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Anchors Aweigh: How the TS Lone Star State Is Helping Texas A&M Galveston’s Maritime Program Sail Into the Future

We’re looking back at the ships that shaped Texas A&M University at Galveston’s legacy and the ship that is defining the maritime program’s future.

By Emma Jones ’28

Photos provided by Texas A&M University at Galveston

October 20, 2026

 

It’s been two decades, but at long last, the wait is over. The TS Lone Star State is finally home.  

It’s taken a long journey to get here: over a decade of planning and discussions, six years of construction, eight months of transit and countless days of dreaming to make this possible. But today, that dream is docked at Texas A&M University at Galveston.
 

This state-of-the-art training ship comes with many new possibilities for Texas A&M Galveston and its Maritime Academy Program. But the program wouldn’t be what it is today without the legacy its predecessors left behind. So let’s dive into the history of what makes this program what it is: the training ships that help shape cadets into maritime leaders. 
 

The Texas Clipper I served as the Maritime Academy's first training ship from 1965-94.

A Program’s Premiere  

Texas A&M Galveston’s Maritime Academy was officially established in 1962 and is one of six maritime academies in the nation. The pride and joy of the maritime program is its cadets, who leave their time at Texas A&M Galveston equipped for a career in the marine industry of their choice. The true anchor of the program, however, is its training ships. 

The academy has had six training ships to date: the TS Texas Clipper, TS Texas Clipper II, USNS Sirius, SS Cape Gibson, TS General Rudder and TS Kennedy. These ships enable cadets to not only take classes on board but also provide the equipment for them to actively train as they get their degree.
 

“Our ships have always been the identity of our campus, especially for our cadets,” said Jason Tieman ’97, the Texas A&M Foundation’s chief development officer for Texas A&M Galveston.  

The program first set sail with the Texas Clipper. In its previous life, it served as a World War II transport ship ferrying cargo and wounded troops, even bringing some soldiers home at the end of the war.   
 

The TS Kennedy, which served from 2023-25, was Texas A&M Galveston's final converted training ship.

In 1994, this ship was followed by the Texas Clipper II. However, after it was recalled into service in 2005, the Maritime Academy drifted along for 18 years without the identity of a dedicated training ship.

After a brief stretch aboard the USNS Sirius and SS Cape Gibson, Texas A&M Galveston’s purpose was reestablished by the arrival of TS General Rudder, a training ship that was converted from an ocean surveillance vessel for the U.S. Navy. Following that ship was the beloved TS Kennedy, which traveled the world as a bulk cargo ship before it hosted three summer sea terms as a training ship.

As Texas A&M Galveston watched its training ships come and go, it joined a nationwide discussion on how to strengthen maritime programs across the country. This federal movement aimed to establish something more permanent for the maritime programs that required converted training ships every decade or so. The solution? Build the programs ships of their very own.
 

“The new ships are built the way we needed to train, and it standardizes the platforms and training abilities of all the schools,” said Wade Howell ’02 ’23, the master of Texas A&M’s training ship. 
 

Many Texas A&M Galveston cadets commission into the U.S. Navy or Navy Reserves.

Smooth Sailing Ahead  

These training ships are crucial to the education Maritime Academy cadets receive, providing some of their first hands-on experience aboard a vessel. The Summer Sea Term is one way this program puts cadets right in the action as a time to test students’ skills and translate the classroom to craft.

“Our summer training terms are practical,” Howell said. “It's like an internship. They do watches, maintenance and classwork on board during the summers, emphasizing whatever they learned in the school year.”

The summer isn’t the only time cadets practice their maritime skills. Training ships also allow for year-long practical experience that doesn’t require a simulation for students to learn the ropes.
 

After months of planning and crafting the Lone Star State piece by piece, the new ship docked on Sept. 8, 2026, reshaping the future of Texas A&M Galveston’s maritime program. The ship is outfitted with the newest technology, comfortable berths and spaces built specifically for classes and labs. However, with facilities to handle various crises should the ship be called upon in an hour of need, this training ship’s superpower is in its dual-purpose nature: training first, and missions second.
 

Texas A&M Galveston's new training ship, the TS Lone Star State, arrived this September and will set sail for its first Summer Sea Term in 2027.

“It’s a resource that anybody who lives on any waterfront should be excited about, because it could very well become the platform that brings in response teams after a major incident,” Tieman said.

Over the months spent executing this vision, Texas A&M Galveston has welcomed a flood of support. Now, more than ever, former students are excited about making an impact and giving back towards Texas A&M Galveston’s future. 

“I'm most excited with the capabilities it has, the record growth it's generating for our academy and the re-engagement from all the former students,” Howell said. 

Regardless of how the program sets its course to new goals, looking back on the legacy left in its wake is crucial to appreciating the landmark that is the TS Lone Star State. “This ship isn’t just relevant to us,” Tieman said. “It's relevant to the community and the world we serve.”
 

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