Harkins inducted into Great Lakes Marine Hall of Fame

Duluth native Wesley R. Harkins, long-time friend of the Great Lakes maritime industry, was inducted into the Great Lakes Marine Hall of Fame by the Soo Locks Visitor Center Association in March.

The annual ceremony was held in the Cicler Center at the Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. Names of inductees are displayed onboard the museum ship Valley Camp, which is stationed at the Soo.

Mr. Harkins started his maritime career on the Navy training vessel U.S.S. Paducah, which sailed from Chicago to the Brooklyn Navy Yard in the fall of 1940. He closed out his Navy service as a Lieutenant (Junior Grade) after serving as deck watch officer and communications officer aboard several ships and on-station in the Pacific Theater.

Following World War II, Mr. Harkins worked for the Northern Pacific Railroad, then joined the staff of Duluth's Skillings Mining Review magazine. He spent 13 years at Skillings, where he gained acclaim for weekly maritime news report ing and outstanding marine photography. In 1959, he joined Fraser Shipyards, Inc., Superior, Wis., as public and industrial relations director, a position he served in until his retirement.

Mr. Harkins maintains his involvement with numerous maritime organizations, both with Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway interests. He was selected Duluth-Superior Harbor Man of the Year in 1980, and has served on the board of the Lake Superior Marine Museum Association.

During the induction ceremony Davis Helberg, Duluth Seaway Port Authority consultant and former Port Director, summed up Mr. Harkins' six decades of maritime service like this:

"If we had our own Great Lakes Hall of Fame in the Port of Duluth-Superior, you can be assured that Wes Harkins would have been installed many years ago. In his own warm, courteous and unassuming way, he has continuously contributed to the health, success and reputation of our port:

•As marine editor for Skillings Mining Review, Mr. Harkins gave the commercial world a greater understanding and appreciation of Minnesota and Michigan mining and Great Lakes shipping operations.

•As public relations director at Fraser Shipyards, he became the de facto PR director for the entire maritime community at the Head of the Lakes.

•As a superb photographer and writer, he recorded regional mining and shipping activities for a contemporary public as well as for posterity.

•As a member of numerous maritime organizations, he's always brought dedication, sound thinking and positive energy.

Of equal or perhaps more importance, though, Mr. Harkins has always been one of those eminently likeable people whose knowledge, wisdom and counsel is sought by friends and colleagues from Duluth to Buffalo."

 Humphrey Fellows

A delegation of Humphrey Institute Fellows from the University of Minnesota visited the Port in April for an overview of Authority operations from Port Director Adolph Ojard. The Humphrey program, initiated in 1978, brings accomplished professionals from designated countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, the Middle East and Eurasia to the United States at a midpoint in their careers for a year of study and related professional experiences. Since its beginning, nearly 3,000 Fellows from more than 135 countries have participated in the program

Polish soybean buyers call on Port

The American Soybean Association hosted a Polish Soybean Product Buyers Team tour of the Port in April. The group learned about Port Authority operations and met with grain industry officials. The primary purposes of the visit were to introduce team members to suppliers of soybeans and soybean meal, to encourage strategic partners to invest in specialty soy processing and to source soybeans and soybean meal from U.S. partners.