
the ’66 reunion last summer, Tim said, “Many
thanks again for my chance to turn back the
clock, to dream one more time, to hear my bugle
calls...”
Of course, I credit MMA for having a big
influence on me, having grown up on campus.
My connections to the college and to Castine
have been a constant in my life for more than 50
years. The 75th anniversary gave us all a chance
to reflect, to reach out to old friends, and to link
ourselves back to the MMA community.
With this third regular issue of the magazine,
we will close out what has been a very eventful
and celebratory 2016, but our memories endure.
Please keep in touch, or consider reaching out
to someone you may have been missing from
your years at MMA. We are all the richer for the
connections that MMA has helped us to create
in our lives.

MMA President


DR. WILLIAM J. BRENNAN
Free download pdf