Donald Saxer/United States Maritime Service Training Station (USMSTS), Bayboro Harbor, Collection

 

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Introduction to the Collection

In November 1939, two training ships entered Tampa Bay and moored at the U.S. Coast Guard base along Bayboro Harbor.  This event marked the beginning of the United States Maritime Service Training Station (USMSTS) in St. Petersburg, Florida.  From late 1939 until 1941, the Maritime Service ships resided at the Coast Guard base while construction of the training station took place.  Dedicated in July 1941, the USMSTS became an active training center during the war years.  Until decommissioned in early 1950, this site served as one of the largest training facilities for Merchant Marines along the southern coast of the United States. Thousands of Maritime Service graduates who had trained on ships such as the Joseph Conrad, Tusitala, Vigil, American Seaman, and American Sailor later carried supplies to armed forces during the Second World War and played other essential roles in supporting convoys and protecting shipments. Mariners had served with honor since the earliest days of the United States, with privateers and merchant marines assisting the Continental Navy during the American Revolution. During times of war and peace, these sailors transported cargo, guarded shipments, and assisted members of the Armed Forces with logistical operations.  The United States Congress authorized the creation of a United States Maritime Service through the Merchant Marine Act of 1936.  Two years later, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the U.S. Maritime Service (USMS) in an effort to prepare for possible wartime hostilities.   Approximately 25,000 young adults trained at the Bayboro Harbor facility between early 1940 and 31 March 1950. Many young men between the ages of 17½ and 35 arrived during America’s involvement in the Second World War. Along with waves of over 120,000 U.S. Army Air Corps recruits and other service personnel, the USMS trainees stayed at hotels such as the Soreno and Vinoy, as well as in the barracks that later became part of USF St. Petersburg (‘B’ building) until demolished in March 1992. Cadets faced a rigorous five-week preliminary training session to test their aptitude in seamanship and boat operations. USMS trainees took classes at the station (including swimming and endurance tests in the pool), in outdoor facilities near the present-day site of the Bayfront Center, and on the ships docked along the harbor. After the initial training session, the merchant mariners continued their studies in areas such as practical ship training (on the deck, in the engine room, as a steward, etc.) and advanced navigational techniques.  A Cooks and Bakers School also began in December 1942.    Donald Saxer, a cadet who trained at the facility in 1943 and later joined the staff, collected many of the items in the Saxer/USMSTS, Bayboro Harbor, Collection.  Rising to the rank of Chief Petty Officer, Saxer became an important leader at Bayboro Harbor. After the station closed in 1950, Saxer remained as part of the staff that managed the facilities until the City of St. Petersburg took control of the site in the mid-1950s.  He donated these materials to the Special Collections and Archives Department of the USF St. Petersburg library in October 2001. Some items in this collection were originally gathered by H.F. Kuether, another Maritime Service member who later worked closely with Saxer on issues related to the USMS and veterans of the organization. This collection also includes correspondence and clippings documenting attempts by Saxer and Kuether to gain full service recognition for USMS veterans who fought during the Second World War. Return to the top of this page     Restrictions/Preservation Note Many of the clippings, photographs, pamphlets, and ephemeral materials in this collection reside in acid-free viewing sleeves. Newspaper clippings and other documents printed on acidic paper constitute a substantial portion of this collection.  While preservation measures may slow the physical deterioration of such items, these steps cannot prevent damage from occurring. To prevent further damage to the fragile materials in this collection, refrain from removing materials from their sleeves unless necessary. Also, avoid placing any additional stress on the paper fibers by folding or creasing newspapers or other materials, or by exposing them to light for an extended period of time.  Please report any tears or other damage so that library staff may take appropriate preservation or conservation measures.  While no restrictions limit access to this collection, library staff will evaluate photocopying or digitization requests on an individual basis to ensure the long-term preservation of this unique collection.  Patrons using this collection must adhere to copyright and fair-use guidelines and provide proper citation of sources appearing in their research. Provenance of the Donald Saxer/USMSTS Bayboro Harbor Collection and Related Collections This collection falls under the Local and Regional History provenance of the Special Collections and Archives department, Nelson Poynter Memorial Library, USF St. Petersburg. The Saxer/USMSTS materials complement the holdings in the USF St. Petersburg archives because many of the items describe the historical development of the University of South Florida campus along Bayboro Harbor, especially during the mid-1960s and late 1970s.  Patrons interested in learning about the institutional development of USF St. Petersburg, once known as the Bayboro Campus, should also consult the department’s holdings in the USF St. Petersburg archives.  Researchers interested in the public struggle to create a campus of the University of South Florida in Pinellas County may also wish to consult the Papers of Nelson Poynter. Scope and Contents The contents of the Saxer/USMSTS Bayboro Harbor Collection occupy two document boxes (approximately one linear foot). In addition, the collection includes three oversize photographs (two framed, one without a frame). Photographs and clippings constitute the primary materials in the collection. Inclusive dates are from 1937 to 2002, with bulk dates from 1941 to 1950 for photographs and 1964 to 1979 for clippings. The language used on all materials in this collection is English.   Additional Sources of Information Internet resources include web pages created by former members of the United States Merchant Marine/Martime Service. See: http://www.usmm.org    See also: http://www.usmm.net/stpetersburg.html Return to the top of this page Taking down the colors for the last time, spring 1950

Container Listing BOX 1 Box 1, Folder 1  Leaf 1 (front): Image of United States Maritime Service (USMS) Logo  Leaves 1 (back), 2 (front): Narrative about USMS  Leaves 2 (back), 3 (front): Various USMS logos and insignia  Leaf 3 (back): Photograph (undated), 4 solders—2 at ease, 1 holding US flag, 1 holding   USMS flag, near seawall facing northeast towards Albert Whitted airport  Leaf 4 (front): Organization chart, Training Organization, War Shipping Administration  Leaf 4 (back): Photocopy of Elizabeth King, “Heroes of Wartime Science and Mercy”  Leaf 5: USMSTS Station History; Photocopy of Dick Bothwell, “Salute to a Salt”;   F.R. Francke, “The U.S. Maritime Commission Training Program for ‘They   That Go Down to the Seas in Ships’” [originally published in United States   Naval Institute Proceedings 67 (40), June 1941.  Leaf 6: Dick Bothwell article in St. Petersburg Times, 12 June 1949  Leaves 7, 8: Musical score, “Maritime Hymn: Dedicated to the Men of the Merchant   Marine, as presented at the United States Maritime Service Training Station,   St. Petersburg, Florida,” copyright 1943.   Box 1, Folder 2  Leaf 1 (front): Photograph (1940s) Caption: “USMSTS Main gate with two inquiring    about enrollment”  Leaf 1 (back): Photograph (1940s), new recruits arriving in St. Petersburg for training  Leaf 2 (front): Photograph (1940s) Caption: “USMS trainees arriving via rail road;”    image taken at the Atlantic Coast Line depot in St. Petersburg.  Leaf 2 (back): Photograph (1940s) Caption: “USMS trainees awaiting further instruction”  Leaf 3 (front): Photograph (1940s) Caption: “USMS trainees with new hair cuts and   sea bags;” image taken near northern end of base  Leaf 3 (back): Photograph (1940s) of students marching in precision cadence  Leaf 4 (front): Photograph (1940s) Caption: “USMS trainees having completed training   and awaiting shipment to sea in winter uniforms.”    Leaf 4 (back): Photograph (1940s) Caption: “USMS trainees having completed training   and awaiting shipment to sea in summer uniforms.”  Leaf 5  “The Training Men” brochure/pamphlet  Leaf 6 (outer cover): Photograph (June 1941?) of USMSTS construction  Leaf 6 (1st interior leaf): Thanksgiving day program 1945; notes   Leaf 6 (2nd interior leaf): L.M. van Winkle to Saxer, 20 January 1965; dedication dance  Leaf 6 (3rd interior leaf, front): R. Poirot, “The Saga of St. Petersburg,” Gulf Soundings,    December 1965.  Leaf 6 (3rd interior leaf, back): Photograph (1940s) Caption: “USMSTS with training    Ships ‘Tusitala’ and ‘Vigil’ (coal burning ship)”  Leaf 6 (4th interior leaf, front): Photograph (circa late 1940s) of front of ‘A’ building  Leaf 6 (4th interior leaf, back): Photograph (circa late 1940s) of front of ‘A’ building,   close-up image  Leaf 6 (5th interior leaf, front): Photograph (October 1944) Caption: “USMSTS wooden    barracks buildings”  Leaf 6 (5th interior leaf, back): Photograph (mid 1960s) look north over Bayboro Harbor   towards old USMSTS barracks. Albert Whitted airport, the Bayfront Center, and   other downtown landmarks are also visible.  Leaf 6 (6th interior leaf, front): Photograph (1940s) Caption: “USMSTS wooden barracks   building and boxing ring.”  Leaf 6 (6th interior leaf, back): Photograph (1940s) Caption: “USMSTS training building   left and marine lab building right.”  Leaf 6 (7th interior leaf, front): Photograph (1940s) Caption: “USMSTS second sick bay”  Leaf 6 (7th interior leaf, back): Photograph (1940s) Caption: “USMSTS sick bay on    Station. All doctors were U.S. Public Health personnel with USMS supporting   personnel.   Leaf 6 (8th interior leaf, front): Photograph (1940s) Caption: “USMSTS Training ship   ‘Tusitala’.”  Leaf 6 (8th interior lead, back): Photograph (1940s) Caption: “USMSTS visitor entry and   ‘Tusitala’.”  Leaf 6 (outer cover, front): Photograph (1940s) Caption: “USMSTS end of 1st St. So 8th   Ave. (National Airlines Ave.)”  Leaf 6 (outer cover, back): Photocopy of clipping, “Smokey, Maritime Mascot, Quits    Sea He Never Saw” Box 1, Folder 3  Leaf 1: Photograph (1940s) Caption: “USMSTS loading and unloading cargo training”  Leaf 2 (front): Photograph (1940s) Caption: “USMSTS di[s]aster training class”  Leaf 2 (back): Photograph (1940s) Caption: “USMSTS fire fighting class with Spec.   1/c W. Miller”  Leaf 3 (front): Photograph (1940s) Caption: “USMSTS trainees undergoing fire training”  Leaf 3 (back): Photograph (1940s) Caption: “USMSTS training class on boat deck”  Leaf 4 (front): Photograph (1940s) Caption: “USMSTS boat dock,” image looks south-   east, towards Coast Guard station and Old Southeast neighborhood.  Leaf 4 (back): Photograph (1940s) Caption: “USMSTS boat dock,” image looks north-   west towards USF St. Petersburg (Bayboro Hall, Nelson Poynter Memorial    Library), with old Gas Plant and Mound Park hospital visible in background.  Leaf 5 (front): Photograph (1940s) Caption: “USMSTS trainees on boat dock under-   going life boat handling”  Leaf 5 (back): Photograph (1940s) Caption: “USMSTS boat class in front of Vinoy;”   8 August 1992 letter to the editor by Don Saxer  Leaf 6: Photographs (1940s) USMSTS boat races  Leaf 7: Photographs (1940s) USMSTS boat races, including one with lifeboats racing   against the Joseph Conrad  Leaf 8 (front): Photograph (1940s) Caption: “USMSTS boat dock awaiting hurricane”  Leaf 8 (back): Photograph (March 1947) of winning boat crew from lifeboat race  Leaf 9 (front): Photograph (1940s) Caption: “USMSTS swimming pool. Pool was set   on fire and trainees had to jump feet first into water, same as they would do on a    sinking ship.”  Leaf 9 (back): Photograph (1940s) Caption: “USMSTS in sail loft on station in line   splicing and handling class”  Leaf 10 (front): Photograph (1940s) Caption: “USMSTS line splicing class with Lt.   John Conger, one of the first Officers of the USMS, enlisted in 1939”  Leaf 10 (back): Photograph (1940s) Caption: “USMSTS in engineering class, conducted   by Chief M. Fass. Box 1, Folder 4  Leaf 1 (front): Photograph (1940s) Caption: “USMSTS station engineering lab”  Leaf 1 (back): Photograph (1940s) Caption: “USMSTS in engineering class, conducted   by Lt. W. Jacques.”  Leaf 2 (front): Photograph (1940s) in engineering lab or machine shop  Leaf 2 (rear): Photograph (1940s) Caption: “USMSTS firemen, oiler, and water-tender   class.”  Leaf 3: Photographs (1940s) in engineering lab or machine shop  Leaf 4 (front): Photograph (1940s) in engineering lab or machine shop  Leaf 4 (rear): Photograph (1940s) Caption: “USMSTS firemen, oiler, and water-tender   class.”  Leaf 5 (front): Photograph (1940s) Caption: “USMSTS cooks and bakers class, learning   to butcher. Instructor, Chief E. Till, ex-Marine.”  Leaf 5 (rear): Photograph (1940s) Caption: “KSMSTS [sic?] Gunnery class”  Leaf 6 (front): Photograph (1940s) Caption: “USMSTS Winning basketball team with   Comdr. H.J. Tiedemann”  Leaves 6 (rear), 7 (front): Photographs (1940s) Caption: “USMSTS classes being   conducted in City park in which the Bayfront Auditorium was built”  Leaf 7 (rear): Photograph (1940s) Caption: “USMSTS in same City park [as previous]”  Leaf 8: Photographs (1940s) of muster in the City park where the Bayfront Center was    constructed in the mid-1960s   Box 1, Folder 5  Leaf 1 (front): Photograph (1940s) Caption: “Another muster in City park,” near the   present site of the Bayfront Center  Leaf 1 (rear): Photograph (1940s) Caption: “Inspection time at USMSTS”  Leaf 2 (front): Photograph (1940s) Caption: “A twenty-one gun salute”  Leaf 2 (rear): Photograph (1940s) of inspection time at USMSTS  Leaf 3 (front): Photograph (1940s) Caption: “Another inspection and review”  Leaf 3 (rear): Photograph (1940s) Caption: “A group of USMSTS trainees marching   down Central Avenue in St. Petersburg,” with Tampa Bay and an undeveloped   slice of Demens Landing in the background.  Leaf 4 (front): Photograph (1947?) Caption: “Parade officials – Capt. Tiedemann in    rear seat,” with Gulf gasoline station in background.  Leaf 4 (rear): Photograph (1940s) soldiers in flag corps passing a review stand, with   Albert Whitted airport in the background.  Leaf 5 (front): Photograph (11 November 1947) Caption: “USMSTS parade down   Central Avenue, west of First Street,” with Hotel Detroit in background. Troops   march to commemorate Armistice Day”  Leaf 5 (rear): Photograph (1947?) Caption: “Attention: the colors as USMS color guard   passes by on Central Avenue”  Leaf 6 (front): Photograph (1940s) Caption: “Captain [P.C.] Mahady with Senator   [Claude] Pepper”  Leaf 6 (rear): “Superintendent and Executive Officer are Transferred,” clipping in   3 December 1943 USMSTS newspaper  Leaf 7 (front): Commemorative card celebrating the leadership of H.J. Tiedemann and   D.S. Goddard, fête held at St. Petersburg Yacht Club, 13 December 1943.  Leaf 7 (rear): Photograph (28 January 1948) Caption: “Captain H.J. Tiedemann,    Superintendent, United States Maritime Service Training Station, St. Petersburg,   Florida, and chairman of the ‘March of Dimes’ governmental Service   Committee, turns over a total of $1518.73 to Mr. Neil Upham, Pinellas County   Director of the National Foundation.  The above amount was collected from   workers at Bay Pines, the Don Ce-Sar, and the officers and men at the   Maritime Station.”  Leaf 8: Invitation to USMSTS victory dance at Palais Royal (21 August 1945)  Leaf 9 (front): Photograph (1940s) Capt. Tiedemann and parade officials  Leaf 9 (rear): Photograph (1940s) Speakers on platform during National Maritime Day,   With View of Bayboro Harbor and docks near Albert Whitted in background Box 1, Folder 6  Leaf 1 (front): Photograph (23 January 1948) Caption: “Captain H.J. Tiedemann,    Superintendent, USMSTS, St. Petersburg, Florida, welcomes Rear Admiral   W.W. Warlick, USN, (Ret.), Superintendent, Maine Maritime Academy,   Castine, Maine, upon his arrival at St. Petersburg.  On the right, Captain G.A.   Coas, USMS Training Vessel, American Sailer, who was host to Admiral   Warlick, his Officers and Midshipmen, on the cruise from Maine.”  Leaf 1 (rear): Photograph (1940s) Caption: “Group of civil service personnel at the   USMSTS base;” photo taken in auditorium of A-building (now MSL)  Leaf 2 (front): Photograph (1940s) of USMSTS petty officers in A-building audi-   torium.   Leaf 2 (rear): Photograph (1940s) of USMSTS officers in A-building auditorium  Leaves 3, 4: Photographs of the Joseph Conrad, a place where “many a trainee became    a man.”  Along with the Tusitala, the Conrad entered Bayboro Harbor in    November 1939.  After World War II, the Conrad became part of the Maritime   Museum in Mystic, Connecticut.  Leaf 5 (front): Photograph (1940s) of Joseph Conrad.  Leaf 5 (rear): Poem, “A ‘Boots’ Eyeview,” by Leslie Gene Miller  Leaf 6 (front): Clipping with images of and stories about the Tusitala and Joseph Conrad   that appeared in the 30 June 1946 edition of the St. Petersburg Times.  Leaf 6 (rear): Photograph (1940s) Caption: “USMSTS Training ship Joseph Conrad and   another muster.”  Leaf 7: Photocopy of brochure (1982), published by the Seaport Museum, Inc., Mystic,   Connecticut, commemorating the centennial of the Joseph Conrad.  Leaf 8 (front): Photocopy of 1982 article celebrating the centennial of the Joseph Conrad.  Leaf 8 (rear): Photocopy of poem appearing in March 1943 Maritime Service News   about the Joseph Conrad.  Leaf 9 (front): Clipping, “Merchant Marine Honors Men, Ships,” 5 September 1979.  Leaf 9 (rear): Clipping, “Salute Honors Lost Seamen at Bayboro Harbor,” St. Petersburg   Independent, 25 May 1968. Box 1, Folder 7  Leaf 1 (front): Photograph (1940s) Caption: “USMSTS (Training ship) American   Sailor was stationed in St. Pete for many years, note war time paint and guns”  Leaf 1 (rear): Photograph (1940s) Caption: “USMSTS (Training ship) Seafarior   After years stationed in St. Pete was transferred to USMSTS Sheepshead Bay,   NY. Note war time paint and guns.”  Leaf 2 (front): Photograph (19 April 1948) Caption: “USMSTS (Training ships)   background American Mariner and American Sailor and Charleston which was   not stationed in St. Pete, was attached to another USMS station,” image taken   from Tampa Bay, looking west towards USMS station and Bayboro Harbor.  Leaf 2 (rear) Photograph (1940s?) Caption: “The Vema was said to have once been   owned by heiress Barbara Hutton.  The top sections of the three masts could be   lowered to pass under bridges going to and from New York City.”  Leaf 3: Images and clippings about the Vema   Leaf 4: Photographs (1940s) of American Sailor.  Leaf 5 (front): Photograph (1940s) Caption: “USMSTS American Sailor at base after   training at sea again. Note stack which was reduced in height to modernize the    ship.”  Leaf 5 (rear): Photograph (1940s) with view from ship, probably the American Sailor,   Towards Albert Whitted airport and downtown St. Petersburg.  Leaf 6: Program, “Welcome aboard the U.S. Maritime Training Ship American Mariner   Mullet Key Dedication, St. Petersburg, Florida, September 8, 1948.”  Leaf 7: Photographs (post-1945) of American Mariner  Leaf 8 (front): Photograph (post-1945) of ship’s mast, probably American Mariner  Leaf 8 (rear): Photograph (19 April 1948) Caption: “USMSTS ships Charleston and   American Mariner.   Box 1, Folder 8  Leaf 1 (front): Programs, Thanksgiving (25 November 1943) and Christmas    (25 December 1943).  Leaf 1 (rear): Programs, Independence Day (4 July 1946) and Christmas (25 December   1944).  Leaf 2: Assorting sketches and drawings depicting life at USMSTS. Box 1, Folder 9  Maritime Service News, vol. 1(3), March 1943, photocopy of paper. Box 1, Folder 10  Photo Sleeve 1: Positive image of Joseph Conrad, facing the front of the ship  Photo Sleeve 2: Positive image of Joseph Conrad, looking at the side of the ship.  Saxer to Director, Mystic Seaport Museum, 25 June 1998  Douglas Stein, Curator of Manuscripts, Mystic Seaport, to Saxer, 27 July 1998  Information about the Joseph Conrad for those stationed at USMSTS after July   1939 Box 1, Folder 11  Miscellaneous correspondence, clippings, etc., created and compiled by Donald S.  Saxer and H.F. Kuether, regarding their efforts to “correct an old wrong” by   encouraging the United States government to recognize former members of the  USMS as servicemen of World War II entitled to veterans’ benefits and other  recognition.      Box 1, Folder 12  Alan, Villiers, Cruise of the Conrad, a Journal of a Voyage Round the World,   Undertaken and Carried Out in the Ship Joseph Conrad, 212 Tons, in the   Years 1934, 1935, and 1936 by Way of Good Hope, the East Indies, the   South Seas, and Cape Horn. (New York, Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1937). Return to the top of this page BOX 2 Box 2, Folder 1  Leaf 1 (front): Photograph (early 1950s?) aerial view of Bayboro Harbor and   USMSTS looking towards downtown St. Petersburg.  Leaves 1 (rear) and 2: William A. Fox, “Liberty Sailor,” Steamboat Bill (Fall   1994): 189-192. The story of a USMS graduate who later served in the   U.S. Merchant Marine.  Leaf 3: Clipping, Gene Burnett, “The War Off Florida’s Coast” (undated).  Leaf 4: Photographs (early 1940s) of U.S. Merchant ships carrying military    equipment and cargo.  Leaf 5 (front): Photograph (early 1940s) loading tanks onto U.S. Merchant ships  Leaf 5 (rear): Photograph (early 1940s) of U.S. Merchant Marine convoy in open   Atlantic Ocean, during stormy weather.  Leaf 6 (front): Photograph (early 1940s) Caption: “One of the hazards of War, a   torpedo set this ship on fire . . .”  Leaf 6 (rear): Photograph (early 1940s) Caption: “U.S. Merchant Marine sailor   fighting to put out the fire and save his ship.”  Leaf 7 (front): Photograph (early 1940s) Caption: “Lucky to be alive and rescued   from their sunken ship. Many lost their lives in the frigid North Atlantic water.”  Leaf 7 (rear): Booklet, One Hundred Fifteen Years of Service, 1929-1944: An    Historical Account of the Savings Service and Security Provided by    One of America’s Oldest Savings Banks. Box 2, Folder 2  Leaf 1 (front): Clipping, “Last Pay-Day at Bayboro Base” (circa May 1950).   Leaf 1 (rear): Photograph (5 September 1947) Caption: “USMSTS with training ships   American Sailor and American Mariner.  Leaves 2, 3: Clippings about city losing Maritime Base (February 1950).  Leaves 4, 5 (front): Clipping, “Public Use of Maritime Station is Near,” St. Petersburg  Times (4 December 1953).  Leaf 5 (rear): Colorized postcard images of the USMS Training Station (mid 1940s).  Leaf 6 (front): Photograph (1940s) Caption: “USMSTS (Training ship) Vigil was a    coal burner that carried boxite (sic, ‘bauxite’) for years. As many American and   British ships were old and burning coal many engineering trainees trained    aboard the ship.”  Leaf 6 (rear): Photograph (1940s) of Vigil.  Leaf 7 (front): Clipping, “Two Old Timers of Sea Leave Maritime Base Here for Mobile   River Graveyard,” refers to the Vigil and the Tusitala (circa 1946).  Leaf 7 (rear) Clippings about Vigil and Smokey, Maritime mascot dog (undated).  Leaf 8 Clippings from St. Petersburg Times about the departure of the Joseph Conrad   (August 1947).  Leaf 9 (front): Clipping about the last journey of the American Mariner.  Leaf 9 (rear): Photograph (mid 1940s) Caption: “USMSTS (training ship) Tusitala on the   way to the bone yard and her death.” Box 2, Folder 3  Leaf 1 (front): Photograph (1950?) Caption: “USMSTS galley on the station after   the station was decommissioned.”  Leaf 1 (rear): Photograph (1950?) Caption: “USMSTS mess hall on the station  after   the station was decommissioned.”  Leaf 2 (front): Photograph (1940s) men in line in USMSTS mess hall.  Leaf 2 (rear): Photograph (1950?) mess hall and serving station, probably taken    after the station was decommissioned.  Leaf 3 (front): Photograph (1950?) Caption: “USMSTS dormitory on station after station   was decommissioned.”  Leaf 3 (rear): Photograph (1950?)  Caption: “USMSTS ‘head’ – lavatory shown after   station was decommissioned in 1950.”  Leaf 4 (front): Photograph (1950?) Caption: “USMSTS classroom after station was   decommissioned.”   Leaf 4 (rear): Photograph (1950?) Caption: “USMSTS auditorium where many dances   and movies were enjoyed, now shown after the station was decommissioned.”  Leaf 5 (front): Photograph (1950?) empty hallway after building was decommissioned.  Leaf 6 (front): Photograph (31 March 1950) image of Chief Boatswains Mate Donald  Saxer and Machinist Mate First Class Bruce Wells lowering the colors for the  last time.  Leaf 6 (rear): Photograph (1950) image of USMS stand-by crew that provided security   and maintenance at Bayboro Harbor site from the time of decommissioning   until the site was turned over to the city.  Leaf 7: Program commemorating the decommissioning of the USMS Training Station   at Bayboro Harbor (31 March 1950).  Leaf 8 (front): Memorandum noting that Capt. H.J. Tiedemann was to be appointed   Rear Admiral of USMS on 16 July 1951 (14 June 1951).  Leaf 8 (rear): Memorandum to Capt. H.J. Tiedemann (16 August 1949).  Leaf 9 (front): Photograph (23 January 1948) Caption: “Captain H.J. Tiedemann,    Superintendent, USMSTS, St. Petersburg, Florida, welcomes Rear Admiral   W.W. Warlick, USN, (Ret.), Superintendent, Maine Maritime Academy,   Castine, Maine, upon his arrival at St. Petersburg.  On the right, Captain G.A.   Coas, USMS Training Vessel, American Sailer, who was host to Admiral   Warlick, his Officers and Midshipmen, on the cruise from Maine.”  Leaf 9 (rear): Photograph (19 April 1948) of American Mariner and USS Charleston    moored in Bayboro Harbor. Box 2, Folder 4  Leaf 1 (front): Clipping of obituary, Hollie J. Tiedemann, St. Petersburg Times,   10 June 1988; Photograph of Tiedemann, his wife, and son (undated).  Leaf 1 (rear):  Clipping of obituary, David B. McMichael, St. Petersburg Times,   28 November 1992; Clipping, “Nuclear Ship Benefits Told, St. Petersburg   Times, 28 February 1965.  Leaves 2, 3, 4, and 5: Pages from USMSTS pamphlet with photographs of leading   officers, as well as members of the medical, training, personnel, finance and    supply, ship’s service, maintenance, and commissionary departments.  Leaf 6 (front): Clipping of Paul Davis, “Sails Gone By,” St. Petersburg Independent,   19 June 1965.  Leaf 6 (rear): Clipping, “Old Maritime Base to be Reunion Site,” St. Petersburg Times,   (undated, probably 1965)  Leaf 7 (front): Photograph (1965?) of sailors standing around maritime monument.  Leaf 7 (rear): Photograph (1965?) of deteriorated maritime monument/cenotaph.  Leaf 8 (front): Photocopy of clipping, Paul Davis, “Save the Memorial,” St.   Petersburg Independent, 4 February 1965.  Leaf 8 (rear): Photocopy of clipping that shows maritime monument and A-building,   St. Petersburg Times, 15 October 1979.  Leaf 9: Brochure, “Appeal to the Maritime Administration, U.S. Department of    Commerce . . . for Restoration and Preservation of the Maritime Monument,”   (circa May 1965).  Leaf 10: Brochure showing restored maritime monument with letter from Donald    Saxer (May 1966). Box 2, Folder 5  Leaf 1: Photographs (1965) of construction and dedication of USMS maritime    monument/cenotaph.   Leaf 2: Photographs (mid 1960s) of landscaping around USMS maritime monument   in front of A-building (former administration building of USMS, now MSL).  Leaves 3 and 4: Photograph (mid 1960s) close-up of maritime monument/cenotaph.  Leaf 5 (front): Clipping, “Marine Cenotaph Restored,” St. Petersburg Times, (undated,   probably 1965).   Leaf 5 (rear): Saxer to Mark Winn, City Attorney’s Office, City of St. Petersburg,    29 May 1999.  Leaf 6 (front): Saxer to Congressman C.W. “Bill” Young, 21 June 1999.  Leaf 6 (rear): Congressman C.W. “Bill” Young to Saxer, 22 June 1999.  Leaf 7 (front): Memorandum from Mark Winn to Mayor David Fischer and City    Council Members, City of St. Petersburg, 6 July 1999.  Leaf 7 (rear): Congressman C.W. “Bill” Young to Saxer, 8 July 1999.  Leaf 8 (front): Saxer to H. William Heller, Campus Executive Officer, USF St.   Petersburg, 9 July 1999.  Leaf 8 (rear): Saxer to Congressman C. W. “Bill” Young, 12 July 1999.  Leaf 9 (front): H.William Heller to Saxer, 13 July 1999.  Leaf 9 (rear): Kathy Arsenault, Interim Library Director, to Saxer, 25 August 1999. Box 2, Folder 6  Leaf 1 (front): Blank page  Leaf 1 (rear):  Clipping of Paul Davis, “Tribute Set for Mariners,” St. Petersburg   Independent, 16 May 1966.  Leaf 2 (front): Clipping of Paul Davis, “Maritime Dead Remembered,” St.    Petersburg Independent, 24 May 1966.  Leaf 2 (rear): Clipping, “Maritime Veterans to Renovate Monument,” (undated).  Leaf 3: Photocopy of proclamation by Governor Bob Graham commemorating    National Maritime Day, 13 March 1980.  Leaf 4: Photographs (1967-1968?) of displays celebrating National Maritime Day and Maritime Week (as proclaimed by St. Petersburg).  Leaf 5: Program, National Maritime Day, USMSTS (21 May 1949).  Leaf 6: Program, Veterans of USMSTS at St. Petersburg, National Maritime Day   (22 May 1965).  Leaves 7, 8, and 9: Addresses and information about former USMSTS personnel    stationed at Bayboro Harbor. Box 2, Folder 7  Leaf 1 (front): Clipping, “Base Ritual Marks USF Acquisition,” St. Petersburg Times,   23 May 1965.  Leaf 2 (front): H. Leigh Brite, Secretary, Propeller Club of the United States, to    Saxer, 12 July 1979.  Leaf 2 (rear): Photocopy of clippings commemorating National Maritime Day,    21 May 1979.  Leaf 3: Photocopy of clipping, “In Memory of Those Who Died,” St. Petersburg   Independent, 24 May 1979.  Leaf 4 (front): Saxer to Veterans of the USMS, 22 April 1980.  Leaf 4 (rear): Photocopy of clippings commemorating National Maritime Day,   19 May 1980.  Leaf 5: Agenda and comments by Saxer, National Maritime Day, 22 May 1980.  Leaves 6 and 7: Speech by Brig. Gen. Paul Smith, U.S. Army (Ret.), at National   Maritime Day, 22 May 1980.  Leaf 8 (front): Clipping, “Honors Given on National Maritime Day,” St. Petersburg   Independent, 24 May 1980.  Leaf 8 (rear): Clipping, “Mariners Stage Reunion,” (early 1960s); Photograph of    USMSTS alumni near maritime monument/cenotaph (early 1980s?).  Leaf 9 (front): Suggested press release for National Maritime Memorial Service,   19 May 1984.  Leaf 9 (rear): Maritime Memorial Program, 21 May 1983. Box 2, Folder 8  Leaf 1 (front): Clipping, “Remembering the Unknown,” St. Petersburg Independent,   21 May 1984.  Leaf 1 (rear): Photocopy of “Propeller Club of St. Petersburg: Maritime Day Program   1991—Bayboro Harbor.”  Leaf 2 (front): Photograph of maritime monument/cenotaph (mid-1960s); Invitation to   Gala Maritime Day Program from Propeller Club of St. Petersburg (25 May   1991).  Leaf 2 (rear): Flyer, 1996 Alumni Reunion of the USMS Station, Bayboro Harbor   (1996).   Leaf 3 (front): Photocopy of clipping of Elijah Gosier, “Tribute Paid to Service of   Maritime Past,” St. Petersburg Times, 26 May 1991.  Leaves 3 (rear) and 4 (front): Clipping of Paul Davis, “Trophies Are Coming Home,”  St. Petersburg Independent, 25 May 1968.  Leaf 4 (rear): Clipping, “Merchant Marine Honors Men, Ships,” undated.  Leaf 5: Leslie Gene Miller, “A ‘Boots’ Eyeview” poem.  Leaf 6: Clipping of Betty Jean Miller, “Celebration Will Honor Maritime Vets,” St.   Petersburg Times, 26 May 1991.  Leaf 7: Clipping by Charla Wasel, “Grandfather . . . What Did You Do in the War?,”  St. Petersburg Independent, 5 September 1979.  Leaf 8 (front): Clipping of Charles Patrick, “New Campus to Make Downtown a   Center of Learning,” St. Petersburg Times, 16 October 1978.  Leaves 8 (rear) and 9: Clipping of Barry Klein, “USF: It’s a ‘Long Road Ahead,’ but   St. Petersburg Campus is On Its Way to Becoming a Bigger Part of the City,”   St. Petersburg Times, circa 1984-1985. Box 2, Folder 9  Leaf 1 (front): Clipping of Jane Baumann, “USF at Bayboro: Work Begins at Down-   town  Campus,” St. Petersburg Independent, 16 May 1979.   Leaf 1 (rear): Photocopy of clipping, St. Petersburg Times, 15 October 1979.  Leaf 2 (front): Clipping of Kevin Thomas, “Marine Center Has Landed,” St. Petersburg   Times, 30 October 1992.  Leaf 2 (rear): Clipping of Bill Cornwell, “Men Battle for ‘Principle’ to Have War Effort   Recognized,” St. Petersburg Times, 15 March 1982.  Leaf 3: Memorandum and note regarding application for group eligibility and the    granting of Honorary Discharge to former USMS personnel (undated, 1979).  Leaf 4: Research regarding eligibility status of other groups, assembled to make the    point that USMS personnel should be granted eligibility.  Leaf 5 (front): Photocopy of clipping, “WWII’s WASPs Get Official Recognition,” St.  Petersburg Times, 24 May 1979.  Leaf 5 (rear): Photocopy of clippings about WASPs receiving benefits (March 1979;   July 1979).  Leaf 6 (front): Photocopy of clipping, “WAAC Members Now Eligible for Veterans’   Benefits,” St. Petersburg Times, 3 April 1980.  Leaf 7 (front): Photocopy of clipping of Pat C. Fenner’s “Independent Action” article,   St. Petersburg Independent, 17 March 1979.  Leaf 7 (rear): L.J. Fournier to H.F. Kuether, 24 March 1979.  Leaf 8 (front): H.F. Kuether to Congressman C.W. “Bill” Young, 31 May 1979.  Leaf 8 (rear): “Application for Group Determination that the United States Maritime   Service Training Organization of W.W. II was an Active Military Service,”   24 January 1979. Box 2, Folder 10   Copy of Mast magazine, March 1945  Pamphlet commemorating National Maritime Day, 1945 Box 2, Folder 11 (Appendix to Saxer Collection)  Anonymous, “U.S. Maritime Service at Bayboro Harbor,” unpublished seminar paper,    University of South Florida, 3 May 1995.  Society for the Advancement of Poynter Library (SAPL), The Library Connection   newsletter, Spring 2002. (includes article on Saxer Collection by Theodora    Aggeles).  “U.S. Maritime Service Training Station, St. Petersburg, Florida,” brief narrative on    the history of the Bayboro Harbor base, Internet, U.S. Merchant Marine web-   site: http://www.usmm.net/stpetersburg.html, 17 April 2002, 4pp. Box 2, Folder 12  United States Maritime Service flag. Oversize Materials (Shelved/Located Separately)  Photograph, unframed, of American Sailer, approx. 12” by 11” (circa 1940).  2 Photographs, framed, of an aerial view of the USMSTS station, with written    identification of structures (circa 1942-1944).   Return to the top of this page

 
 
 

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