STATEMENT OF REAR ADM. JAMES D. CRAIK, SUPERINTENDENT, TEXAS MARITIME ACADEMY Mr. MURPHY. Admiral, you probably observed that I asked the staff to write to the other academies and ask for a chart similar to the one in your testimony, having them compare the State moneys and student fees and make some comparison on a dollar and percentage basis. Will you please proceed? Admiral CRAIK. It is a privilege to be here. I have been with the Texas Maritime Academy for approximately 1 year and 9 months. I thought it would be interesting, a workable job that really has some grave problems connected with it. Texas Maritime Academy came into being in 1962 as an integral part of Texas A. & M. University with its first freshman class at A. & M. University, College Station, Tex. In 1963 the academy shifted to part of Building 311, old Fort Crockett, Galveston, owned by Texas A. & M. Oceanography Laboratory; but the freshman class continued at A. & M. In 1965 the training ship Texas Clipper, previously the American Export Lines ship Excambion, was supplied by the Maritime Administration. Up to this time the training cruises had been made with Maine and New York maritime academies. In 1966, the first class graduated from Texas Maritime Academy, consisting of 13 members. In 1967, due to a limited space at Galveston, the sophomore class had to return to Texas A. & M. In 1968 the Texas Clipper, having been refurbished and made suitable, the cadets shifted to it from building 311. In 1969, after more refurbishing of the Clipper, the sophomore class was returned to Galveston from Texas A. & M. In the fall of 1970 we hope to have the Texas Clipper ready to take the freshmen class also. At present the enrollment at Texas Maritime Academy is as follows: Juniors, 38-30 deck and 8 engineering. The cadets at Texas Maritime Academy come from the following sources. In addition to Texas, there are 20 other States and the District of Columbia and a student whose father is now in the military in Germany. To date Texas Maritime Academy has had 80 graduates. All of these graduates are still sailing with the exception of the few enumerated below: Class of 1966: Richards, Tommy L., Sea, University of California, Berkeley, Naval Architect. Schmidt, Joseph H., Sea, Texas A. & M. University, Mechanical Engineering, Mathematical. Radican, William W., Naval Aviator, Physics. Class of 1967: Marcontell, James, Sea, University of California, Berkeley, Mechanical Engineering. McAuliffe, Leigh, Admiral Rickover, Nuclear Submarine Program. Wendenburg, Carl A., Sea, Georgia Tech, Nuclear Engineering, Combustion Engineering, Nuclear Division. Class of 1968: Pickavance, William W., naval aviator. A few of the cadets of the class of 1966 have already become chief mates. The cost of operation of the Texas Maritime Academy for the first few years with the source of funds indicated is as follows: Gentlemen, I have a list here going back to 1963, and projected through 1970, giving a comparison of the State funds, the Federal funds, and the student fees and showing a percentage of each. Mr. MURPHY. Admiral, can you break that down into HEW funds and so forth, from the Federal source? Admiral CRAIK. We have not received any other funds. Mr. MURPHY. No dormitory or other funds? Admiral CRAIK. No. In the interests of saving time, gentlemen, I won't repeat these figures. I would like to draw attention to the two notes in connection with those figures. Note 1. Includes Federal maintenance of training vessel but does not include general fixed asset expenditures of State for docking facilities, building, et cetera. Does not include grants of land or building funds donated by individuals and/or foundations. Note 2. Does not include $250,000 for conversion of the Texas Clipper in fiscal year 1965. From the above list it would indicate that the source of assistance from the Federal Government is of a high percentage. However, it must be taken into account that although we are receiving the approximate same assistance from the Federal Government as the other State maritime academies, our enrollment is much smaller in the comparison therefore making the percentage higher. However, as our enrollment increases, such percentage will diminish in comparison to the funds derived from the students and from the State. As can be gleaned from the above, the Texas Maritime Academy is presently in a very embrionic or emerging state. We have a building plan in progress on Pelican Island, which is an island just north of the city of Galveston separated by a causeway. Texas A. & M. was fortunate enough to receive a gift of land on Pelican Island from the George Mitchell family. This gift of land comprises 100 acres, 40 of which are for the Maritime Academy, worth conservatively $400,000. In addition to the gift of land, the Moody Foundation, Galveston, made a grant to the academy of $1 million. This grant will be used for construction of the first two buildings; these two buildings will be a combined classroom and administration building and a much needed engineering building. These are photographs of the first two buildings that we hope to have started under construction by early next spring. In addition, we also received $500,000 from the State Legislature of Texas to build moorings for our training ship Texas Clipper at Pelican Island. The work on the moorings is already under way and it is hoped the construction of the buildings will be started early in the spring of 1970. Taking advantage of our location in Galveston, our cadets make many field trips each year. The majority of these field trips are in walking distance of our training vessel. All other fields trips do not exceed 15 minutes driving time utilizing the academy bus. Many facets of the maritime industry are represented and are evident in the Port of Galveston. The field trips normally include vessels of the following various categories: Break bulk carriers, container vessels, tankers and special liquid carriers, refrigerated vessels, bulk carriers, accommodation passengercargo vessels. The shore installations are of the following category : Todd's repair and conversion yard, grain elevator and U.S. Department of Agriculture laboratory, cotton compress, bulk sulfur, fertilizer and sugar installations, Esso crating plant, numerous warehouses, Texas City petroleum loading installation, and Union Carbide container handling berth. It has been exceedingly difficult to maintain pace with the numerous changes in this industry. Consequently the field trips permit concentration on certain features. Some of the features concentrated on are: On general cargo vessels, the following phases: Construction points, cargo gear and equipment, handling stowage and securing of as many cargos as can be seen in operation and actually being handlled at the time of the trip, people. This feature is very important and we have had great reception from seagoing personnel. In essence this connection with people is one of the greatest educational features of all. Many times the ship's officers take small groups of cadets on personal tours of a vessel for inspection. The requirements. of the U.S. Coast Guard, American Bureau of Shipping, and SOLAS, are pointed out where applicable, especially firefighting and lifesaving requirements. Several of the bulk carriers in this area carry automobiles one way and bulk cargo on the return trip. Normally the cargo and stability features are emphasized on these trips. It might be said, without exaggeration, that we are using the waterfront in Galveston as our overall laboratory. Besides the field trips, we have been very fortunate in having many representatives from the maritime field come to the Academy and talk to our cadets. These representatives include people from the following sources: Shipping companies, officers assigned to merchant marine safety from U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs, U.S. Department of Immigration, U.S. Department of Labor (Safety Division), International Cargo Government Bureau personnel, freight forwarders, tanker port captains, marine chemists, and many others. The receptivity of our program from the various walks of maritime industries in this area has been exceptionally cordial. The cadets have gained a great deal from the field trips and from the lectures. We have a small but hard working faculty at Texas Maritime Academy. At this stage of our operation we must naturally try to get faculty members with licenses in addition to higher degrees. Among our faculty at present we have four graduates of King's Point Academy, three with master's degrees. We have three graduates of the State Maritime Academy, Maine. We have two graduates of the State Maritime College of Fort Schuyler. We also have a retired graduate of Annapolis with a master's degree. In addition to the preceding, we have two civilian instructors with master's degrees, one of whom has just about completed requirements for his doctorate. All of our faculty must naturally double in brass with many collateral duties. Our complete staff and faculty numbers roughly 40. We have to keep a cadre of personnel onboard the training ship to provide proper maintenance and upkeep. As an aside, if those officers on our faculty coming from Maritime Academies had continued to sail, we would not have their valuable services. As mentioned before, we are using the training ship Texas Clipper as a dormitory and messhall, but in addition we also use the training ship as a type of laboratory for both deck and engineering. We have made an additional laboratory in the upper between deck of No. 3 hold. We have two lathes, a compressor, and other related machinery powered from a diesel generator located on the upper deck. Cadets, primarily put in all this equipment as part of the laboratory work. In addition to the ship we have an arrangement with the Todd Shipyard whereby our engineering cadets have classes at Todd's in machine shop work and welding. Also one of our lecturing instructors is affiliated with the refinery of Union Carbide. He takes the cadets to the refinery to instruct them in new types of heat transfer equipment and acquaints them with various forms of maintenance and repair problems which the refinery has encountered. One of the greatest uses for the training ship is our summer training cruises. The cadets actually do all of the work under supervision of licensed officers. Our present crew including officers, cooks, medical staff, and supply activities number approximately 37. Under the circumstances, cadets receive invaluable training. Although the equipment machinery on the Texas Clipper is somewhat old in comparison to newer ships, if the cadets can reach understanding of the principles of such equipment, they should have no difficulty in mastering the newer equipment. The curriculum of Texas Maritime Academy, as approved by Texas A. & M. University, our parent body, is as outlined in our catalog. At present this curriculum is under further study. We have two courses of study at present, marine transportation and marine engineering. After getting our new facilities in operation on Pelican Island a few years hence, the institution of graduate programs would be recommended. At this stage we cannot attempt more than we are doing. There has been some discussion as to degree requirements versus greater emphasis on practical training at the Maritime Academies. I am of the opinion that there can be a happy medium. To meet the technology of the future and to afford some postgraduate work in related areas, a degree is rather necessary. However, the practical training cannot be deemphasized. A State maritime academy, highly specialized in mission, is somewhat unique in its requirements and operation. It is difficult to make a direct or meaningful comparison with other colleges or universities due to the nature of the training. This has a bearing on support for such an institution. In the gulf area, maritime activities are burgeoning at a rate beyond expectation. The ports of Texas are second only to the ports of New York in total marítime tonnage handled. In addition to the deepwater shipping, the two boat and barge activities on the fabulous network of waterways are increasing markedly yearly; the movement by water to and from the rapidly growing petroleum activity offshore, and the surge upward of the petrochemical industry with its need for water transportation, reflect the boom in maritime functions. Despite such growth in maritime operations, it is not too greatly recognized, unfortunately, beyond the immediate vicinity of the coast or waterways. The Gulf States, with the possible exception of Florida, are under the domination of rural influence. This makes the problem of support for a Maritime Academy with reference to capital investment much more difficult in contrast to support given other colleges of the area. As an example of the above, this year the Texas Maritime Academy lost $160,000 from an appropriation for equipment for its new buildings on Pelican Island. This is going to delay us somewhat since the legislature does not meet again for 2 years. However, on the other hand the State of Texas has given Texas Maritime Academy excellent support for operating expenses as evidenced by the figures quoted earlier. The operation of a State maritime academy represents a form of partnership between the State and the Federal Government. However, it is quite apparent that the greater potentiality of benefit might well accrue to the Federal Government. In contrast to the many other areas of Federal support such as that given to teachers, doctors, and others, and the support given to the ROTC programs, the State maritime academies might well be worth of consideration of further support from the Federal Government. Gentlemen, I would make an aside, if I may. In the gulf area, we talk about the maritime activities. There are also ships that come into the operation, and, of course, container operations are now present in the gulf area. In the period that I was in the service, in the Port of New Orleans, we conducted a survey along with the people of U.S. customs. This survey was conducted on containers. We were able to check about 4 percent of the containers going through the Port of New Orleans. The number of items of hazardous cargo stored in these containers would make one think. We checked only 4 percent. Along with containers and barges, it is apparent that somebody with knowledge and background of how this material in the container or in the barge is going to be affected while the vessel is at sea is important. Going to the comments on the Keith bill: This bill would be difficult to administer as written. There is no opinion offered in the bill as to whether or not a cadet wishes to take advantage of the loan or would prefer not to. The bill is discriminatory in that the cadet from parents of comfortable means could easily repay the loan without hesitation while the cadet without means would be tied to the provisions of the bill. |