Maritime Academy was formally established by an act of the 90th Maine Legislature on March 21, 1941.
The original class of 29 students, known as the "Solid 28," reported on October 9, 1941, to Rear Admiral Douglas Dismukes, USN, a veteran of World War I who came out of retirement to head the fledgling school. Classes initially met on the campus of the Eastern State Normal School, with students lodged at Castine's Pentagöet Inn, until the Legislature transferred the Normal School building to MMA property on January 23, 1942. The Mattie, a schooner out of Camden, Maine, served as the first training ship.
=== World War II service ===
The academy's founding coincided with America's entry into World War II, creating an urgent national need for trained maritime officers. World War II required a rapid build-up of the U.S. Merchant Marine, with a critical need for trained deck and engineering officers. The Academy met that challenge, graduating its first class in May 1943 after a truncated course of studies.
By war's …
