34 MARINER / 2016 - ISSUE 3
1952
William F. Farrington ’52 sent
this in with a donation: “Studied at
seas as a marine engineer summers
while a student at the University of
Maine (Orono). Sailed as a marine
engineer on SS Constitution (shown
above), SS Exbrook, SS Quisqueya,
SS Yaque, SS Western Sun (2nd
Engineer), SS Independence.
And thanks to the fine teachers
at MMA I graduated debt-free; I
had a family of two young ones at
the time!
While teaching Political Science,
I traveled to the U.S.S.R. and 14
European capitals. Appointed a
Dedimus Justice by Gov. Angus
King, and served in the Maine State
Legislature 1971-73, representing
Old Orchard Beach.”1959
The Class of 1959 gathered at the
end of July. (Shown left to right,
first row) Bill Mercier, Chuck Hol-
land, John Hamlet, Barry Clark,
Bob Tobin, Ed Morgan, Tom Kel-
ly. (Back row) Tom Hydes, Roger
Marks, Bill Bullard, Bob Laney,
Wayne Ladner, Maurie Salvesen,
Don Main, Bob Readon, Jerry
Drottar, Jim Smallage.1964
Laurence Wade ’64, former
captain of TS State of Maine sends
a report from Herb Crosby of the
University of Maine Department of
Engineering Technology about an
unusual day in the woods:
“Our crew and friends from the
MMA Woodsman Team made a
test run of our Lombard steam log
hauler. We took several unusual
aerial videos using a boom lift
temporarily on site.
“The event was planned so the
Discovery Channel could docu-
ment the Lombard log hauler for a
show on ‘Impossible Machines.’ The
MMA Woodsman team provided
the tree felling, and the Engineer for
the Lombard is Chuck Spaulding
’72. Chuck has been involved for a
couple of years now. Sean Varney
’04, also gets involved when he is
home.”
The Lombard restoration
involved students and other volun-
teers to bring the machine to life
for the Maine Forest and Logging
Museum at Leonard’s Mills. As
important as logging is to the
history of Maine, and with all of the
history surrounding the lumbering
industry, the steam-powered log
hauler, patented by Mainer Alvin
O. Lombard, ranks in the highest
echelon of innovations in the early
1900s.1965
Peter Wurschy ’65, his wife Ma-
rieta, Frank Richardson ’65 and
friend Adalaide Balaban attended
the Alumni Reception aboard TS
State of Maine in Galveston, Texas,
June 7.Class Notes
Carl Rhodes ’04, who graduated as a Small Vessel Operations major, has
had a dynamic career that will lead to a new position as Chief of Operations
at the NOAA Pacific Marine Center in Newport, Oregon in January. His
duties will mostly relate to operational support for NOAA’s Pacific Fleet.
“I started working for Massachusetts Bay Lines (MBL) in Boston as a mate,
naturalist and captain for several summers (2000-2004),” he says, “and was
on their vessel maintenance crew during the winters. I left MBL and started
working for Nekton Dive Cruises as the captain of the RV Chachalot for about
six months until the company started having financial issues and I returned
to MBL.
“In 2006, I joined the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps and have been
working here ever since. I started my NOAA career as a Junior Officer on
the NOAA ship Oscar Dyson and moved on from there to command the RV
Gloria Michelle for the Northeast Fisheries Science Center in Woods Hole. I
later became Deputy Chief of the Ecosystems Survey Branch and Northeast
Marine Facilities Manager, again in Woods Hole. I returned to the Oscar
Dyson as the Operations Officer in early 2015, and will be rotating off the ship
for the new position.”
Dyson wryly relates how his time at MMA has been of benefit: “‘MMA
where the adventure begins!’ That was the slogan on my orientation shirt in
1998 when I arrived at the school. It has proven to be absolutely true. My
adventures began that year and MMA prepared me for the challenges that I
now face in the industry and prepared me well.
“Being at MMA is only part of the road to success and adventure, the rest
comes from the student. The working waterfront and hands-on learning at
MMA provided the stage for success and I would say is the #1 way MMA
prepared me for the future. You can’t be a good captain/leader without first
being the best deckhand/follower.”LEADING EQUATES WITH
LEARNING TO FOLLOW
MMA T-shirt slogan portends life of adventure and NOAA careerPhoto courtesy of Carl Rhodes