Ernest M. McSorley
Encyclopedia
Ernest Michael McSorley (September 29, 1912 – November 10, 1975) was the last captain of the ill-fated Laker
-type freighter SS Edmund Fitzgerald
. McSorley died along with the other 28 members of his crew when the Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior
on November 10, 1975.
A Canadian by birth, McSorley wanted to captain a boat. He moved to the United States
with his father and stepmother when he was 11 years old and spent his teenage years in the St. Lawrence River town of Ogdensburg, New York
. A veteran mariner, McSorley had over 40 years experience on both the Great Lakes
and oceans. He assumed command of the Fitzgerald at the start of the 1972 shipping season and had commanded nine ships before joining the crew of the Fitzgerald.
A quiet man, McSorley was well respected by his contemporaries as a skillful master and by his men, whom he treated as professionals. McSorley had turned 63 a month and a half before the Fitzgerald incident and intended to retire at the end of the shipping season. Captain McSorley's last known words were, "We are holding our own." Despite his death in a storm, McSorley was respected throughout his career as a superb bad-weather shiphandler.
McSorley resided in the Toledo
suburb of Ottawa Hills, Ohio
, and was married to the former Nellie Pollock, an Illinois
native. Although he had no children of his own, Nellie was the mother of three children from a previous marriage. Nellie McSorley, who was in ill health at the time of her husband's death, survived for another seventeen years, passing away at age 82 on February 13, 1993.
Lake freighter
Lake freighters, or Lakers, are bulk carrier vessels that ply the Great Lakes. The best known was the , the most recent and largest major vessel to be wrecked on the Lakes. These vessels are traditionally called boats, although classified as ships. In the mid-20th century, 300 lakers worked the...
-type freighter SS Edmund Fitzgerald
SS Edmund Fitzgerald
The SS Edmund Fitzgerald was an American Great Lakes freighter that made headlines after sinking in a Lake Superior storm on November 10, 1975, with the loss of the entire crew of 29. When launched on June 8, 1958, she was the largest boat on North America's Great Lakes, and she remains...
. McSorley died along with the other 28 members of his crew when the Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
on November 10, 1975.
A Canadian by birth, McSorley wanted to captain a boat. He moved to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
with his father and stepmother when he was 11 years old and spent his teenage years in the St. Lawrence River town of Ogdensburg, New York
Ogdensburg, New York
Ogdensburg is a city in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The population was 11,128 at the 2010 census. In the late 18th century, European-American settlers named the community after American land owner and developer Samuel Ogden....
. A veteran mariner, McSorley had over 40 years experience on both the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
and oceans. He assumed command of the Fitzgerald at the start of the 1972 shipping season and had commanded nine ships before joining the crew of the Fitzgerald.
A quiet man, McSorley was well respected by his contemporaries as a skillful master and by his men, whom he treated as professionals. McSorley had turned 63 a month and a half before the Fitzgerald incident and intended to retire at the end of the shipping season. Captain McSorley's last known words were, "We are holding our own." Despite his death in a storm, McSorley was respected throughout his career as a superb bad-weather shiphandler.
McSorley resided in the Toledo
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
suburb of Ottawa Hills, Ohio
Ottawa Hills, Ohio
Ottawa Hills is a village in Lucas County, Ohio, United States. The population was 4,564 at the 2000 census. The village serves as an affluent bedroom community and suburb of Toledo. The village maintains a full time police and fire rescue department. The Ottawa Hills school district ranked first...
, and was married to the former Nellie Pollock, an Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
native. Although he had no children of his own, Nellie was the mother of three children from a previous marriage. Nellie McSorley, who was in ill health at the time of her husband's death, survived for another seventeen years, passing away at age 82 on February 13, 1993.