Ties That Bind by James Ean
Just about a century ago, the legendary John D.Rockefel ler approached James P. McAlli ster's grandfather to offer him a partnership in a joint venture to ship John D. 'soil. In the family , the story has been told in self-deprecatory fashion. McAllister was too smart, he told hi s children and grandchildren, to be taken in by an offer of partnership in what became Standard Oil , the world's largest oil company. He insisted on cash, literally, on the barrelhead. But he did negotiate a contract to ship Rockefeller oil through New York Harbor. Thi s re lationship has continued through the evolution from sail to steam to today's motorized tankers, tugs and barges. And in recent years, the re lation ship has had a rich payoff for yo ung New Yorkers as J.P. McAlli ster, Chairman of the National Maritime Hi storical Society and Curator of New York Harbor, works with Mobil Oil Corporation , descendant of the old Standard Oil Company, in a joint venture conceived and run by Camille E. Freas, Educational Coordinator of NM HS , to educate high school students in maritime careers in New York Harbor. Thi s groundbreaking pilot program ex posed students from Midwood in
The McA llister Bros. lighter Cornelia, built in New London as a schooner in 1839, converted to a sloop in 1864, and fina lly to a barge in 188 1, helped move Rockefeller oil through New York Harbor. She was the predecessor oftoday's Mobil fleet of tugs , barges and oceangoing tankers.
Brooklyn and Seward Park in Manhattan to the port's marine industry. At Mobil 's headquarters on 42nd Street, they were taught how a shipping company functions. Leaming from managers who must survive in today's competitive market, they glimpsed what qualifications and backgrounds marine companies seek in prospective employees, and were afforded the opportunity of meeting with Mobil's department heads. At the operating terminal in Staten Island , they saw an operation delivering of petroleum products to terminal s in the northeast. The group was impressed by the technical sophi stication in volved in
operations like upgrading octane. An officia l of the United Federation of Teachers who participated remarked on the importance of thi s first-hand view of the opportunities and requirements in the working world . .t.
Further information can he obtained from Ms. Camille E. Freas , One World Trade Center, Suite 26 11 , New York NY 10048; telephone (212) 775 -1544 . Mr. Ean, a founder of the Intrepid SeaAir-Space Mu seum in New York , is a principal of McA llister Associates and Vice Chairman of NMHS .
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