| Print | Close Window | AMO Currents - Posted: August 12, 2016 |
American maritime loses a friend and tireless advocate with the death of Helen Bentley
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| In this file photo, Helen Bentley congratulates Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-MD) on his receipt of the Maritime Industry Salute to Congress Award in 2013. Bentley received the award from the Propeller Club in 1987. |
Bentley died August 6 in Timonium, Md. at the age of 92, succumbing to brain cancer.
"Throughout decades of public service, her straight talk and strong conviction left no doubt as to where she stood on what the proper course for our nation should be on maritime matters," said American Maritime Officers National President Paul Doell.
"She stood on the side of the people working in the U.S.-flag merchant fleet, in American shipyards, at our nation's ports and in the U.S. manufacturing sector," Doell said. "She knew the importance of the maritime trades to America's strength and success on both the local and national levels, and she believed in the potential of a properly supported U.S. maritime industry to do even more good.
"She made a diverse and fearless career of applying her knowledge and passion to the education of the public and the creation of public policy," Doell said. "She celebrated the gains of the U.S.-flag fleet, fought the setbacks dealt to our industry and way of life, and pushed everyone involved to always do more and do better."
Bentley was born in Nevada. After earning a journalism degree from the University of Missouri in 1944 and working briefly for a wire service, she was hired by The Baltimore Sun, and covered labor issues and the Port of Baltimore for the newspaper. As reported by the Maritime Trades Department, AFL-CIO, she became the first woman to cover an American Federation of Labor convention in 1947.
While working at The Baltimore Sun, she undertook a second job because "at that time they would not pay me what they were paying the men and I had to go out and earn extra bucks," according to WBAL radio. She created and produced a television series about the Port of Baltimore, which ran on WMAR-TV for 15 years.
In 1969, she was appointed chair of the Federal Maritime Commission by President Richard Nixon. She was at that time one of the highest-ranking women in the executive branch of the federal government, where she served until 1975.
Following two previous unsuccessful campaigns, Bentley won election to the U.S. Congress in 1984. A Republican who defied simple definition, she served on the Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee and the Appropriations Committee in the House of Representatives, where she fought for trade policies that would seek to protect American maritime and manufacturing jobs.
A classic exchange involving then-Representative Bentley and an admiral regarding the purchase of foreign-made equipment for Navy vessels was relayed by the Washington Post earlier this week.
"It's like this, Mrs. Bentley - they make these parts cheaper in Korea," the admiral said.
"Well, admiral, they make admirals cheaper in Korea, too, and maybe we should buy some!" Bentley replied.
Bentley left her congressional seat in 1994 to run for governor of Maryland, but was defeated in the primary race. In 2002, she launched an unsuccessful bid for her old seat in Congress.
She co-authored a book, The Great Port of Baltimore: Its First 300 Years. In 2006, Maryland Governor Robert Ehrlich renamed the port the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore in honor of her many years of service.
"There will never be another like her," said Maritime Trades Department President Michael Sacco. "She was a fighter for what she believed in - and she believed in our industry and the men and women who work in it. No one could top her dedication and devotion to the U.S.-flag merchant marine. All of us will miss her tremendously."
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