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General Rudder
Stephanie Cannon '06 September 6, 2012 4:04 PM
The General Rudder, a floating classroom for Texas A&M University’s Texas Maritime Academy (TMA), ended its tour Sept. 2 after sailing to different ports in the Gulf of Mexico.
Cadets sailing aboard the General Rudder were part of the Corps of Cadets of the Texas Maritime Academy, one of only six maritime academies in the country and the only one inthe south. The academy prepares cadets with practical experience in seamanship, navigation, and general operations to help them seek license options as merchant marine officers for a host of land-based and sea-going jobs after graduation.
TMA Captain Jack Smith and his crew trained a total of 50 cadets on the General Rudder during each of two summer training cruises. Cadets visited five different ports outside of Galveston: Port Arthur (July 9-12), Key West (July 27-30), Panama City (Aug. 7-10), Lake Charles (Aug. 17-20), and Freeport (Aug. 24-26).
Cadets and crew welcomed guests at each port for an opportunity to see a training vessel.
When the General Rudder was in Port Arthur, Joseph Greenslade ’94, a lieutenant commander in the Navy and currently serving in Afghanistan, presented the captain, cadets and crew with a plaque.
As cadets sailed the Gulf of Mexico, they learned and honed skills designed to put them in good stead in a variety of marine fields that are vital to the economy of Texas and the nation.
Their mariner training prepares cadets for lucrative careers. Upon graduation, cadets can command $80K entry-level salaries and upwards. Training they receive ensures a qualified maritime workforce and an
economic boost for the Gulf South.
Sailing on the General Rudder marked a new era for TMA cadets. The General Rudder is a new training vessel for Texas A&M. It was provided through the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration (MARAD) in January as part of the agency’s mission to support training of merchant marine officers at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and all six State Maritime Academies. On June 6, the General Rudder was named and dedicated for WWII hero, former Texas A&M president and Texas statesman General James Earl Rudder.
Gen. Rudder is credited with initiating the process that would take Texas A&M from a small all-male predominately military college to a comprehensive teaching, research and service university with nearly 50,000 students, a 2,800-member faculty and an annual research budget exceeding $630 million. He enabled the authorization and funding of the Texas Maritime Academy and the founding of Texas A&M University at Galveston, which is now celebrating its 50th anniversary.
For more information on the General Rudder, go to http://www.tamug.edu/corps/trainingship.html.
Cadets sailing aboard the General Rudder were part of the Corps of Cadets of the Texas Maritime Academy, one of only six maritime academies in the country and the only one inthe south. The academy prepares cadets with practical experience in seamanship, navigation, and general operations to help them seek license options as merchant marine officers for a host of land-based and sea-going jobs after graduation.
TMA Captain Jack Smith and his crew trained a total of 50 cadets on the General Rudder during each of two summer training cruises. Cadets visited five different ports outside of Galveston: Port Arthur (July 9-12), Key West (July 27-30), Panama City (Aug. 7-10), Lake Charles (Aug. 17-20), and Freeport (Aug. 24-26).
Cadets and crew welcomed guests at each port for an opportunity to see a training vessel.
When the General Rudder was in Port Arthur, Joseph Greenslade ’94, a lieutenant commander in the Navy and currently serving in Afghanistan, presented the captain, cadets and crew with a plaque.
As cadets sailed the Gulf of Mexico, they learned and honed skills designed to put them in good stead in a variety of marine fields that are vital to the economy of Texas and the nation.
Their mariner training prepares cadets for lucrative careers. Upon graduation, cadets can command $80K entry-level salaries and upwards. Training they receive ensures a qualified maritime workforce and an
economic boost for the Gulf South.
Sailing on the General Rudder marked a new era for TMA cadets. The General Rudder is a new training vessel for Texas A&M. It was provided through the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration (MARAD) in January as part of the agency’s mission to support training of merchant marine officers at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and all six State Maritime Academies. On June 6, the General Rudder was named and dedicated for WWII hero, former Texas A&M president and Texas statesman General James Earl Rudder.
Gen. Rudder is credited with initiating the process that would take Texas A&M from a small all-male predominately military college to a comprehensive teaching, research and service university with nearly 50,000 students, a 2,800-member faculty and an annual research budget exceeding $630 million. He enabled the authorization and funding of the Texas Maritime Academy and the founding of Texas A&M University at Galveston, which is now celebrating its 50th anniversary.
For more information on the General Rudder, go to http://www.tamug.edu/corps/trainingship.html.
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