Ronald Schoof
Deck Dept. / Co-Founder, JOHN W BROWN Alumni Association

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Ron's great-grandfather was a shipbuilder and sailing ship captain in 1800s Canada and his father was a tugboat captain in New York City.

Was it any wonder then that Ron would want to follow a seagoing career, and attend classes aboard the only maritime high school in the country, the Schoolship JOHN W. BROWN. Ron attended classes aboard the "BROWN" from 1958 to 1962.

Upon graduation he received his seaman's papers and a job as an ordinary seaman (OS) with Socony Oil Company on one of their coastal tankers. After sailing coastal he decided he wanted to ship out international and joined the NMU and tried in vain to get another ship.

In 1963 he attended a trade school in NYC to learn diesel engines, thinking that there were more seagoing opportunities in the engine room. Upon graduation the school informed him that they could get him a position with the Long Island Railroad. He went to work for the LIRR in 1964 as an apprentice machinist.

In 1965 Ron attempted to get back to sea again and enlisted in the U.S. Navy. The Navy had other plans for him and sent him to electronics technician school for 40 weeks and from there to Quonset Naval Air Station in Rhode Island. Six months later his division then sent him to Great Lakes for more training, this time on a land-based navigational system for aircraft. Ron remained at Quonset Point until the expiration of his enlistment in 1969.

Upon separation Ron returned to the LIRR where, due to their need for people with electronics experience, was promoted to motive power inspector.

In 1976 the opportunity to go back to sea again presented itself. Ron took a job as mate of a 65' coastal oceanographic vessel with SUNY NY.

In 1977 Ron returned to the electronics industry and worked as a technician with a cable TV company.

In 1979 Ron again changed jobs and this time it was with ITT as a communications technician. Ron worked with ITT until 1987 when ITT closed operations.

Upon leaving ITT, Ron decided to start his own business and opened a small telecommunications sales and service company.

In 1995 Ron learned from a video sales brochure that the SS JOHN W. BROWN was being restored and was located in Baltimore. This was wonderful news as he thought the ship had been cut up for scrap, when he did not see it in NYC in the mid 1980s. Within two weeks he was aboard her again in Baltimore.

In what little free time he has, Ron divides his time between his boat, a 26' Penn Yan, genealogy, golf, target shooting, travel, hiking and of course the "BROWN." He derives the most satisfaction from the time he spends aboard the "BROWN" as the ship has always been a special part of his life.

Along with crewmate Andy Paulik, Ron founded the JOHN W. BROWN Alumni Association.