In This Section:
Sunken Treasure
The Many Faces Of Jonathan
U.S. News Again Ranks UConn New England's Top Choice
Historic Railroad Photos Go Online At Dodd Center
9/11 - Together We Remember

Wreckage of historic steamship located off Massachusetts coast

One of New England's great maritime mysteries has been solved with the help of the University's research vessel, Connecticut.

Ivar Babb, right, director of the National Undersea Research Center at Avery Point, discusses plans for a dive to locate the Portland with officials of NOAA's Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, from left, Craig McDonald, Bruce Terrell, and Ben Cowie-Haskell.

The steamship Portland sank during a storm on November 26, 1898, killing 192 passengers and crew. Seeking help to locate and analyze the wreck, thought to be near the Massachusetts coast in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, officials for the sanctuary sought the assistance of Ivar Babb, director of the National Undersea Research Center at UConn's Avery Point campus.

This past summer the crew from the Connecticut and staff from the center joined experts from the sanctuary and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to search for the shipwreck. Using UConn's research vessel, the team utilized side-scan sonar and a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) that has the capability to travel to great depths and send live pictures back to the Connecticut

"The moment when we first started seeing something other than marine life come into view, everyone was saying, 'Look, look, here it comes!'" says Babb. "Then as the ROV got closer, we became quiet and just watched. It was one of the most exciting moments in my career in oceanography!"

Most of the hull and its two smokestacks are still intact, but the ship's upper decks, where the cabins and dining rooms were located, are gone.

Locating the Portland is part of NOAA's effort to search the nation's 13 marine sanctuaries for archaeological and other "cultural" finds. Babb is hoping to team up again with Stellwagen Bank for a series of expeditions to identify dozens of other wrecks thought to be in the sanctuary.

Since first being introduced in 1934, the image of Jonathan the UConn Husky has changed over the years on team uniforms, flags and apparel.

In the 1950s, Jonathan was depicted quite simply (a) on team jackets. By the mid-1960s, Vermont illustrator Hubert Bushey re-created Jonathan as a Revolutionary War-era Minuteman (b) to reflect the state's history as one of the original 13 colonies.

During the 1970s, Jonathan's image returned to a more realistic form (c), which ultimately led to the familiar creation by Storrs artist Larry Wasiele (d), an image that has served UConn's growing legion of supporters and fans for the past 21 years.

As UConn moves forward in the 21st century, Jonathan also continues to evolve along with our growing and expanding public university. Rickabaugh Graphics in Ohio -- a leading identity design firm working with professional and college team logos -- has reintroduced the UConn Husky mascot with a fresh and dynamic look (e) to join the real dog, Jonathan XII, and the costumed Jonathan in representing the strong and proud traditions of the University of Connecticut.

For the fourth year in a row, U.S.News & World Report, America's Best Colleges ranked UConn the top public university in New England. The University is also in a four-way tie for 31st place among the nation's top public universities. "It is wonderful to continue our status as best in New England and be listed among the top public universities nationally," says Chancellor John D. Petersen. "But as pleased as we are with our U.S. News ranking, the real measure of our success is the fact that so many outstanding students make UConn their top choice," he adds. The quality of the 3,186 students who compose this year's freshman class at the main campus in Storrs is the best ever, continuing a six-year trend. New students at Storrs have better SAT scores, on average, than their predecessors, from 1112 in 1996 to 1149 this year. The number of valedictorians and salutatorians choosing UConn continues to rise -- 60 enrolled this year compared to 43 last year. Twenty-six percent of incoming freshmen ranked in the top 10 percent of their high school graduating classes.

Furthermore, enrollment at UConn's five regional campuses rose by 15 percent this year, representing an incoming freshman class of 860 students--many of whom prefer to launch their UConn careers at campuses that are close to their homes. At the School of Law, applications soared by 46 percent, nearly tripling the average gain nationally, representing a 39-percent enrollment increase, from 180 to 250.

After nearly two years of work, archivists at the University's Thomas J. Dodd Research Center have catalogued, digitized and created a website (http://railroads.uconn.edu) for the center's Railroad History Archive of nearly 500 photographs of locomotives, cars and railyards owned by the New Haven line.

The digitized photos meticulously document New Haven Railroad equipment, primarily steam and electric locomotives, taken during the early to mid-1900s by Fred Otto Makowsky and donated to UConn by his nephew, Roy Makowsky '55 (CLAS). UConn has the largest collection of print material on the New Haven Railroad and now thousands of photographs. The new digital collection will be one of the most accessible railroad collections available in America.

"Fred Makowsky was a railroad enthusiast of mammoth proportions," says Laura Smith, curator of the Dodd Research Center's business, railroad and labor collections. "The Makowsky collection is a cohesive whole documenting virtually every piece of steam and electric engine owned by the railroad. He described each photograph, noting the type of locomotive, the date and location he shot the picture, and background on the engine."

For almost 100 years, the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad, commonly called the New Haven Railroad, was the primary means of passenger and freight transportation in southern New England. Today it is part of MetroNorth.

The N.H.R.R. collection has been used by a wide array of researchers such as genealogists, environmentalists and model-train enthusiasts.

A portion of the collection will be displayed in the Dodd Center Gallery through Dec. 31.

The University community gathered to remember the anniversary of September 11, 2001, sharing somber ceremonies marked by tears, prayers and resolve. "We came together to show we care about each other and our community," says Vicky Triponey, vice chancellor of student affairs. "Our collective light will make the world a brighter and better place."

The Storrs commemoration began with a bell ringing and moment of silence at 8:46 a.m., the time the first terrorist-controlled plane struck the World Trade Center. UConn's Reserve Officer Training Corps led a flag raising at noon. At 7 p.m., several thousand gathered for a candlelight vigil. The Voices of Freedom choir sang. Students, faculty and administrators spoke. One candle was lit in memory of each of those who died.

Remembrances ranged across all points of the University. The Avery Point campus and the School of Law held campus gatherings, while the Health Center organized a mid-day service that included a symbolic exchange of peace among participants. A tree was planted at the Stamford campus in memory of those who perished, while the somber tones of bagpipes filled the Greater Hartford campus. Faculty and students participated in a panel discussion at the Torrington campus, while at the School of Social Work and at the Waterbury campus message boards allowed for the exchange of thoughts and feelings. For the entire University, September 11, 2002, provided an opportunity for quiet reflection as a community.