25 Years of Excellence at East Carolina University We were fonun are ro conrracr wirh rhe Narional O ceanic and Armosphere Adminisrrarion (NOAA) ro conduce srudies and fieldwork on rhe remains of rhe C ivil War ship USS Monitor. In 1983, Go rdon Wans led a universiry inves rigarion of rhe Mo nitor sire and recovered rhe ship's anchor. Today, visirors ro rhe M ariners' M useum in Newport News, VA, can see rhe anchor and many recovered artifacrs, including rhe rurrer, which was recovered in 2004 and is currendy undergoing conservarion. The anchor was conserved by srudenrs and sraff ar rhe ECU conservarion lab and was larer rurned over ro NOAA. Alrhough rhe Monitor projecr las red jusr rhree years (198 1-1983), ir gave rhe program narional recognirion and helped in recruiring srudenrs from a larger pool.
ECU alumni, students, and staffprepare to dive to USS Moni ro r, 240 ft. below.
As rhe program evolved and grew, faculry and faciliries also changed . The universiry library offers one of rhe besr maririme hisrory research collecrions in rhe counrry, especially afrer rhe donarion of Admiral Ernesr M . Eller's exrensive perso n a l Ii b ra r y. T h e pro g r a m no w o ffers men raring and srudy under several facul ry members wirh narionally recognized repurarions in maririme and naval hisrory, naurical archaeology, and conservarion science. I rerired as direcror of rhe program in 1993 and was succeeded by D r. T imorhy ]. Runyan, a well-known name in rhe field of maririme hisrory. Under D r. SEA HISTORY 11 6, AUTUMN 2006
MAPLE LEM SlTE EXCAVATION 199'2to 1994
Maple Leaf site plan. In 1992 and 1993, ECU investigated the side-wheel steamer Maple Lea£ which struck a Confederate torpedo in the Saint j ohns River and sank in 1864. The wreck is unsurpassed as a source for Civil W0r material culture. It also provided ECU with the opportunity to conduct archaeological investigations in a zero-visibility environment. ECU rose to the challenge and made a name for the program's ability to work in black water. Runyan, rhe program conrinued ro grow. His dedicarion ro s~ude nrs, and some long afrer rhey graduared, and his srro ng ries fa r and wide wirhin rhe maririme herirage communiry has helped place graduares in key posirions across rhe counrry. From maririme museum curaro rs and direcrors, underwarer archaeologisrs and sire adminisrrarors, ro universiry professors, researchers, and even a maririme hisrory magazine ediror, Easr Carolina Universiry al umni from rhe maririme program have dominared rhe field. In 1998, ECU opened rhe doo rs of anorher program wirh a PhD offered in Coasral Resources M anagemenr. CRM srudenrs can rake one of fo ur cracks, including a maririme srudies rrack where rh ey srudy rhe role rhar maritime herirage plays in coasral use and developmen r. Srudenrs
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Since 1996, students and staff have sailed during the summer months aboard the US Brig N iagara to broaden their understanding ofshipboard life during the age ofsail.
Recent field schools in the Great Lakes, in conjunction with the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, have allowed students to develop skills in cold water diving and to witness the extraordinary preservation of shipwrecks in a freshwater environment.
in rhis program work wirh srudenrs and sraff in rhe hisrory departmenr's Program in Maritime Studies. The program is in anorher rransirion since irs second direcror, Dr. Runyan, has moved on ro ano rher posirion wirhi n rhe universiry. Acring direcror, D r. Larry Babirs, now heads rhe program as ir heads inro irs nexr quan er-cenrury of rraining, research, and leadership of rhe nexr generarion of professionals in rhe field of maririme hisrory and naurical archaeology. ,!, Program in Maririme Srudies, Easr Carolina Universiry, Greenville, NC 27858; Ph. 252 328-6097; www.ecu.edu/maririme.
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