Felix Riesenberg
Encyclopedia
Felix Riesenberg was an American
maritime officer and writer of maritime professional, historical, and fictional literature in the early 20th Century.
. He later attended the New York Nautical School graduating in the class of 1897. Afterward, he secured a position as a deck officer in the merchant marine, being part of the Coast and Geodetic Survey and also serving in the Naval Reserve until 1909. Riesenberg was hired by Walter Wellman
to be a part of the support crew in an unsuccessful attempt to reach the North Pole
by airship
in the summer of 1906. He was rehired by Wellman the following year to be the navigator
aboard the three man airship America
in a second failed attempt to reach the North Pole in 1907.
After this, Riesenberg enrolled and graducated from the Columbia School of Engineering and Applied Science in 1913.
Riesenberg worked as a civil Engineer
for New York State from 1913 to 1915 and then again from 1920 to 1922. In the interim, he was the Chief Officer
of the United States Shipping Board
.
Riesenberg was the superintendent of the New York Nautical School on two occasions, from 1917 to 1919 and again from 1923 to 1924.
Riesenberg was also a prolific author, publishing a textbook, Standard Seamanship for the Merchant Service that became commonly used, as well as several maritime historical works and novels. He wrote several articles that appeared in the magazine The Nation
.
Riesenberg died 19 November 1939 in Scarsdale, New York
. After a funeral service held in Bronxville
his ashes were scattered at sea
.
He had five children, Felix Jr., William, Peggy, Jack, and Priscilla. His son Felix Jr. (1913–1962) was also an author of numerous maritime books.
The New York Nautical School is today called "Maritime College" and is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. Present day "cadets" are still taught the "Riesenberg Saying" which goes something like this "The sea is selective, short at recognition of effort and aptitude but fast in the sinking of the unfit."
built at Brunswick, Georgia
and delivered to the United States Merchant Marine
26 December 1944 that was named in Riesenberg's honor.
Following World War II
she was sold to a private company in 1947 and finally scrapped in 1972.
In the 1940s a sail training
schooner
at the United States Merchant Marine Academy
in King's Point, New York was renamed the Felix Riesenberg, having previously been named the Rhine.
On the campus of State University of New York Maritime College
Riesenberg Hall, which houses the athletic department, was dedicated 6 May 1965 to honor Riesenberg. Riesenberg Hall contains a gymnasium and a natatorium, it hosts the college's basketball, volleyball, and wrestling events.
In 2001 Felix Riesenberg was inducted into the National Maritime Hall of Fame at Kings Point.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
maritime officer and writer of maritime professional, historical, and fictional literature in the early 20th Century.
Biography
Felix Riesenberg was born in 1879 in Milwaukee, WisconsinMilwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
. He later attended the New York Nautical School graduating in the class of 1897. Afterward, he secured a position as a deck officer in the merchant marine, being part of the Coast and Geodetic Survey and also serving in the Naval Reserve until 1909. Riesenberg was hired by Walter Wellman
Walter Wellman
Walter Wellman was an American journalist, explorer, and aëronaut, born at Mentor, Ohio, and educated in the public schools.- Biographical background :...
to be a part of the support crew in an unsuccessful attempt to reach the North Pole
North Pole
The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface...
by airship
Airship
An airship or dirigible is a type of aerostat or "lighter-than-air aircraft" that can be steered and propelled through the air using rudders and propellers or other thrust mechanisms...
in the summer of 1906. He was rehired by Wellman the following year to be the navigator
Navigator
A navigator is the person on board a ship or aircraft responsible for its navigation. The navigator's primary responsibility is to be aware of ship or aircraft position at all times. Responsibilities include planning the journey, advising the Captain or aircraft Commander of estimated timing to...
aboard the three man airship America
America (airship)
The America was a non-rigid airship built by Mutin Godard in France in 1906 for Walter Wellman's attempt to reach the North Pole by air. Wellman had been inspired to fly to the pole during a failed overland attempt in 1893. When he saw a French dirigible at the Portsmouth Peace Conference in 1905,...
in a second failed attempt to reach the North Pole in 1907.
After this, Riesenberg enrolled and graducated from the Columbia School of Engineering and Applied Science in 1913.
Riesenberg worked as a civil Engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
for New York State from 1913 to 1915 and then again from 1920 to 1922. In the interim, he was the Chief Officer
Chief officer
A chief officer can refer to any of various leaders:In the military, it can refer to certain non-commissioned members:*Chief Petty Officer*Chief Warrant OfficerMarine occupation:*Chief Mate...
of the United States Shipping Board
United States Shipping Board
The United States Shipping Board was established as an emergency agency by the Shipping Act , 7 September 1916. It was formally organized 30 January 1917. It was sometimes referred to as the War Shipping Board.http://www.gwpda.org/wwi-www/Hurley/bridgeTC.htm | The Bridge To France by Edward N....
.
Riesenberg was the superintendent of the New York Nautical School on two occasions, from 1917 to 1919 and again from 1923 to 1924.
Riesenberg was also a prolific author, publishing a textbook, Standard Seamanship for the Merchant Service that became commonly used, as well as several maritime historical works and novels. He wrote several articles that appeared in the magazine The Nation
The Nation
The Nation is the oldest continuously published weekly magazine in the United States. The periodical, devoted to politics and culture, is self-described as "the flagship of the left." Founded on July 6, 1865, It is published by The Nation Company, L.P., at 33 Irving Place, New York City.The Nation...
.
Riesenberg died 19 November 1939 in Scarsdale, New York
Scarsdale, New York
Scarsdale is a coterminous town and village in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the northern suburbs of New York City. The Town of Scarsdale is coextensive with the Village of Scarsdale, but the community has opted to operate solely with a village government, one of several villages...
. After a funeral service held in Bronxville
Bronxville, New York
Bronxville is an affluent village within the town of Eastchester, New York, in the United States. It is a suburb of New York City, located approximately north of midtown Manhattan in southern Westchester County. At the 2010 census, Bronxville had a population of 6,323...
his ashes were scattered at sea
Burial at sea
Burial at sea describes the procedure of disposing of human remains in the ocean, normally from a ship or boat. It is regularly performed by navies, but also can be done by private citizens in many countries.-By religion:...
.
He had five children, Felix Jr., William, Peggy, Jack, and Priscilla. His son Felix Jr. (1913–1962) was also an author of numerous maritime books.
The New York Nautical School is today called "Maritime College" and is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. Present day "cadets" are still taught the "Riesenberg Saying" which goes something like this "The sea is selective, short at recognition of effort and aptitude but fast in the sinking of the unfit."
Selected bibliography
- Under Sail: A Boy's Voyage Around Cape Horn - 1918
- Standard Seamanship for the Merchant Service - 1922
- Bob Graham at Sea - 1925
- Vignettes of the Sea - 1926
- East Side, West Side - 1927, turned into a film of the same name also released in 1927
- Red Horses - 1928
- Shipmates: Sketches of the Sea - 1928
- Endless River - 1931
- The Maiden Voyage - 1931
- Passing Strangers - 1931
- Skyline - 1931, a film screenplay also based upon the 1927 novel East Side, West Side
- Mother Sea - 1933
- Log of the Sea - 1933
- Living Again : an Autobiography - 1937
- Cape Horn : the story of the Cape Horn region, including the straits of Magellan, from the days - 1939
- The Pacific Ocean - 1940 (published posthumously)
Honors
The was a type EC2-S-C1 Liberty shipLiberty ship
Liberty ships were cargo ships built in the United States during World War II. Though British in conception, they were adapted by the U.S. as they were cheap and quick to build, and came to symbolize U.S. wartime industrial output. Based on vessels ordered by Britain to replace ships torpedoed by...
built at Brunswick, Georgia
Brunswick, Georgia
Brunswick is the major urban and economic center in southeastern Georgia in the United States. The municipality is located on a harbor near the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 30 miles north of Florida and 70 miles south of South Carolina. Brunswick is bordered on the east by the Atlantic...
and delivered to the United States Merchant Marine
United States Merchant Marine
The United States Merchant Marine refers to the fleet of U.S. civilian-owned merchant vessels, operated by either the government or the private sector, that engage in commerce or transportation of goods and services in and out of the navigable waters of the United States. The Merchant Marine is...
26 December 1944 that was named in Riesenberg's honor.
Following World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
she was sold to a private company in 1947 and finally scrapped in 1972.
In the 1940s a sail training
Sail training
From its modern interpretations to its antecedents when maritime nations would send young naval officer candidates to sea , sail training provides an unconventional and effective way of building many useful skills on and off the water....
schooner
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
at the United States Merchant Marine Academy
United States Merchant Marine Academy
The United States Merchant Marine Academy is one of the five United States Service academies...
in King's Point, New York was renamed the Felix Riesenberg, having previously been named the Rhine.
On the campus of State University of New York Maritime College
State University of New York Maritime College
SUNY Maritime College is a maritime college located in the Bronx, New York City in historic Fort Schuyler on the Throggs Neck peninsula where the East River meets Long Island Sound...
Riesenberg Hall, which houses the athletic department, was dedicated 6 May 1965 to honor Riesenberg. Riesenberg Hall contains a gymnasium and a natatorium, it hosts the college's basketball, volleyball, and wrestling events.
In 2001 Felix Riesenberg was inducted into the National Maritime Hall of Fame at Kings Point.