U.S. Merchant Marine Academy
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| Motto | Acta Non Verba (Latin) |
|---|---|
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Motto in English
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Deeds not Words |
| Type | US Service Academy |
| Established | 1943 |
| Superintendent | James A. Helis USMA '79 |
| Dean | Preston DeJean (Acting) |
| Commandant of Midshipmen | Mikel Stroud (Acting) |
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Academic staff
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85 |
| Students | 1,011 Midshipmen |
| Location |
Kings Point, New York 40°48′43.89″N 73°45′48.42″W / 40.8121917°N 73.7634500°WCoordinates: 40°48′43.89″N 73°45′48.42″W / 40.8121917°N 73.7634500°W |
| Campus | Suburban - 82 acres (33.2 ha) |
| Fight Song | Kings Point Victory |
| Colors | Blue and Gray |
| Athletics |
NCAA Division III – LC MAISA LL CC MRFU |
| Sports | 15 varsity sports teams (10 men's and 5 women's) |
| Nickname | Mariners |
| Mascot | Salty the Sea Eagle |
| Website | www |
The United States Merchant Marine Academy (also known as USMMA or Kings Point) is one of the five United States service academies, located in Kings Point, New York. It is charged with training officers for the United States Merchant Marine, branches of the military, and the transportation industry. Midshipmen (as students at the Academy are called) are trained in marine engineering, navigation, ship's administration, maritime law, personnel management, international law, customs, and many other subjects important to the task of running a large ship.
Between 1874 and 1936, diverse federal legislation supported maritime training through school ships, internships at sea, and other methods. A disastrous fire in 1934 aboard the passenger ship SS Morro Castle, in which 134 lives were lost, convinced the U.S. Congress that direct federal involvement in efficient and standardized training was needed.
Originally — and in cooperation with the State of New York (which donated the land) — the U.S. government planned to establish a large-scale Merchant Marine Academy at Fort Schuyler, New York; nothing came of these plans.
Congress passed the landmark Merchant Marine Act in 1936, and two years later, the U.S. Merchant Marine Cadet Corps was established. In that year, the USTS Nantucket (ex-USS Ranger) was transferred from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy to Kings Point and renamed the USTS Emory Rice. The first training was given at temporary facilities until the Academy's permanent site in Kings Point, New York was acquired in early 1942. The Kings Point campus was originally Walter Chrysler's twelve-acre waterfront estate, named "Forker House" (now known as the USMMA's Wiley Hall). Construction of the Academy began immediately, and 15 months later the task was virtually completed. The Academy was dedicated on 30 September 1943, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who noted "the Academy serves the Merchant Marine as West Point serves the Army and Annapolis the Navy."
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Wikipedia