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Schuyler Neilson Pyne Papers, 1846-1979 (bulk 1930-1975): Finding Aid

Published in September 2009

Summary Information

  • Publisher: United States Naval Academy. Special Collections & Archives.
  • Publisher Address:
    589 McNair Road
    Annapolis, Maryland 21402-5029, USA
    Phone: 410-293-6917
    https://www.usna.edu/Library/sca/index.php
  • Call number: MS 277
  • Location: Special Collections & Archives Department - Manuscripts
  • Title: Schuyler Neilson Pyne Papers
  • Dates: 1846-1979
  • Bulk Dates: 1930-1975
  • Size: 3.59 linear feet
  • Container Summary: 3 manuscript boxes, 2 flat boxes, 3 oversize folders
  • Creator: Pyne, Schuyler Neilson, 1903-1987
  • Language(s) of material: English
  • Abstract: Schuyler Neilson Pyne was a graduate of the United States Naval Academy Class of 1925 and a U.S. Navy officer who served tours of duty at several shipyards and the Navy's Bureau of Ships, ultimately retiring with the rank of Rear Admiral. The papers, consisting of correspondence, research materials, press clippings, newsletters, photographs, and scrapbooks pertain to Pyne's tours as commander of the New York Naval Shipyard and the Pearl Harbor Shipyard, as well as his research on the thermal qualities of aluminum. The papers also contain correspondence from Rear Admiral Hiram Paulding and a Japanese picture book.

Biographical Chronology of Schuyler Neilson Pyne

1903
  • On September 24, is born in Elizabeth, New Jersey to parents Rear Admiral Frederick Glover Pyne and Ellen Roosevelt (Jones) Pyne.
1921
  • Receives appointment to the Unites States Naval Academy.
1925
  • In June, graduates from the United States Naval Academy.
1927
  • Attends the Naval Postgraduate School in Annapolis, Maryland, to study naval construction.
1930
  • In May, receives a Master of Science degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
  • Assigned to the Construction Corps, serving until the Corps' dissolution in 1940.
1940
  • Transfers to the Bureau of Ships, focusing on auxiliary and landing craft design.
1945
  • In January, is appointed Industrial Manager at the Naval Operating Base in Guam, where he organized the Ship Repair Facility.
1946
  • Appointed Deputy Director of the David W. Taylor Model Basin in Carderock, Maryland.
1947
  • Assigned to temporary duty on the U.S. Survey Group to determine aid to Turkey.
  • Reassigned to the Bureau of Ships.
1949
  • In October, is appointed Chief of Staff and Engineer Officer of the Naval Group of the U.S. Mission for Aid to Turkey.
1951
  • Reassigned to the Bureau of Ships.
1952
  • Appointed Supervisor of Shipbuilding and Naval Inspector of Ordnance at New York Shipbuilding Corporation in Camden, New Jersey.
1954
  • In March, is assigned as commander of the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard.
  • In July, is promoted to Rear Admiral.
1956
  • In August, is assigned to the Bureau of Ships as Assistant Chief for Field Activities.
1958
  • On March 31, receives command of the New York Naval Shipyard in Brooklyn, New York. During his tenure at the Shipyard, Pyne oversees the construction of the aircraft carriers U.S.S. Independence (CV-62) and U.S.S. Constellation (CV-64).
1961
  • In March, is designated for additional duty as Supervisor of Shipbuilding for the United States Navy.
  • On May 31, is relieved as commander of the New York Naval Shipyard.
  • In June, retires from the United States Navy.
1987
  • On June 13, dies in Annapolis, Maryland.
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Description of Contents

The Schuyler Neilson Pyne Papers, comprising 3.59 linear feet of documentation, span from 1846 to 1979. The papers focus primarily on Pyne's studies of aluminum, and his duties as commander of the Pearl Harbor and New York Naval Shipyards.

Included in the collection are scrapbooks (composed of press clippings, photographs, certificates, and correspondence), photographs, certificates, press clippings, newsletters, incoming and outgoing letters, memoranda, blueprints, a plaque, a Naval officers' examination, and two publications.

The Pyne Papers are arranged alphabetically by document type (or topic in one instance) into a single series with no subdivisions. The papers pertain primarily to Pyne's career in the United States Navy, highlighting specific tours of duty, especially his postgraduate studies at M.I.T. on the properties of aluminum, and commands of the Pearl Harbor and New York Naval Shipyards, as well as several speaking engagements, award ceremonies, and social functions. Materials pertaining to Pyne's time as commander of the Naval Yards tend to focus on the general operations of the yards, various ship launchings (especially that of U.S.S. Independence (Attack Aircraft Carrier: CVA-62)), and employee culture.

The collection is also home to a limited amount of correspondence between the families of Rear Admiral Hiram Paulding and Pyne's ancestor, Congressman Churchill C. Cambreleng. Five letters, dating between 1861 and 1865, and received by Cambreleng's wife, Phoebe Glover Cambreleng, were written by Hiram, Rebecca, Mary, and Anna Paulding. The letters pertain to such topics as the christening of the U.S.S. Adirondack and the conclusion of the Civil War. One additional letter (photocopy only), from Hiram Paulding to Churchill Cambreleng, discusses the duties of the U.S.S. Vincennes along the coasts of China and Japan. The collection also houses a picture book of traditional Japanese artwork.

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Arrangement

The Pyne Papers are arranged alphabetically by document type (or topic in one instance) into a single series with no subdivisions.

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Access and Use

Access

Access is unrestricted. In 1993, any materials in this collection which may have originally borne security restrictions were examined by S. Brewer, USNA Security Manager, and declared unrestricted and declassified.

Copyright and Permission

The Schuyler Neilson Pyne Papers are the physical property of Nimitz Library. Copyright belongs to the authors or creators of the works, or their legal representatives. For further information, consult the Head, Special Collections & Archives.

It is the responsibility of the researcher to secure written permission to publish, reprint, or reproduce material from Special Collections & Archives. The researcher assumes responsibility for infringement of copyright or literary or publication rights. Please contact the Head, Special Collections & Archives for permission to publish and for further information.

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Acquisition and Appraisal

Provenance and Acquisition

Gift of Rear Admiral and Mrs. Schuyler Neilson Pyne, USN (Ret.) in February 1985 and April 1989. Accession No. 85-28, 89-12. Gift of the United States Naval Institute in November 1991. Accession No. 91-65.

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Related Materials

Related Archival Material

Additional biographical material pertaining to Schuyler Neilson Pyne may be found in Pyne's oral history The reminiscences of Rear Admiral Schuyler Neilson Pyne, U.S. Navy (Retired), and in his Alumni Jacket in Special Collections & Archives, Nimitz Library.

Materials Cataloged Separately

The following four books have been removed from this collection and cataloged separately:

Clinton, DeWitt. An Introductory Discourse: Delivered before the Literary and Philosophical Society of New York on the Fourth of May, 1814. New York: Published by David Longworth, at the Shakspeare-Gallery, N. Van Riper, Print., 1815. (Spec Coll Q171.C72 1815) Volume is signed on cover "Isaac Concklings 1815" and on front free endpaper, "Isaac Conklings July 12 1815." Dewitt Clinton was Schuyler Neilson Pyne's great-great-grandfather.

A Manual of the Principal Instruments Used in American Engineering and Surveying: Manufactured by W. & L.E. Gurley. Troy, N.Y.: W. & L.E. Gurley (MacArthur), 1855. (Spec Coll TA581.G9 1855) Volume is signed on cover "DeWitt Clinton Jones."

Smith, Carrie and John Greenleaf Whittier, ed. Jack in the Pulpit. [New York]: R. Worthington, c1884. (Spec Coll PS3259.J33 1884) Volume is signed M.G. Jones.

Stowe, Harriet Beecher. Earthly Care a Heavenly Discipline. Boston: American Tract Society, [1850?]. (Spec Coll Undersize BF575.W8 S76 1850z) Volume is inscribed on title page, "Mother liked this and I hope you will like it and keep it though it is shabby. E.C.G."

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Processing and Other Information

The contents of three photograph albums, originally separated and cataloged individually at the time of accessioning (as Albums No. 70, 71, and 72), have been repatriated into the collection.

Preferred Citation

Schuyler Neilson Pyne Papers, MS 277

Special Collections & Archives Department

Nimitz Library

United States Naval Academy

Processing Information

This collection was originally processed by Mary R. Catalfamo and reprocessed by David D'Onofrio in September 2009. Finding aid written by David D'Onofrio in September 2009.

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Subject Headings

Name and Subject Terms

  • Aluminum construction
  • Independence (Attack aircraft carrier : CVA-62)
  • Naval architecture
  • Navy-yards and naval stations -- United States
  • Paulding, Hiram, 1797-1898
  • Pyne, Schuyler Neilson, 1903-1987

Genre Terms

  • Certificates
  • Clippings (information artifacts)
  • Correspondence
  • Design drawings
  • Manuscripts
  • Monographs
  • Photographs
  • Scrapbooks
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Contents List

Box 1 Folder 1

Aluminum Research Materials - Articles and Bulletins, 1933-1940

Box 1 Folder 2

Aluminum Research Materials - Blueprints, 1933

Designs for a "Guarded Box for Heat Insulation Tests."

Box 1 Folder 3

Aluminum Research Materials - Masters Thesis, 1930

Masters in Naval Architecture thesis entitled, "Investigation of Heat Insulating Qualities of Thin Aluminum Foil at Moderate Temperatures," by Schuyler N. Pyne.

Drawer MSOS Folder 1

Certificates, 1956-1961, undated

Box 1 Folder 4

Certificates, 1958-1966, undated

Box 1 Folder 5

Correspondence (Paulding-Cambreleng), 1846, 1861-1865

Personal letters received by Congressman and Mrs. Churchill C. Cambreleng from Rear Admiral Hiram Paulding and family.

Box 1 Folder 6

Event Programs, 1952-1972, undated

Box 1 Folder 7

Examination in Design and Calculation, 1934

Drawer MSOS Folder 2

Line Drawing - Navy Department Building, undated

Box 1 Folder 8

Memoranda - Navy Day, 1957

Drawer MSOS Folder 3

Newsletters, 1957, 1961

Includes issues of the San Francisco Naval Shipyard's Drydocker, the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard's Salute, and the New York Naval Shipyard's Shipworker.

Box 1 Folder 9

Newsletters, 1961, 1979

Includes issues of the New York Naval Shipyard's The Little Admiral, and the E.D. Newsletter.

Box 1 Folder 10

Photographs - Admiral Leopoldo Fontaine (Commander-in-Chief of the Chilean Navy) Visit to New York Naval Shipyard, 1958 June 20

Box 1 Folder 11

Photographs - Award Ceremony (Navy League Distinguished Service Award), 1960 March 4

Box 1 Folder 12

Photographs - Bremerton, Washington Events (Navy League and Chamber of Commerce), 1957

Box 1 Folder 13

Photographs - Change of Command Ceremonies (New York Naval Shipyard), March 31, 1958

Image features Rear Admiral Leslie A. Kniskern.

Box 1 Folder 14

Photographs - Change of Command Ceremonies (New York Naval Shipyard), 1961 May 31

Box 1 Folder 15

Photographs - Commissioning Ceremony (U.S.S. Topeka (Guided Missile Light Cruiser: CLG-8), 1960 March 26

Box 1 Folder 16

Photographs - Keel Laying Ceremony (U.S.S. Raleigh (Amphibious Transport Dock: LPD-1)), 1960 June 23

Box 1 Folder 17

Photographs - Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Airmen's Club Annual Membership Drive, 1957, undated

Images feature Mrs. Schuyler N. Pyne (Jane) and Mrs. Arleigh A. Burke.

Box 1 Folder 18

Photographs - Turkish Independence Day, 1950

Box 1 Folder 19

Photographs - Unidentified Event, undated

Images feature Mrs. Schuyler N. Pyne (Jane).

Box 1 Folder 20

Photographs - Unidentified Event, undated

Box 1 Folder 21

Photographs - Unidentified Event, undated

Box 1 Folder 22

Photographs - Unidentified Event, undated

Box 1 Folder 23

Photographs - Unidentified Events, undated

Box 4[OS] Folder 1

Photographs [Album] - Pictorial Events, 1952 June-1954 February

Includes images of staff members and the 50th Anniversary celebrations during Pyne's tour as Supervisor of Shipbuilding and Naval Inspector of Ordnance at New York Shipbuilding Corporation in Camden, New Jersey.

Box 4[OS] Folder 2

Photographs [Album] - U.S.S. Independence (Attack aircraft carrier: CVA-62) Commissioning, 1959 January

Includes images of Secretary of the Navy Thomas S. Gates, Jr., Admiral Arleigh Burke, and Admiral William Halsey.

Box 1 Folder 24

Photographs [Unbound Album] (1 of 10), 1946-1975

Includes images of inspections by Pyne and the Shipyard Commanders Conference (1952).

Box 1 Folder 25

Photographs [Unbound Album] (2 of 10), 1946-1975

Includes images of Pyne's C.B.E. (Commander, Most Excellent Order of the British Empire), the Shipyard Commanders Conference (1956-1957), a visit by the Commander of the Turkish Naval Forces, and a Naval War College luncheon for foreign officers.

Box 1 Folder 26

Photographs [Unbound Album] (3 of 10), 1946-1975

Includes images of a visit by Admiral Leopoldo Fontaine of the Chilean Navy (1958), graduation of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (1958), the Shipyard Commanders Conference (1958), and the Rotary Navy Day Luncheon (1958).

Box 1 Folder 27

Photographs [Unbound Album] (4 of 10), 1946-1975

Includes images of U.S.S. Hoe (Submarine: SS-258), a Brooklyn Cancer Committee award ceremony (1958), opening of the New York Shipyard Rifle Range (1958), U.S.S. Independence (1959), and the opening of the Marine Barracks hobby shop (1959).

Box 1 Folder 28

Photographs [Unbound Album] (5 of 10), 1946-1975

Includes images of Assistant Secretary of the Navy Milne's visit to the New York Shipyard (1959), the Rotary Luncheon (1959), and the presentation of a "Minute Man" plaque to the Inspector of Naval Material.

Box 2 Folder 1

Photographs [Unbound Album] (6 of 10), 1946-1975

Includes images of a Correspondence Course awards ceremony (1959), General Electric turbines, the Shipyard Commanders Conference (1959), the "Salute to Servicemen" luncheon, and H.M.C.S. Cape Scott. Also includes images of then Commander James Calvert.

Box 2 Folder 2

Photographs [Unbound Album] (7 of 10), 1946-1975

Includes images of officers and students from Webb Institute (1960), the commissioning of U.S.S. Topeka (Guided Missile Light Cruiser: CLG-8), and the launching of U.S.S. Tullibee (Submarine (Nuclear Powered): SSN-597).

Box 2 Folder 3

Photographs [Unbound Album] (8 of 10), 1946-1975

Includes images of a Regimental Review at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (1960), and the Shipyard Commanders Conference (1960).

Box 2 Folder 4

Photographs [Unbound Album] (9 of 10), 1946-1975

Includes images of the christening of U.S.S. Constellation (Attack Aircraft Carrier: CVA-64), the keel laying of U.S.S. Vancouver (Amphibious Transport Dock: LPD-2), and a memorial service for construction workers killed aboard U.S.S. Constellation (1960).

Box 2 Folder 5

Photographs [Unbound Album] (10 of 10), 1946-1975

Includes images of a Greater New York Fund citation presentation (1961), the New York Naval Shipyard Change of Command (1961), the annual meeting of the Brooklyn Red Cross (1961), and a 1975 U.S. Department of Commerce exhibit on the U.S.S. Monitor (Ironclad).

Box 5[OS] Folder 1

Plaque - U.S.S. Constellation, 1961

Box 2 Folder 6

Press Clippings, 1957

Newspaper clippings pertaining to Navy Day and the christening of U.S.S. Lorain County (LST 1177).

Box 2 Folder 7

Publications - "Japanese Picture Book", [1900]

Box 2 Folder 8

Publications - Industrial Department: Naval Operating Base - Guam, 1946

Overview of the department and its operations, featuring an introduction by Pyne.

Box 3 Folder 1

Scrapbook, 1954-1955

Includes material pertaining to Pyne's assignment as Commander, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, promotion to Rear Admiral, charity efforts and social life at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, and General Carlos Romulo of the Philippines.

Box 3 Folder 2

Scrapbook [Volume 1 of 2], 1958-1961

Includes material pertaining to Pyne's assignment as Commander, New York Naval Shipyard, commissioning of U.S.S. Independence (CV-62), employment levels, service awards, and charity efforts.

Box 3 Folder 3

Scrapbook [Volume 2 of 2], 1958-1961

Includes material pertaining to the keel-laying of U.S.S. Raleigh (LPD-1), christening of and fire aboard U.S.S. Constellation (CV-64), service awards, charity efforts, and Pyne's retirement.

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