SEA at Thirty-five, a lesson in determination

The story of SEA’s founding and the early years of struggle to gain a pathway to success is a lesson in determination on the part of Corwith Cramer, Jr. Together with a small and dedicated band of friends and associates (and notably Edward “Sandy” MacArthur), Cramer worked tirelessly to push forward his idea of practical education on the sea and of the sea.

Five Former Faculty Join in the 35th Anniversary Cruise

by Jim Millinger

Five former faculty members, Peg Brandon, Susan Humphris, Jim Millinger, Wallace Stark, and John Wigglesworth, joined the Corwith Cramer in New York and sailed to Woods Hole. Captain Beth Doxsee, a W-75 student of Wallace Stark, and Chief Scientist Chuck Lea headed the Cramer’s company. They were invited to join in the June 2006 celebratory trip by President John Bullard.

Between them, these five faculty members had over 80 years of teaching and made 87 six-week research trips on Westward or Cramer. Between them, Peg, Wallace, and John made 56 trips as Master. In addition, among the five, they held the Marine Superintendent’s position for 20 years and the Dean’s position for 15 years. They represent the continuity of faculty and administrators that SEA enjoyed from the mid 1970’s to the early 1990’s when much of the present academic program took shape.

John Wigglesworth was a student in 1972 in W-5, remained on board as a mate, and became the first alumni Captain in 1981 on W-64. He made 20 six-week trips

Over the last few years, SEA’s faculty and administration, and their counterparts at colleges and universities, have noted the increasingly varied interests that today’s students are bringing to SEA Semester. Faculty members have responded by continuing to develop the content of SEA Semester and innovate within the established tradition. The result is that, beginning in Fall 2006, SEA Semester will be expanded with three new specialized programs to match the needs and interests of a broader range of students and the requirements of their academic programs. as a Captain and, in the 1990’s, he doubled as Acting Dean and Associate Dean.

Wallace Stark was at SEA for 25 years. He arrived in 1975, first as a mate, and then instructor ashore and captain of about 12 six-week trips (W-30 to W-107). In 1982 he stepped into Cory Cramer’s shoes as Marine Superintendent and continued to teach ashore and go to sea. He retired from the Marine Superintendent’s job in 1998 to devote efforts to the Seamans project. In 2000 he retired from SEA to take a position at WHOI with another new ship project. Originally trained in law, he is now handling patents and licensing technology for WHOI. He was succeeded at SEA by Peg Brandon.

Peg was a student of Jim Millinger and Susan Humphris in W-48. She returned as a mate for 4 trips and then captain for more than 24 additional trips between 1986 and 2002 on Westward and Cramer. She succeeded Wallace Stark as Marine Superintendent for four years and then took a full-time position at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy.

Deans

June 2006

Jim Millinger was at SEA for 20 years. He was Dean for seven years (1979-1986), acting Executive Director for a year when Cory Cramer was ill, and taught Maritime Studies for twenty years (1979-1999). He also made thirteen trips on Westward and Cramer as a mate.

Susan Humphris, hired as a scientist in 1978, was promoted to Senior Scientist, took on the job as Dean for a year when Jim Millinger became acting Executive Director, and then followed Jim in the Dean’s slot (1986-1992). She taught in 17 shore components and sailed on 14 trips. In 1992 she took a full-time position at WHOI.

During a port stop in Oyster Bay they were joined in their reminiscences by former Captain Paul DeOrsay who was another long-server at SEA as Instructor in Nautical Science and Captain of Westward (1980-1989).

On board, and still at SEA was Chuck Lea, who has been at SEA for 21 years and has been Chief Scientist on 39 six-week trips.

Dean Paul Joyce waved good-bye to them in New York and waved a welcome to them in Woods Hole. He was also a part of the continuity of faculty and administrators, having served as a staff scientist from 1988 to 2003 before assuming the dean’s duties in 2003.

Note: These dates have been compiled through the recollections of the participants on the trip.

The following is an unedited forward to the SEA History project

Written by John L. (Jack) Merrill, SEA’s first President of the Board.

The story of SEA’s founding and the early years of struggle to gain a pathway to success is a lesson in determination on the part of Corwith Cramer, Jr. Together with a small and dedicated band of friends and associates (and notably Edward “Sandy” MacArthur), Cramer worked tirelessly to push forward his idea of practical education on the sea and of the sea.

It must be remembered that SEA represented something new in education. True, it had some relationship to the Outward Bound programs, to Irving Johnson’s round-the-world voyages, and a variety of sailing programs, but one sensed from the very beginning that this was something different-something broader and more complex. Even though early supporters were hard pressed to define in detail the role SEA should assume, there was nevertheless a consensus that Cramer’s basic idea had merit, enough merit to warrant hammering out the details as time and money permitted.

Based on his own experience, it is evident that Cramer’s basic idea developed over a period of years. That idea, simply stated, was that if you placed young people aboard a seagoing sailing vessel and taught them seamanship, ship handling, piloting, celestial navigation and introductory oceanography, they would gain self-confidence, an appreciation of teamwork, and hopefully, a life-long interest in the world’s oceans that comprise some 70 percent of the earth’s surface.

The first several years of SEA’s existence (known in those years as ASEA – American Sailing Education Association) were times of trials, errors and corrections. Difficulties abounded—settling management organization, obtaining staff, battling with the Coast Guard for approval, promotional activities to gain students and financial support, etc. From a standing start, these activities demanded an enormous amount of time and effort. Without in any sense demeaning the constructive contributions in time and money of the early trustees and benefactors, it is evident that SEA’s emergence from dubious status to viability is in very large part due to Cramer’s determination, dedication and tenacity.

There is a worthwhile lesson to be learned in this story. It is a lesson in the value of teamwork and persistence, in not being discouraged by difficulties. Hopefully it is a lesson impressed upon students who undertake SEA’s educational program. It is certainly one of the most important aspects of that program.

Pursue It, A Motto To Live By

Just prior to departure on W-71, I went to visit Cory Cramer who was living in the stone house on the new SEA campus on Woods Hole Road. He was in bed and looking very sick. He could not talk very well. I said I was off to sea on Westward for a trip to Newfoundland. At the end of the one-way conversation there was more uncomfortable silence, but he mustered up the energy and said “pursue it.”

While underway on the trip, Cory died. I remember the radio message and I remember the day and the sail. Good wind, flat water and Westward sailing easily. Some 23 years later, I still think about his words, “pursue it.” He could have said anything. But those words inspire me today. Whatever course I am on…“pursue it.” – JOHN WIGGLESWORTH, W-5