Deborah Doane Dempsey Explained

Birth Place:Connecticut, United States
Spouse:Jack Dempsey
Awards:See list
Alma Mater:University of Vermont (BA)
Maine Maritime Academy (BS)
Occupation:Ship captain
Known For:First woman to achieve the rank of Master Mariner, first woman to graduate from a U.S. maritime academy

Deborah Doane Dempsey (born 1949) is an American mariner and ship captain. She was the first American woman to achieve the rank of Master Mariner and command a cargo ship sailing internationally.[1] [2] [3]

Early life and education

Deborah Doane was born in Connecticut in 1949.[4] In 1978, she married Jack Dempsey.[5] [6]

In 1971, Dempsey received a B.A. from the University of Vermont.[7] In 1976, Dempsey received a B.S. degree from the Maine Maritime Academy as valedictorian of her class.[8] At the time of her graduation as a cadet, she became the first woman in the United States to graduate from any maritime or service academy.[9] [10]

Naval career

Dempsey began her career with Exxon Mobil as a Third Mate.[11] She later moved to Lykes Brothers Steamship Company, where she advanced to a Master Mariner, becoming the first American woman to achieve the rank and to command a cargo ship on international voyages.[12]

She was the first woman to become a regular member of the Council of American Master Mariners.[13] She also served as a ship captain during the Gulf War and Desert Shield,[14] and later worked as a professional ship pilot on the Columbia River Bar for over 20 years.[15] [16] [17] She was also a navigator for the Newport Bermuda Race for the U.S. Women's Challenge Team. In March 2012, Dempsey fell into the Pacific Ocean while transferring vessels. The crew performed rescue maneuvers and had Dempsey out of the water within minutes.[18]

Rescue effort

In January 1993, Dempsey gained national recognition when she and her crew of four successfully rescued a drifting 634-foot freighter (with over 387,000 gallons of oil on board) threatening to crash onto the Frying Pan Shoals off the coast of North Carolina.[19] [20] [21] She received a letter of commendation from President Bill Clinton for her efforts.[22] Dempsey was credited with not only saving the 22 million dollar vessel but also with preventing a possible oil spill that could have devastated the North Carolina Coast.[23] [24]

Board memberships

Dempsey has served on the boards of various organizations and agencies, including the Bellingham Bay Community Boating Center, Oregon Board of Maritime Pilots, NOAA Hydrographic Services Review Panel (HSRP), and the HSRP Strategic Effectiveness Working Group.[25] [26] [27]

Awards, honors, and distinctions

Dempsey is the recipient of various awards and distinctions, including:[28]

Works

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Maine Maritime Academy Honors Distinguished Alumni . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070930093031/http://www.womensmaritimeassoc.com/fall_2006_newsletter.pdf . 2007-09-30 . 2007-04-03.
  2. Book: Careers in Focus . 2010-05-17 . Infobase Publishing . 978-1-4381-1147-6 . en.
  3. Web site: MMA Alumnae Featured in Coast Guard Journal - Shipmate – January 2020 . 2024-05-16 . en-US.
  4. Johnson . Robert O. . 1999 . Review of The Captain's a Woman: Tales of a Merchant Mariner . Journal of Political & Military Sociology . 27 . 1 . 177–179 . 0047-2697.
  5. News: March 3, 1990 . Dempsey commands U.S. flag vessel . Bangor Daily News . 2–3.
  6. Web site: 2021-03-15 . FreightWaves Flashback: Deborah Dempsey charts a course as pioneering female mariner . 2024-05-16 . FreightWaves . en-US.
  7. Web site: Marine Safety & Security Special 2019: Follow Your Heart Deborah Dempsey Captain, Columbia River Bar Pilot (Retired) . 2024-05-16 . mydigitalpublication.comhttps . en-US.
  8. Book: Jellison, Connee . Hancock County, a Rock-bound Paradise: A Bicentennial Pictorial . Horwege . Richard A. . 1990 . Donning . 978-0-89865-799-9 . en.
  9. Web site: Mcgowan . Richard J. . 1998-04-19 . Pioneering Female Skipper at Home on the High Seas . 2024-05-16 . Daily Press . en-US.
  10. Web site: 1992-01-08 . Plying the World's Seas . 2024-05-16 . Daily Press . en-US.
  11. Web site: 2006-11-17 . MMA Honors Alumni . 2024-05-16 . MarineLink . en.
  12. Web site: 2012-05-06 . Dempsey, Deborah Doane Maine: An Encyclopedia . 2024-05-16 . en-US.
  13. Web site: Josephson . Jennie . 2017-07-17 . A listen-along glossary for our conversation with Capt. Deborah Dempsey . 2024-05-16 . Marketplace . en-US.
  14. Book: Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm Sealift Performance and Future Sealift Requirements . 1992 . U.S. Government Printing Office . 978-0-16-037700-6 . en.
  15. Web site: Deborah Doane Dempsey ’76 - Alumni - Maine Maritime Academy . 2024-05-16 . en-US.
  16. Web site: Brown . Norman . Trailblazing tar tells her tale in 'The Captain's a Woman' . 2024-05-16 . New Bedford Standard-Times . en-US.
  17. Web site: 2009-09-15 . KGW exclusive: Only woman to navigate risky Columbia River Bar . 2024-05-16 . kgw.com . en-US.
  18. Web site: Female Pilot Deb Dempsey Fell Into Ocean, Rescued . 2024-05-16 . seanews.com . en.
  19. News: 1994 . Desperate Night on a Dead Ship . Professional Mariner Magazine.
  20. News: 1995 . Daring Seafarer Honored . Mariners Weather Log . 53.
  21. Web site: Though rare, heroic ocean rescues always memorable . 2024-05-16 . Wilmington Star-News . en-US.
  22. Book: Kraehmer, Steffen T. . Heroes: Embracing Your Role As Your Child's Hero . 1996-09-17 . Taylor Trade Publishing . 978-1-57749-006-7 . en.
  23. Book: Wallace, DeWitt . The Reader's Digest . Wallace . Lila Acheson . 1995 . Reader's Digest Association . en.
  24. Book: Directory for Financial Managers . 1993 . Joint Financial Management Improvement Program . en.
  25. Web site: About the CBC . 2024-05-16 . Community Boating Center . en-US.
  26. News: June 15, 2012 . Captain Deborah Dempsey Named to Review Panel . On Station: The Newsletter of the American Pilots’ Association . 4.
  27. Web site: 2015-03-14 . New line-up for Hydrographic Services Federal Advisory Committee National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration . 2024-05-16 . www.noaa.gov . en.
  28. Web site: Maine Maritime Academy Holds Celebration of Achievement . 2024-05-16 . The Maritime Executive . en.
  29. Book: Matthews, James K. . So Many, So Much, So Far, So Fast: United States Transportation Command and Strategic Deployment for Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm . 1996 . United States Transportation Command and Joint History Office, Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff . en.
  30. Book: Dempsey, Deborah Doane . The Captain's a Woman: Tales of a Merchant Mariner . Foster . Joanne Reckler . 1998 . Naval Institute Press . 978-1-55750-164-6 . en.

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