Lykes President W.J. Amoss Receives American Legion Merchant Marine Award

W.J. Amoss Jr., president of Lykes Bros. Steamship Co., Inc., a subsidiary of The LTV Corporation, was presented the American Legion's National Merchant Marine Award by President Ronald Reagan in a recent White House ceremony. President Reagan said Mr. Amoss was being recognized for his work in reopening U.S.-flag shipping with China, for the progress and expansion of the Lykes fleet, and for his advocacy of a strengthened merchant marine.

The award, established in 1956, is sponsored by the American Legion's Robert L. Hague Merchant Marine Industries Post in New York. It is presented only in years when a person, company, or organization is judged to have made an extraordinary contribution to the American merchant marine.

In his remarks accompanying the presentation of the award, President Reagan stressed the need for a healthy merchant marine "that can serve as a military auxiliary in time of national emergencies." In accepting the award, Mr. Amoss told President Reagan that the U.S. maritime industry is "enormously heartened by your interest in our industry.

The reluctance of past administrations to define positive maritime objectives invited intergovernmental territorial squabbles that have characterized previous unsuccessful attempts at maritime reform," Mr. Amoss said.

Mr. Amoss, who has been president of Lykes since 1973 and is a vice president of The LTV Corporation, also serves as chairman of the board of governors of the National Maritime Council, an association representing U.S. shipyards, shipping i n t e r e s t s and maritime labor. In 1979, he negotiated an agreement that cleared the way for resumption of U.S.- flag shipping to China following a 30-year interruption. In March 1979, a Lykes ship became the first U.S.-flag vessel to call in China since 1949.

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