Arranged and described by Brenda Howitson Steeves
January 2011

Administrative Information

Collection title: Cyrus Hamlin Papers
Provenance: Gift of Cyrus Hamlin, May 15, 1998; additional papers given in 2006
Collection number: MS 220
Dates of collection: 1946-1994  
Size of collection: 7 record cartons
Conservation note: The collection has been re-housed in acid-free folders and boxes
Preferred citation: Cyrus Hamlin Papers, Special Collections, Raymond H. Fogler Library, University of Maine
Restrictions on access and use: Kept at Fogler Library's offsite storage facility. One week's notice required for retrieval

Biography

Cyrus Hamlin was born in Orange, New Jersey, in 1918. He moved to Southwest Harbor, Maine, in the 1930s and later to Kennebunk, Maine. A naval architect, he engaged in the design and construction of yachts and small vessels, including the Controversy family of sailing yachts. He served in the Army Corps of Engineers for two years during World War II, designing several commercial vessels and small government craft. In 1964 Hamlin formed the Ocean Research Corporation, a company specializing in marine design, engineering and system analysis. Ocean Research was dissolved in 1987 and Hamlin once again went into private practice as a naval architect.

Hamlin was also active in civic affairs, serving as president of the Southwest Harbor Chamber of Commerce and as a member of the Maine Governor’s Advisory Committee on Education, the Kennebunk Comprehensive Plan Committee and the Maine Commission to Study Maine’s Oil Spill Cleanup Preparedness.

Scope and Content Note

The collection contains Cyrus Hamlin’s papers documenting his career as a naval architect and designer. The first part of the collection, received in 1998, includes Hamlin’s correspondence, some designs and blueprints, materials from conferences and boat shows, and copies of speeches and lectures he gave. It also contains records from Ocean Research Corporation. The files are arranged by type of record and correspond to Hamlin’s filing arrangement.

The second part of the collection contains papers given to the library in 2006. It includes records of Ocean Research Corporation and Hamlin’s files of his service in 1989-1992 on the Kennebunk Comprehensive Plan Commission and in 1990-1994 on the Maine Commission to Study Maine’s Oil Spill Cleanup Preparedness.

Box List

Box 1 (formerly Box 2505)

Folder

Correspondence

1 1950s

2 Hamlin, Marsten L., 1957-1964

3 Fisheries school, 1958

4-5 Thurston, David, 1958-1964

6 Customer inquiries, 1959-1961

7-8 Sailing, U.S.A., 1959-1963

9 Greenlaw, Lawrence, 1959-1963

10-11 1960s

12 Society of Naval Architects, 1960-1965

13 Green, Ronald R., 1961

14 Job hunting, 1962

15 Haft, Jay S., 1963

16 Geo Marine Technology, 1965

17 Kearney, Bruce, 1967, re Amphibi-Con C/26 (wooden boat)

18 1969-1970

19 Periodicals, 1970-1971

Financial records

20 Sales information – controversy 28, Jan. 1959

21 Sales information – income and expenses, 1959-1961

Boat design

22 Misc. inventions and designs

23 Sail measurement date, 1946-1950

24 Patent: C/30, Nov. 17, 1953

25 Scientific American, April 1957: Sailboat model testing

26 Yacht studies

27 Catamaran studies

28-29 “The Spicy Isles” – 23’ cruising sloop

30 C/26: design and correspondence

Box 2 (formerly Box 2506)

Lectures

1 Various talks and lectures by Cyrus Hamlin

2 Rotary Club, Kennebunkport, ME: Speech, 1970

3 Marine Technology Society shrimp lecture, 1971

4 Speech: Safety at Sea, 1971

5 Marine Technology Society systems engineering paper, 1972

Conference materials

6 Marine Technology Society, 3rd Annual National Conference and Exhibits, 1966

7 New Bedford Seafood Dealers Seminar, 1969

8 Marine Technology Society newsletters, 1970s

9 Underwater 70 Symposium, 1970

10 Conference on Automation and Mechanization in the Fishing Industry, 1970

11 Sea Grant Ocean Engineering Symposium, 1971

12 Renewable Resources Conference, 1972

13 Sea Grant Symposium, 1972

14 Marine Affairs Council, 1972

15 Special Sea and Shore Fisheries Interim Study Committee, 1972-1973

16 Sea Grant Symposium, 1973

17 UMO Seminar in Maritime and Regional Studies, 1973

18 Marine Information Center, 1973

19 Renewable Resources Forum, 1973

20 Maine Maritime Academy Summer Seminar, 1974

21 Shrimp Festival, 1974

22 National Fisherman Design Critiques, 1974

23 Goals Task Force, 1972-1975

24 Marine Occupations Conference, 1974

25 URI Marine Advisory Committee Fisherman’s Forum, 1976

26 Maine Technology Society Talk, 1976

27 Maine Fisherman’s Forum, 1976

28 Maine Maritime Academy Offshore Resources Symposium, 1977

29 Maine Fisherman’s Forum, 1977

30 Maine Fisherman’s Forum, 1978

Box 3 (formerly Box 2507)

Ocean Research Corporation

1 Prospectus, proposals, financial reports, 1984

2-3 Board of directors meetings, stockholder meetings, 1978-1984

4-11 Correspondence, A-Z, 1981-1984

12-14 Correspondence arranged by date, 1984

15 Forms, government and private

16 Proposal: The application of systems engineering to practical marine situations

Box 4 (formerly Box 2508)

Boating

1 Bermuda race, 1958

2 Log of the Polaris, 1946

3 Northeast Harbor fleet, 1949-1951

4 Southwest Chamber of Commerce, harbor improvements, 1955

5-7 Boat shows, 1957, 1960, 1961

8 Boat show, 1962: pamphlets, handouts, dealer information

9 Boat show, 1963

10 Boat show, 1964: pamphlets, handouts, dealer information

11-15 Boat advertisements, promotionals, 1960 boat show

16-20 Boat advertisements, promotionals, 1960s

21 Amateur Yacht Research Society constitution and bylaws

22 Maine Boat Builders & Repairers Association: correspondence, minutes, 1957-1970

23 Mount Desert Island: training (fishery) vessel

24 Southwest Boat Corporation: correspondence, minutes, financial records, 1957-1962

25 Clippings, 1948-1960

26-28 Clippings, marine related

Box 5

Ocean Research Corporation records

1 Records of sale of Ocean Research Corp. to Cy Hamlin et al., Feb. 23, 1971

2 Ocean Research Corp.: Vol. I. Pedigree papers, directors’ minutes prior to Mar. 1, 1971

3-4 Vol. II: Stockholders’ minutes, Mar. 1971- ; annual reports, 1980-

5-6 Vol. III: Directors’ meetings, Mar. 1971-

7 Vol. IV: Tax returns, 1971-1985

8 Stockholders’ meetings, 1981-1984

9 Directors’ meetings, 1982-1984

10 Bureau of Commercial Fisheries (U.S.) correspondence, 1967-1968

11-12 Center for Research and Advanced Study, U. of Maine, Portland: correspondence, etc., 1972-1975

13 Records of research catamaran Cypris when owned by Cy Hamlin and John Ordway

14 Ownership of Cypris

15 Information re Cypris

16 Passenger certification

17 Cypris documentation

18 Sale operations, Cypris, 1984

19 Dean, Dr. David, Darling Center: correspondence, 1967-1968

20 Fisheries Development Corp.

21-22 Maine Dept. of Sea and Shore Fisheries correspondence, 1964-1965

23 Maine Dept. of Sea and Shore Fisheries correspondence, 1964-1966, 1973

24 Maine Dept. of Sea and Shore Fisheries correspondence, 1971-1972

25 Marine Technology Society, Surface Ship Comm.

Box 6

1 Miscellaneous correspondence, 1991, 1992

2 Proposal for designing and establishing a rural demonstration recycling center, April 1978

3 Howard Steele – USDA/AID

4 TRIGOM, 1969-1975

Kennebunk Comprehensive Plan Committee

5-12 Minutes, etc., 1989-1992

13-14 Articles, news clippings re planning

15 Comprehensive plan film presentation

16 Comp. Plan Com. – t.v.

17 Comp. Plan Com. t.v. spot

18 1st generation – Comp. Plan Com. tour, Jan. 5, 1990 [8mm videocassette]

19 Forms – ’88 video course

20-21 Kennebunk comprehensive plan: final draft, 1991

22 Operations – ’88 video course

23 Photographs [Kennebunk]

24 SMVTI – ’88 video course

25 Zoning revision bids, 1991

Maine. Commission to Study Maine’s Oil Spill Cleanup Preparedness

26-27 Oil Spill Commission minutes, etc., 1990

Box 7

1-6 Oil Spill Commission minutes, 1991-1994

7 Oil Spill Advisory Com.

8 Oil Spill Commission [members, etc.]

9 Past mtg. notices, etc.

10 C.H. mailings

11 Correspondence, etc. other than Com.

12 Current notes

13 Commission progress report, 1991; final report, 1992

14-19 Articles, publications, etc.

20 Clippings