1941 S.S. "America" ~ Navy Buys Cruise Ship

From Time Magazine, June 9, 1941

ECONOMICS OF THE AMERICA

When the Navy last week conscripted the luxury liner America, it left the venerable U.S. Lines without a single passenger ship.  But at the company's offices in lower Manhattan there was no mourning. The atmosphere was more like a carnival.  Everyone got a 10% bonus (based on last year's pay).  Passenger department clerks were told they would be kept on.  After work there was a rush to nearby bars.

The loss of its vessels has been a god-send to U.S Lines.  Over 80% of its $3,801,180 net income in 1940 came from sale if its ships.  The America, its No. 1 money-loser, was the climax.  She was built to replace the old Leviathan, whose owners patted her poop whenever she lost less than $75,000 a trip.  The America did a little better than that. But since her commissioning last summer she has lost something like $1,250,000.

Biggest boat ever built this side of the Atlantic, the America cost $17,586,478.  Of this, U.S. Lines put up $2,396,629 cash, the Leviathan (valued at around $2,000,000), and a mortgage for $7,328,140, the Maritime Commission the rest.  But even after throwing out the Government's ante, the America cost U.S. Lines $850,000 annually in depreciation ($600,000) and interest ($250,000).  And that was without even moving her from the dock.

Barred from the Atlantic run for which she was designed, the America spent her brief commercial life in the cruise business, mostly in the Caribbean.  She could carry 1,202 passengers, needed a crew of 643.  But she never was entirely full, an average $170 per passenger, each twelve-day cruise yielded about $76,500.  Against this were operating costs of $90,000 (wages, food, fuel, general overhead at $7,500 daily, plus depreciation and interest of $28,200 ($2,350 daily). Result:  net loss of $41,700 a trip.  The loss to U.S. Lines was less than that.  Under the Bailey-Bland (ship relief) Act of 1940, most of its losses will be paid by the Government.

This week not even U.S. Lines knew what the Navy would pay for their pet ship.  But one thing they did know:  in ships, bigness does not beget profits.


Another article about the Naval acquisition in the same magazine.

Requisition
West from the Virgin Islands toward Haiti stood S.S. America, a thwarted ship in a restricted ocean.  Biggest (27,000 gross tons) and fanciest merchantman ever to slide down a U.S. way, she had been conceived by the Maritime Commission for the blue-ribbon North Atlantic passenger trade.  But before her birth was complete, World War II and the Neutrality Act closed in her horizons.  Since she left her fitting-out dock ten months ago, her life has been a pleasant tedium of Caribbean cruises.  Last week adventure crooked an imperious finger to this immaculate loafer of the Antilles.  She was drafted into the U.S. Navy.

The summons came in a radiogram from the Navy to her master, young Captain Giles Chester Stedman of U.S. Lines, who is also commander in the Naval Reserve.  He was ordered to cut short the cruise, cancel the stop at Port-au-Prince, cut the stop at Havana from 48 hours to one (presumably to let former King Carol of Rumania and Playmate Lupescu disembark), put in at Newport News, Va. for refitting.  The spume under America's forefoot widened and whitened as she picked up her feet and shook herself out of her cruise pace.  On radio and telephone Giles Stedman and U.S. Lines got he Navy to agree to let him fropo his 250 passengers at New York, promised to have his beauty back in Newport News by Wednesday of this week.  There workmen will pull out her luxury trappings, install three- and four-decker bunks in her cabins, paint her Navy grey, perhaps arm her with 5-in. guns for her new life as a transport.  Built to carry 3,500 soldiers or marines.

In four days of the frist week of Franklin Roosevelt's unlimited emergency, 18 passenger liners and two modern freighters were drafted for Army and Navy.  Grossing better than 200,000 tons, they included American President Lines' brand-new President Jackson and President Adams, its older trans-Pacific liners President Taft, President Pierce, President Coolidge, and President Cleveland.  American Export Lines lost its new Explorer and Executor, just completed for the India trade.  Moore-McCormack, which now has 15 ships in the armed services, gave up Mormacpenn and Mormacwren from South American run.  Total of drafted passenger craft:  better than 45,000 tons.

January 2, 1955 SUGARBOWL Ole Miss vs. Navy

These clippings are from
THE TIMES-PICAYUNE
NEW ORLEANS STATES

Sunday, January 2, 1955

Miss Janet Kerne, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Leo J. Kerne of Thibodaux, and a student at St. Mary's Dominican College, is crowned Miss Sugar Bowl by Bernie J. Grenrood, president of the New Orleans Mid-Winter Sports Association, during halftime ceremonies at the Navy-Ole Miss game Saturday.  Among the top Naval officials who saw the Middies defeat the Rebels were (right photo) Secretary of the Navy Charles S. Thomas (left) and Admiral Robert B. Carney, chief of naval operations.

Miriam Stevenson, Winnsboro, S.C., beauty who won the Miss Universe contest last summer, rides the Long Beach float in Saturday's Tournament of Roses at Pasadena, Calif.  More than 200,000 fresh flowers decorate the float.

USNA Naval Academy Walking through time ~ NAVY HISTORY

Came across some magazine publications in my literature collection from the USNA

Here are some of the more interesting pictures.  I have included the names of the people in the pictures...hoping it will help with some genealogy research or just provide family and friends a snapshot of someone they knew, admired, or loved.

From 1954:  LCDR. Arthur Radford in vintage flying gear standing beside a plane with his hand on the prop.

From 1954: Navy's Blue Angels. LCdr. Richard L. "Zeke" Cornier of San Diego, Dayl Crow of Oklahoma City, Roland "Auz" Aslund from Vancouver, Washington, and Ken Wallace from Elizabethton, Tennessee

From 1954: LaCrosse - Jack Jones makes another tremendous save as Bill Martin checks his opponent's stick. Mattison Burt watches.

From 1954: Track - Mark O'Hara, Bernie Czaja

1954: Boxing- Pat Byrne & Tiger Trone

From 1955: Navy-Duke football game. Ron Beagle, Len Benzi, Earl Smith, Pat McCool, Joe Gattuso, George Texter

I'd love to get some positive comments if you see something you like.

1954 Navy Vs. William & Mary ~ American Football

I captured a few images from the game program that I thought I would share.

Hoping someone that might be related to one of these fine chaps might enjoy the pictures.

There are many more in the program, so if you think a relative of yours might have been involved and would like me to look for a picture, just let me know.

I put the names in the body of my blog...hoping that someone that might be doing a search of relative names will happen upon this post when the search engines crawl.

This is J. Philip Monahan

 Charlie Sumner & Jerry Sazio

 Walter F. Boone

 First Row: Jim Royer, Jim Owen, Alex Aronis, Hugh Webster, Captain Phil Monahan, Bob Craig, Joe Gattuso, John Hopkins, and Ronnie Beagle
Secon Row: George Thomas, John Honse, George Textor, Dick Dutnell, Bob Davis, John Weaver, Jack Garrow, Frank Bendrick, Pat McCool, George Welsh
Third Row: Dick Echard, Bill Smith, Wilson Whitmire, Ed Malynn, Chet Burchett, Vernon Dander, Lee Brantley, Paul Gober, Bob McElwee
Fourth Row: Jim Byrom, Geore Warren, Ken Holden, Leonard Benzi, Bill Hepworth, Bill Mohn, Jim Wood, Vince Monto, Dick Guest, Jim Hower
Fifth Row: Merl Johnson, John McHugh, Jim Barker, Charles Levis, Dave Korzep, Don Jahn, John Russell, Roy Freeman, Bob Vaselenko

 And this was just a fun advertisement in the program

1954 Army Navy Football Game Program

I have been fortunate enough to acquire a full magazine program from the 1954 (actually, I got 2 of them).

My hope is that it will end up in the hands of someone that is friends or relatives of one of these great men. 

In order to hopefully reach as many friends or relatives as possible, I took the time to actually type every single players name...as well as every man whose photo appears in the magazines.

So, although it's a great piece of history for children, grandchildren, or great-grandchildren of some of these people...it has some great ads too.  I have those outlined as well. Pepsi, Coke, and those ICONIC cars~!  I documented every page!

Here are a few pictures from the program magazine and below the pictures are the names and details of all the advertisements.  Please share so we can reach as many as possible.

 

This is basically a page by page description of the entire magazine.

 

Letcher Aviation "hats off" advertisement

Broadmoor Hotel and the Colorado Springs chamber of commerce SALUTE the United States Air Force Academy advertisement

Body by Fisher advertisement

Reddy Kilowatt Philadelphia Electric ad

General Dynamics Ad

Chevrolet Ad

****Picture (football & military uniform on same page) Robert G. Farris, Capt. USMA

Caltex Petroleum ad

****Picture (football & military uniform on same page)  J. Philip Monahan, Capt, Navy 1954 team

Bulova Official timepiece of the Army Navy game ad

**Cartoon of Bob Farris "toughest assignment" (the first non-playing captain in West Point's history)

'55 Pontiac ad

Letter from US President & picture

Letter from US Secretary of Defense & picture

****Picture & Bio of Robert T. Stevens Secretary of the Army

****Picture & Bio of Charles Sparks Thomas Secretary of the Navy

****Picture & Bio of Harold E. Talbott, Secretary of the Air Force

Leaders of battle today article

****Picture Lieutenant General Blackshear M. Bryan Superintendent USMA

****Picture Rear Admiral Walter F. Boone  Superintendent USNA

**Cartoon Eddie Erdelatz & Earl Blaik

IT&T Advertisement 

Davison Chemical ad

Statistics of the Army Football Squad 1954 (all names of players, coke bottle with gold football charm - coke ad)

Lucky strike ad with the Army players on one page & Navy players on opposite page

Statistics of the Navy Football Squad 1954 (all names of players, coke bottle with gold pompom charm - coke ad)

McCormick Ad

McDonnell Aircraft Ad

***Picture Brigadier General Edwin J. Meessinger, Commandant of cadets USMA

****Picture Captain R.T.S. Keith, Commandant of Midshipmen USNA

Philco ad with Miss America

****Picture Brigadier General Harris jones, Dean, USMA

Cadillac Ad

****Picture Colonel Earl H. Blaik, Director of athletics and head football coach, USMA

AMOCO gas ad

****Picture  Capt C. Elliot Loughlin, Director of athletics USNA

GM Diesel ad (featuring a submarine)

****Picture Lieutenant Colonel James T.L. Schwenk, Graduate manager of athletics USMA

Ford Thunderbird Ad

****Pictures of Lt. Col. Edwin W. Richardson, public Information Officer.  Joseph M. Cahill, Director sports information.  Col. Elliott W. Amick USA (Ret) Assistant Graduate Manager of athletics

Fairchild Aircraft Division ad

****Pictures E.E. "Rip" Miller, Asst director of athletics  USNA,    Commander C.S. Mintner, Jr. Executive officer, Dept of physical education USNA, Captain M.D. Gilmore secretary-treasurer Naval Academy Athletic Assoc.    Commander r.C. Giffen, Jr.  Officer rep of football, USNA.  John T. Cox  Director of public relations Naval academy athletic assoc

Grumman Ad

****Pictures George Blackburn -Backfield Coach, Captain L. Dobbs -Backfield Coach, Carney Laslie -Line coach, Paul J. Amen-end coach, Paul Kietzel - line coach, Captain Felix A. Blanchard - Plebe coach

Hallicrafters Ad

Army coaching staff article

Oldsmobile 88 Ad

****Picture Edward J. Erdelatz, head football coach, USNA

Sperry gyroscope co Ad

****Navy Coaching Staff with picture of Len Eshmont, Dick Duden, Eddie Erdelatz, Ben Martin, Frank Foster, Homer Hobbs

2 small ads, Vincent J. Spelman & Co (Sailmakers) and Micro Switch Honeywell

Shell Oil Ad

****Picture of Army Varsity Football Squad - 1954. John Wing, Jerry Hagan, Billy chance, Godwin Ordway, Pete Vann, bob Farris, Tom Bell, Joe Franklin, James Miller, Charles Bliss, Joe Cygler, Pete Lash, Richard Murtland, Robert Reynolds, Thomas Shuff, Nichlas Bruno, Glenn Allen, Donald Smith, Donald Satterfield, Art Johnson, Joe Bishop, Bob Kyasky, John Politis, Albert Oppel, Richard Fadel, Russell Mericle, Ralph Chesnauskas, Norris Harbold, Darrold Erickson, James Kinzer, Mike Zeigler, Flay Goodwin, Ronald Melnik, Howard Glock, Edward Szvetecz, Frank Burd, William Cody, Donald Shannon, Donald Reid, Michael Petruno, Richard Stephenson, Paul Sullivan, Pat Uebel

Allis-Chalmers Ad

****Picture of Navy Varsity Football Squad - 1954.  Jim Royer, Jim Owen, Alex Aronis, Hugh Webster, Capt Phil Monahan, Bob Craig, Joe Gattuso, Joh Hopkins, Ronnie Beagle, George Thomas, John Honse, George Textor, Dick Dutnell, Bob Davis, John Weaver, Jack Garrow, Frank Bendrick, Pat McCool, George Welsh, Dick Echard, Bill Smith, Wilson Whitmore, Ed Malynn, Chet Burchett, Vernon Dander, Lee Brantley, Paul Gober, Bob McElsee, Jim Byrom, George Warren, Ken HOlden, Leonard Benzi, Bill Hepworth, Bill Mohn, Jim Wood, Vince Monto, Dick Guest, Jim Hower, Merl Johnson, John McHugh, Jim Barker, Charles Levis, Dave Korzep, Don Johan, John Russell, Roy Freeman, Bob Vaselenko

AC defense products Ad

the Jam handy Organization Ad

Service Series Scores

Treadwell Construction Co Ad

**Cartoon of Bob Farris "Army's Spark-plug captain"

GMC Hydra matic Ad

****Pictures (each in military & football uniforms) & little bios. H. Glenn Allen, Joseph a. Bishop, Michael James Petruno

Philadelphia Gear Works Ad

****Pictures (each in military & football uniforms) & little bios. Peter Joel Vann, Michael Grant Zeigler, Patrick Norman Uebel

Pepsi-Cola Ad

****Pictures (each in military & football uniforms) & little bios. Thomas J. Bell, Charles F. Bliss, Thomas Kilby Shuff

Exide Batteries Ad

****Pictures (each in military & football uniforms) & little bios. Peter Waller Lash, Ronald Peter Melnik, Howard George Glock

Veedol, Tydol A. Ethyl Ad

****Pictures (each in military & football uniforms) & little bios.Jerome Francis Hagan, Richard Anthony Fadel, Nicholas J. Bruno

Canada Dry Ad

****Pictures (each in military & football uniforms) & little bios.Donald Wade Satterfield, Godwin Ordway, III, Robert A. Kyasky

Steel and Alloy Tank Co Ad

****Pictures (each in military & football uniforms) & little bios. Joseph P. Franklin, Fred Gerard Knieriem, William Francis Cody

Mobiloil Ad

****Pictures (each in military & football uniforms) & little bios. Arthur D. Johnson, Norris Brown Harbold, Jr, Joseph Cygler

New Departure Ball Bearings Ad

****Pictures (each in military & football uniforms) & little bios. Edward Szvetecz, Russell A. Mericle, Richard E. Stephenson

Republic Aviation Ad

****Pictures (each in military & football uniforms) & little bios. Ralph J. Chesnauskas, Billy J. Chance, Donald W. Holleder

2 half page ads. Fidelity-Philadelphia Trust Co, & Berwind-White Coal mining Co

****Pictures (each in military & football uniforms) & little bios. Frank Albert Burd, Albert F. Oppel, Flay O. Goodwin

Automotive Thrust Bearings Ad

****Pictures (each in military & football uniforms) & little bios. Richard Charles Murtland, David N. Thomas, John Raymond Wing

2 half page ads. Arma Corp. & Robertson Products for industry

**Cartoon of Phil Monahan "Navy's big ground-gaining captain"

2 half page ads, Drive careful ad and Florsheim Shoes Ad

****Pictures (each in military & football uniforms) & little bios. Robert William Hepworth, Patrick Richard McCool, James joseph hower

2 half page ads. Collins Radio & Sun shipbuilding

****Pictures (each in military & football uniforms) & little bios. Ronald Gerald Beagle, Leonard Fred Benzi, Alexander Basile Aronis

2 half page ads. Leone's fine foods & rare vintages and Eseco electric service engineering

****Pictures (each in military & football uniforms) & little bios. John Holmes Honse, III,  Kenneth Leroy Holden, Joseph Anthony Gattuso

2 half page ads. Eastern Stainless Steel Corp & Bendix Radio

****Pictures (each in military & football uniforms) & little bios. George Thomas Welsh, Wilson Royer Whitmire, George Paul Textor

2 half page ads. Greyhound & Martin-Parry Corp

****Pictures (each in military & football uniforms) & little bios. Richard Clark Dutnell, Roy Bell Freeman, Jr., Robert J. Craig

2 half page ads. Remington & Kollsman

****Pictures (each in military & football uniforms) & little bios. Edward Eugene Malynn, James Ellwood Royer, John Clark Weaver

2 half page ads. Hughes aircraft, ERCO

****Pictures (each in military & football uniforms) & little bios. Frank Edward Bendrick, Paul Dominic Gober, Jack Afred Garrow

2 half page ads. Dutch Masters & the Pennsylvania Co

****Pictures (each in military & football uniforms) & little bios. James Leon Owen, Hugh Larimer Webster, John Isaac Hopkins

2 half page ads. Hollingshead Corp & Aerojet-General

****Pictures (each in military & football uniforms) & little bios. Richard Payne Guest, Robert Wythe David, Richard Dean Echard

2 half page ads. Cities Service & I.T.E company

****Pictures (each in military & football uniforms) & little bios.James Newton Barker, Vernon Allen Dander, Olgert Vincent Monto

2 half page ads. Dempster Dumspter & Bellevue Stratford

****Pictures (each in military & football uniforms) & little bios.Carroll H. Joseph Wittner, William Theo. Mohn, Jr. David Anthony Korzep

2 half page ads. Alan Wood Steel & Purolator

****Pictures (each in military & football uniforms) & little bios. Chester Wayne Burchett, Robert Fred Vaselenko, James Thomas Byrom

2 half page ads. Stetson hats, Coleman instrument Co

cartoon

4 ads. Raytheon, Arundel, USF&G, Jamestown metal

This is West Point article

2 ads. Moore-McCormack Lines & STD Corp (Sword maker)

This is Naval Academy article

2 ads. Wayne pump co & Philadelphia gas works

Army and Navy men of football since the beginning article

2 ads. Gremco & Stroukoff

4 ads. SKF Ball & Roller bearings, Sylvania, Flying equipment sales co, Audio Products corp

***Pictures of Donald E. Reid, James H. Kinser, & J.E. Clarkson

Ads. Elastic stop nut corp of America, Ford Instrument Co, Curtis Bay Towing (tow boats), & Davidson transfer & storage

Ads. Aro Vision-eering & Flexitallic

Ads. Piasecki Helicopters & e.W. Bliss Co

Ads. Gahagan Construction Corp, Atlantic Gulf and pacific Co (dredging), Wigton-Abbott Corp

cartoon

Ads. J.M. Willis, Durham Aircraft Service, American Steel Band co, Ward Leonard

Ads. Hollingsworth, hycon Mfg. Kiwi shoe polish, Philippine air lines

The Service Academies article

Ad. CF&I

Reader! At-Ten-SHUN!!! article

Ads. Rohr, Greer test equip, northern Ordnance, ARC (aircraft radio corp)

ads. Streetcars, oerlikon Tool & Arms Corp of America, C.J. Langenfelder & Son, Continental Motors Corp

ads. The Brown Palace Hotel,  Loral Electronics, Meirath & Gasket Co, Watson Elevators

ads. Aetco, Soreng, S. Morgan Smith, & Coro Jewelry

West Point Alma Mater (music & words)

ads. Green Spring valley club whisky, Magnavox, Jacob Reeds Sons (military uniforms), McWilliams Dredging

Navy Blue and Gold (words & music)

ads. Seelye Stevenson Value & Knecht, Webcor,  Buy bonds ad & TRC 

Words & Music for ON, BRAVE OLD ARMY TEAM

words & music for ANCHOR'S AWEIGH

ads. Black Knights of West Point, Scintilla Division, Red Cross

cartoon

Rheingold lager Beer

Miller Beer (back cover)

 

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