Penn's Landing in Philadelphia in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Pennsylvania Nautical School & Pennsylvania Maritime Academy, 1889 - 1947
A shipboard classroom that trained more than 2,000 young men for careers in the Merchant Marine
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), January 13, 2023
Those who go down to the sea in ships,
Who do business on great waters,
They see the works of the Lord,
And his wonders in the deep. — Psalms 107:23-24
What did they learn?
Through hard work, class members together operated every aspect of the schoolship from scrubbing the decks to plotting a course across the ocean.
■ Subjects included Seamanship, Celestial Navigation and Marine Engineering.
How did they serve during wartime?
Graduates became respected seamen, many of whom served as ship's Masters and Chief Engineers. The US Merchant Marine suffered the highest percent of war dead of any service in World War II – 1 in 26 died.
■ 4 June 1944 – Commander Earl Trosino, USNR, the Engineering officer of an ASW aircraft carrier group, saved a German submarine from sinking, enabling its secret capture. The U-505 is on permanent exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.
■ 23 December 1950 – Ship's Master Leonard LaRue saved 14,000 Korean refugees, navigating enemy mine fields without the aid of onboard mine detectors.
And in peacetime?
Some graduates continued maritime careers, others as career US Navy and US Coast Guard officers, while others excelled in business and industry.
■ 1958 – Captain Raymond Eisenberg, educator, helped shape US Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, NY, influencing generations of cadets here in the United States as well as for the newly-established Indonesian maritime program.
Dedicated by the Pennsylvania Schoolship Association to the memory of our graduates who served their country in peace and war.
Erected 2014 by The Pennsylvania Schoolship Association.
Topics. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: Education • War, Korean • War, World II • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical date for this entry is June 4, 1944.
Location. 39° 56.778′ N, 75° 8.426′ W. Marker is in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia County. It is in Penn's Landing. Memorial can be reached from Walnut Street east of South Christopher Columbus Boulevard, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 165 S Christopher Columbus Blvd, Philadelphia PA 19106, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Exiles for Conscience Sake (a few steps from this marker); The Liberation of Jane Johnson (a few steps from this marker); Glomar Explorer (a few steps from this marker); The Pennsylvania Slave Trade
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), January 13, 2023
Credits. This page was last revised on September 4, 2023. It was originally submitted on January 16, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 148 times since then and 39 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 16, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.