MACK E. VORHEES, LTJG, USN
Mack Vorhees '30
Lucky Bag
From the 1930 Lucky Bag:
MACK EDMUND VORHEES
Findlay, Ohio
"Mac"
MAC was famous before he held up his hand and murmured: "I do," for he was the gig man in a dancing contest back in Ozone Park—and it is no small achievement to be the premier dancer of that place.
He had his hands full Plebe year, as do most Plebes, attempting to attain that high standard, the immortal "2.5." His best attainment was his "grease" mark, which came from beautifully shined shoes; the shining habit grew upon him with the result that his roommate has not had to buy shoe polish since.
With the advent of his first "drag" Mac sallied forth to the hops, where he made an enviable record. This weakness was overcome, however, at the completion of one year's struggle; and only twice since has "Mac" accepted the invitation to drag.
"Mac's" retiring nature usually asserts itself in a crowd of midshipmen, but to see him back before the open-mouthed citizens of dear old Findlay! 'Twould be a surprise.
1 P. O. ; Class Football 4, 1 ; B Squad Football 3; Wrestling 4, 3, 2, 1; wNAt 3, 2.
Mac, after starting the wrestling season on the bench, won a varsity berth and competed regularly in the 135-pound class.
MACK EDMUND VORHEES
Findlay, Ohio
"Mac"
MAC was famous before he held up his hand and murmured: "I do," for he was the gig man in a dancing contest back in Ozone Park—and it is no small achievement to be the premier dancer of that place.
He had his hands full Plebe year, as do most Plebes, attempting to attain that high standard, the immortal "2.5." His best attainment was his "grease" mark, which came from beautifully shined shoes; the shining habit grew upon him with the result that his roommate has not had to buy shoe polish since.
With the advent of his first "drag" Mac sallied forth to the hops, where he made an enviable record. This weakness was overcome, however, at the completion of one year's struggle; and only twice since has "Mac" accepted the invitation to drag.
"Mac's" retiring nature usually asserts itself in a crowd of midshipmen, but to see him back before the open-mouthed citizens of dear old Findlay! 'Twould be a surprise.
1 P. O. ; Class Football 4, 1 ; B Squad Football 3; Wrestling 4, 3, 2, 1; wNAt 3, 2.
Mac, after starting the wrestling season on the bench, won a varsity berth and competed regularly in the 135-pound class.
Loss
From Naval History and Heritage Command:
Ensign Mack E. Vorhees and Seaman 2 class Joseph Arthur Sheridan died of injuries after their SU-2 plane crashed near Descanso, Calif. 22 June 1933.
A bystander said the plane fell 300 feet after the motor quit.
Other Information
From researcher Kathy Franz:
Mack graduated from Findlay High School in 1924. “Responsibility prevents mischief.” (1) Classical Club, Latin Play; (1) (2) (3) (4) Class Basketball; (1) Class Football; (2) (3) Football Reserves; (4) Varsity Football; (2) Rhetoricals; (3) Jr. Reception Committee; (3) Justamere Club; (3) (4) B. & G. Staff; (3) (4) Varsity Basketball, Varsity Club; (4) French Club, Vice-Pres. Hi-Y Club, Capt. Basketball, Business Mgr. of B. & G., Ring and Pin Committee, “The Passing of the Third Floor Back” [Mack played “The Stranger” in this play.]
Senior Prophecy: Next we called Honolulu where Admiral Vorhees, on his trip around the world after a historic career at Annapolis, is sitting on Hawaiian sands watching the Hula Hula, having totally forgotten, per usual, his waiting love, a manicurist in a barber shop in Findlay, Ohio.
On the football page: Mack Vorhees – “Nut” (L. H.) Vorhees played a hard game at half and many times acquired much needed yardage. He always hit the line hard and low and could be counted on to do his share each time a play started. We must say goodbye to this friend and teammate for he graduates this year. Minutes played: 424. Points: 6.
On the basketball page: Capt. Vorhees. A better and more spirited leader could not be found for our team. He seemed to be all over the floor at once and very few baskets were flipped over his head. He was a small man in stature but will be a big man to lose.
Prize Winners: In the contest on knowing people who were “so dumb that –” Mack Vorhees wins the Solid silver car muffs for sending in this: “I know a dame so dumb that she thought that celluloid was Harold Lloyd’s sister.”
He attended college before being named to the Naval Academy by Congressman Brooks Fletcher.
Mack's father was James, a commercial traveler for a grocery store. His mother was Lorena, his brother Byron was a doctor of ostepath, and his sister was Mary.
Mack is buried in Ohio.
Photographs
From his high school yearbook
From the basketball team photo in his high school yearbook
The "Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps" was published annually from 1815 through at least the 1970s; it provided rank, command or station, and occasionally billet until the beginning of World War II when command/station was no longer included. Scanned copies were reviewed and data entered from the mid-1840s through 1922, when more-frequent Navy Directories were available.
The Navy Directory was a publication that provided information on the command, billet, and rank of every active and retired naval officer. Single editions have been found online from January 1915 and March 1918, and then from three to six editions per year from 1923 through 1940; the final edition is from April 1941.
The entries in both series of documents are sometimes cryptic and confusing. They are often inconsistent, even within an edition, with the name of commands; this is especially true for aviation squadrons in the 1920s and early 1930s.
Alumni listed at the same command may or may not have had significant interactions; they could have shared a stateroom or workspace, stood many hours of watch together… or, especially at the larger commands, they might not have known each other at all. The information provides the opportunity to draw connections that are otherwise invisible, though, and gives a fuller view of the professional experiences of these alumni in Memorial Hall.
October 1930
LT Stephen Cooke '21 (Observation Plane Squadron (VO) 5B)
ENS Francis Jordan '29 (Battleship Division 5)
January 1931
LTjg Theodore Marshall '24 (Observation Plane Squadron (VO) 5B)
April 1931
July 1931
October 1931
January 1932
LT Jack Richardson '19
LT Irving Wiltsie '21
LTjg Matthias Marple, Jr. '23
LTjg Robert Larson '24
LTjg James McDonough '24
LTjg Charles McDonald '24
LTjg Arthur Farrell '25
LTjg Carlton Hutchins '26
April 1932
LT Jack Richardson '19
LT Irving Wiltsie '21
LTjg Matthias Marple, Jr. '23
LTjg Robert Larson '24
LTjg James McDonough '24
LTjg Charles McDonald '24
LTjg Arthur Farrell '25
LTjg Carlton Hutchins '26
LTjg Charles Signer '26
October 1932
January 1933
April 1933
LTjg Eugene Davis '27 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
LTjg Renwick Calderhead '27 (Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 2B)
ENS Weldon Hamilton '28 (Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 2B)
LTjg William Arthur '29 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 1B)
LTjg Mathias Wyatt '29 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
LTjg William Oliver '29 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
LTjg Jacob Britt '29 (USS Saratoga)
ENS James Clarkson '30 (USS Saratoga)
ENS Byron Newell '30 (USS Saratoga)
ENS Leo Crane '31 (USS Saratoga)
ENS George Stone '31 (USS Saratoga)
ENS George Ottinger '32 (USS Saratoga)
ENS Frank Latta '32 (USS Saratoga)
Memorial Hall Error
Mack is listed as an Ensign in Memorial Hall, but he has LTjg on his headstone and in the Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps of 1934. His classmates — and apparently Mack — were promoted on June 5, 1933.
The "category" links below lead to lists of related Honorees; use them to explore further the service and sacrifice of alumni in Memorial Hall.
