CHATHAM MARCONI SPEAKER SERIES
Cape Cod Bay's Target Ship
July 24th @ 7PM
Peter Schwind
Do you remember “The Target Ship”? What was the need for a target ship and why was it brought to Cape Cod Bay? Perhaps you have your own stories of seeing the SS James Longstreet out in Cape Cod Bay in the '60s, '70s and early '80s.
Built in Houston and launched in October 1942, the SS James Longstreet was a 441-foot Liberty ship, one of 2,708 such cargo ships built to move supplies overseas during WWII. The ship was in active wartime service for less than one year and made three voyages abroad with stops in Australia, India, Ceylon, Liverpool, Halifax and Wales. When back in the U.S. it passed through the harbors of Savannah, New York City and Boston.
Learn the true story of the ship, discover what it was used for and facts about it that few know. Our speaker will also discuss little known stories about the Longstreet, the ship’s final days, and its current status. You won't want to miss hearing all about this rare and unique fixture of Cape Cod history!
Historian and Cape Codder Peter Schwind was raised in Eastham, Massachusetts. He is the son of Phil Schwind, a well-known local fisherman and author. His mother, Helen was a library trustee and maker of the famous bayberry “slicker” and other candle products. Peter attended Eastham Grammar School and Orleans High School, but eventually left the Cape to pursue a career as an engineer with Polaroid Corporation. He returned to the Cape in 1978 and started commercial fishing in 1988. Today, he is a commercial fisherman and summer resident of Eastham.
Awareness Inspires Conservation
August 7th @ 7PM
The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy (AWSC) is a nonprofit organization supporting scientific research, educating the community, and improving public safety. AWSC strives to increase knowledge of Atlantic white sharks to change public perception and conserve the species and ensure biologically diverse marine ecosystems.
This program will provide audiences with an understanding of the ongoing white shark research projects being conducted and funded by the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, how that research is impacting conservation and public safety efforts, and up to date information on what that research has taught us. Audience members will have an opportunity to view videos and photographs during the research season and develop their knowledge of what a shark is and what it takes to conduct white shark research. At the end of the program, audience members will have the opportunity to ask questions
The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy (AWSC) is a nonprofit organization supporting scientific research, educating the community, and improving public safety surrounding white sharks
Kristen leads initiatives to advance public awareness and understanding of white shark research and conservation in the region. In her role, she coordinates and manages a variety of educational programs, community outreach efforts, AWSC’s college internship program, and social media campaigns for the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy (AWSC). Kristen attended Coastal Carolina University from where she received her degree in Marine Science and aided in her university’s shark research program. Kristen has been with the AWSC since 2016. In her role, she coordinates and manages a variety of initiatives, including educational programs, community outreach efforts, the college internship program, and social media campaigns. Kristen has been featured on platforms such as the Today Show, Channel 7 News Boston, and Good Morning America. These appearances have highlighted AWSC’s white shark ecotourism program and public safety initiatives related to white sharks.
The Global Maritime Industry (Part II)
September 4th @ 7PM
Few people in America understand just what the maritime industry is and its main component - the merchant marine, and few realize how this industry profoundly affects every American, every day. In the second part of his 2-part presentation, Christopher McMahon continues his detailed look at the industry and the ships which make global trade possible. Simply put, the global economy is completely dependent on the maritime industry. Admiral McMahon will also touch on just how Chatham Radio/WCC played a key role in keeping merchant ships in touch with their companies, the ports which they served, and how WCC helped ensure that ships and crews remained safe in times of extreme weather and other perils.
Rear Admiral Christopher McMahon, (USMS-ret.)
Master Mariner
Our speaker, Christopher McMahon is a master mariner of steam, motor and sailing vessels. He sailed on merchant ships engaged in world trade. He is a graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point and served there as a professor, sailing master and deputy superintendent. He is also a Rear Admiral (upper half), U.S. Maritime Service and was appointed in this capacity as a senior executive in several positions at the U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration and Naval War College. He has graduate degrees from several colleges and is an ordained Unitarian Universalist minister.
Reginald Fessenden:
Brilliant Inventor, Unsuccessful Radio Entrepreneur
October 2nd @ 7PM
Reginald Aubrey Fessenden, a Marconi contemporary, made significant advances in radio technology from 1900 to 1911. His work was focused on continuous wave transmissions with the goal of transmitting sound over radio waves. He was the first to demonstrate practical radio telephony and several of his other innovations made their way to the Chatham RCA station. However, his track record commercializing inventions was less impressive. Some of his inventions were ahead of their time but he was also unable to manage ownership issues with financial partners. We’ll look at his life, selected radio inventions, business activity and contrast his contributions to that of Guglielmo Marconi.
Tom Inglin
Tom Inglin earned a PhD in Organic Chemistry and spent 35 years in Consumer and Healthcare Product Development. He holds 12 patents, is a Registered Patent Agent and Adjunct Professor at the University of Cincinnati School of Pharmacy. His lifelong interest in radio began at a young age when he imagined radio waves traveling across the Atlantic Ocean to France while visiting his grandparents at the New Jersey shore. It wasn’t until later that he realized he was sometimes looking West across the Delaware Bay. An amateur radio operator since high school, his retirement volunteer gig at the Marconi/RCA Wireless Museum is a dream come true. He is currently a museum docent and Secretary of Chatham Marconi’s Board of Directors.