Deborah Doane Dempsey

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Deborah Doane Dempsey
Born1949 (age 74–75)
Connecticut, United States
Alma materUniversity of Vermont (BA)
Maine Maritime Academy (BS)
OccupationShip captain
Known forFirst woman to achieve the rank of Master Mariner, first woman to graduate from a U.S. maritime academy
SpouseJack Dempsey
AwardsSee list

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[edit]

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.[1][9][10]

Naval career[edit]

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][9]

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.[1] 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[edit]

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)[7] 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.[1][12][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.[20][23][24]

Board memberships[edit]

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[edit]

Dempsey is the recipient of various awards and distinctions, including:[1][28]

  • First female graduate of any maritime or service academy in the United States
  • First female to attain the rank of Master Mariner
  • Honorary Doctor of Science degree, Maine Maritime Academy (1994)
  • Keynote speaker, Maritime Administration Women on the Water Conference
  • Recipient, Navy Meritorious Public Service Award[29]
  • Recipient, Lalonde "Spirit of the Seas" Award
  • Recipient, Reader's Digest “Heroes for Today” Award
  • Recipient, United Seaman's Service AOTOS Honored Seamen Award
  • Recipient, Seamen's Church Institute Lifesaving Award
  • Recipient, American Merchant Marine Seamanship Trophy
  • Inductee, Maine Maritime Academy Distinguished Alumni Wall of Honor
  • Notable Naval Books of 1998, U.S. Naval Institute

Works[edit]

References[edit]

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