NEW YORK – Elias Pantelaros has been a naval architect and marine engineer, involved in maritime shipping in Greece and throughout the world for approximately five decades.
Manager of the Engineering & Purchasing Department for the Colonial Navigation Company, he is considered a maritime shipping expert.
Colonial represents ships bearing Greek names like “Marcella,” “Analipsi,” “Chrisopigi,” “Ellie,” “Fotini,” “Mercini,” “Panagia,” and “Politisa,” emblematic of their owners’ pride in their Hellenic heritage.
A supporter of AHEPA and the Holy Trinity parish in New Rochelle, NY, including its Greek school, Pantelaros is avidly involved with Chian-Americans. His son, George, carries on the tradition; he is Vice President of the Chian Federation.
In honor of Elias Pantelaros, the Herald dedicates its July 1, 2017 edition of Periodiko to him.
GRATITUDE
Our interview with Pantelaros took place at this Manhattan office. The staff welcomed us warmly and was happy we chose to honor him.
Colonial President Kenneth H. Hannan praised Pantelaros as a model of the younger generation of company executives, one who knows maritime shipping and this century’s challenges to the industry very well.
Pantelaros was very grateful to the Herald’s choosing to dedicate the issue to him, considering it an honor himself, “one of the greatest of my life.”
He specifically thanked Publisher-Editor Antonis H. Diamataris “for presenting the work of my daughter, Maria, for the renovation of Madison Square Garden and more generally in promoting the work of my son, George, who is one of the younger executives of the Chian Federation, where he was recently elected its third vice president. Each nationality counts its achievements with different measures. We Greek-Americans believe that there is no bigger achievement than family and no bigger investment than our children’s education.”
Referring to the course of Greek shipping, he pointed out that after World War II, New York was the global shipping center. “Most Greek shipping companies started in New York because it was the center of the trade, of communications, chartering, etc. Over time, with communications available all over the world, most Greek companies began to move away from New York for operating cost savings, and today we can say that most of them have left New York.”
Referring to his duties, Pantelaros pointed out that “I deal with the technical issues and supplies for our ships. My department needs people on land. I help them and I make sure things are as they should be in North and South America.”
ON SHIPS AND SHIPOWNERS
Why are ships considered to be of a female gender? “On ships, all seamen are men and must have a woman, and for this reason, since ancient times, the ship was considered a female gender. The ship is their only companion and the only hope between heaven and sea.”
As for the foreigners’ impressions about Greek shipowners, he pointed out that “Greeks are ingenious people. The management and operation of the ships is done in a way that other nationalities cannot apply. The Greek shipowner tries to have absolute control. The Greek captain and sailor can think of solutions that others cannot even imagine.
“In past decades, Greeks were the majority in the maritime shipping industry. No one has the mind and the insight of the Greek with regard to crews. My generation of the Technical Depts. are missing those years with Greek crew. At the office it was a lot easier because all on board the ship from the captain to the sailor were Greeks. They were trying to solve ships’ problems without becoming a burden. That is scarce when you do not have Greeks in the crew.
“Today we have Indian, Russian, and Filipino crews and no one can do what the Greeks were doing. The Greek sees the ship as his own. Foreign sailors do not work as hard as Greeks do.”
In nearly five decades in the industry, he experienced changes, such as that “the operation and the machinery has been modernized. Now, in navigation, we have a machine similar to an automobile’s GPS and can sail the ship alone. The crews have changed, the flag has changed, and competition has become very tough.
“Previously, there were ingenious shipowners who invested their own money. Nowadays, banks and big funds came in, which radically changed the competition. Companies listed on the Stock Exchange, who handle outsiders’ money, can take big risks, resulting in the present bulk market recession. In addition, the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) new regulations have changed the shipping industry.
“The ships today are automatically operated. Automation has been introduced and the number of crew is decreased. Technological progress on ships is comparable to progress in cars. Like cars that are difficult to start in case of damage, if you do not go to the dealer, so is the case with the ships, because everything is controlled by computers. In past years, ships were heavier, because there were no accurate ways of calculating the strength, while the building materials were weaker. Today, ships are lighter and can carry a heavier cargo.”
As to the stories about remote-controlled ships, Pantelaros said “I believe they will become a reality in the next decade.”
LONG, DISTINGUISHED CAREER
Pantelaros explained that his career began “in the Andreadis shipyards at Elefsina, Greece as a quality control inspector in the Shipbuilding Dept. in 1972. I continued my studies at MIT with a master’s in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering and Shipping and Shipbuilding Management . At MIT I was involved in maritime science and in writing essays on topics including: Economical feasibility to convert steamships into diesel ships; economical feasibility of converting fuel on steamships, from coal to oil; economic analysis for the election of a main engine on a tanker; loading and unloading methods on cargo ships; a computer program to calculate the closest distances between the main American cities; and impressions of a Greek immigrant from life in the United States.
The above essays included computer programs I wrote at the time the computer was the size of an office, and made calculations done today by a handheld computer.”
After MIT, Pantelaros began working at the office of the benefactor of the Chian Federation, George Livanos and his father-in-law, John Carras, in Manhattan.
“I was responsible for the inspections and repairs of the Caribbean MINI fleet, which were built, 48 in total, initially for the food UN transportation in Bangladesh.
I participated in a project that added to a MINI diesel-powered ship electrical sails for saving fuel. I also participated in the conversion of a MINI bulker into a tanker to transport water to the Bahamas from Florida. I designed a computer program to monitor the ship inspections for which I was responsible for the entire fleet of the company for about 100 ships. I participated in the approval of plans for shipbuilding in Japan and I was an inspector for the purchase of used ships.”
Afterward, he went to Japan where, for one year, he was team leader for the construction of two cargo ships on behalf of the company of Los.
“I continued to work in the offices of Los in New York, as Technical Director, Purchasing Manager, and finally General Consultant of the New York office, while I traveled to supervise ship repairs around the world. I came to Colonial Navigation, where I work part-time as a Technical and Purchasing Manager. I have attended countless maritime symposia and seminars and as a mediator in presentation of marine shipping products.
“As an MIT Graduate Mentor, I have contributed to a research for delivering to an offshore ship medical supplies and small consignments with drones.”
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Immediately after his arrival in the United States, Pantelaros became a member of the Pyrgousion Society club in New York. “My first active involvement with the club was to be a member of the Auditing Committee for Council Elections. Interest in the club was weak in those years, with the old members being tired and the young people not being interested in taking over. The same people were involved in the elections over and over, so I proposed in the late 1970s to conduct elections by correspondence with paid return envelopes (there was no email yet). The voter turnout that way was extremely high – over 100 – while typically elections did not yield a turnout more than 10.”
The apathy gave way to motivation to create a youth department and many successful events. “Unforgettable is the carnival dance party with the local costumes of the village and the old customs, where all Pyrgousoi packed the Social Hall of the Chian Federation during the presidency of the late John Siderakis. I participated in the New Council as a representative in the Chian Federation, which had recently been created and which bought the Chian Home with the help of George Livanos, at whose offices I was working as a Naval Architect in Manhattan. At the time, the participation of Pyrgousoi and the Chian Federation in the demonstration at the White House for the Cyprus was great.”
After his studies at MIT, he moved in Staten Island, where he was a member of the Holy Trinity and St. Nicholas parishes, traveling three weeks per month throughout coastal America and Caribbean, and particularly in Florida, New Orleans, Mexico, and Trinidad.
In 1988 Pantelaros moved with his family to New Rochelle, where he still lives.
Referring to the community of the Holy Trinity in New Rochelle, he pointed out: “Here, the community is mostly composed of second-, third-, and fourth-generation Greeks.” The Greek language and customs needed a boost. “My wife, a teacher, assumed the director position of the Greek school and I helped her in school events so that we could strengthen the community with the Greek customs. His wife added Greek songs, Greek dances, and Greek festivals to the school program, and established the school as a participant in the annual Greek Independence day in Manhattan. “We have donated for the new gym that the community built, the new frescos in the church, the AHEPA scholarships program, and wherever else it was needed,” he said.
“I became a member of the local AHEPA and joined the Committee for Greek Events. I have organized nights with Greek songs and dances and Greek Cinema. My participation in the Pyrgosion Club continued over the years, despite the fact that I stayed away from the Chian Home. At present I am a member of the Fundraiser Album Committee, whenever it is done to raise money and help the village. After meticulous research, I have written and published in the fundraiser album essays titled:
- “The Life of the Pyrgoson in America,” which describes our history, from1900 until today.
- “The Wedding of Pyrgouson,” with all the local customs of Pyrgouson in the village and here, from 1900 until today.
“The participation of my family in all Greek-American events is great, with my son being a vice-president of the Chian Federation.”
FROM PYRGI TO NEW YORK
Pantelaros was born on Chios and lived with his parents in Athens until he was four years old.
Subsequently, he lived in the Chian village Pyrgi with his uncle Elias, while his parents and his newborn brother remained in Athens. He reunited with his family when he almost went to the high school of the neighboring village of Kalamoti, when his parents returned to Pyrgi.
All during his school years he was a great student with financial awards and praises from the Ministry of Education. In high school he was a standard bearer, a caretaker of his class, titles given to the top students. He participated in plays, presented speeches, and organized festivals and exhibitions, while also publishing in the local press the village and school news.
He was a supervisor of the village’s library. At 15, he was a co-founder of a scout group with the director of the village school and served as deputy chief until he left for Athens to study.
Pantelaros scored first in the entrance examinations among 5000 candidates and was accepted to the Piraeus Naval Architect College. He was unable to enter the Military School because of his father’s and his uncle’s political party affairs (they belonged to the centrist party) but his father resisted the junta administration of the village, where he was elected as member of the board.
From 1970 to January 1976, Pantelaros lived in Athens, away again from his parents. From Athens, he continued to contribute to the village: he sent films to the school, which were shown in the village square for free, and he brought a radio back from Athens for the school to play folk songs dedicated to the villagers, resulting in being chased by the junta regime in 1971.
In addition to his studies, Pantelaros worked at the Elefsina Shipyard as an inspector in the Quality Control of the Shipbuilding Dept. and he also took English courses at the Hellenic American Union near the Law School of the University of Athens. There, he took part in the protests of law students against the junta. Athens Security Police watched him on a daily basis all the years he lived in Athens, until the junta left.
ON THE JUNTA’S RADAR
He will not forget the incident with the construction that his father was building in Athens and he was watching. On the eve of making the concrete roof cement, he called his father to Chios to inform him that “the reinforcement was ready and they would drop it tomorrow,” the concrete, he meant. The next morning, all the roads around the building were supervised by police officers with civil clothes and black glasses. His phone was under constant surveillance, so the Security Police mistakenly picked up “the reinforcement” and “the drop” as an attack, so the Police was alerted. Many times he was summoned to the police station to explain the conversations he had with his fellow students about the junta’s works.
Early in the night of November 17, 1973, when the tanks arrived at the Athens Polytechnic University, his school student board decided to shop for food and take them to the Polytechnic, where students were enclosed inside without food. With the bags in hand, they took the bus Piraeus-Athens. From the point where the “Fotaerio” was to Omonoia Square, the Piraeus-Athens Street was closed by the protesters and the police. They got off the bus and continued on foot to Omonoia to go to the Polytechnic with barricades and garbage fires. In Omonoia, the police chased them with tear gas and smoke and escaped to Athena Street. There, the group broke up, so he escaped to Stadiou Street and then to Panepistimiou Street, and reached Academia Street. From there, he tried to descend to Caniggos Square in order to reach the Polytechnic. Unfortunately, there was another chase from the police, so he went to Hippocrates Street and reached to Alexandra Street. Alexandra was closed with overturned buses and trolleys by protesters, and one could hardly pass across to Gyzi. From there, he finally managed to reach his home in Poligono after midnight.
The next morning, the radio stations were announcing that there was absolute calm in Athens and that life was going on normally. In vain, he waited for a bus to the center of town, so he went down Patision Street on foot.
What to see? Patision was a huge army tank parking lot. Athens was under a martial law. The capture of the Polytechnic had taken place, and then, the invasion by the Turks of Cyprus on July 20, 1974. On that day, he was in Omonoia to visit his relatives in Chaidari to celebrate his nameday. Due to the military mobilization, all of Athens was frozen. Therefore, he walked to Chaidari, where instead of celebrating, he was glued to the radio to see if he would be called to the army as a soldier. Eventually, the students with a student deferment were not invited to attend the army, but his classmates who served in Cyprus were injured during the invasion.
ONTO AMERICA
“I still remember all these things as a nightmare,” he recalled, “and I was looking forward to leaving for the United States, to continue my studies, despite the fact that my place was irreplaceable and I always ridiculed those who left their homeland for America.
“I knew that the quality of life there was not good, since everyone who has returned to their homeland brought money but came back with poor health. However, the need for a better future forced many to immigrate and many never returned back. In the same way, I was forced to immigrate. But not for money, for a higher education.
“I graduated from the Naval Architecture College in May 1975 and I applied to continue studies at MIT, where I was admitted with a scholarship from Greece. I quit my job at the shipyard, while there were no jobs around and the shipyard was firing workers. My colleagues were telling me I am crazy to resign and lose a good job, although they did not fire me. I started looking for a ticket to New York. The ships had stopped coming to America. Though an engineer, only the ships I studied inspired me in terms of safety. I had never flown on an airplane and I was hesitant to try it. I could not realize that the job that I would choose after MIT would require continued air travel. So, whether I liked it or not, I finally boarded the plane for New York.
“On January 6, 1976, on the day of the Epiphany and my birthday, I arrived at Kennedy Airport in New York. My mother’s first cousins received me at the airport. My first impressions were somewhat strange: all New York was full of snow and was still adorned in festive Christmas decorations. The road from the airport to the house where I stayed was a highway without traffic lights – nonexistent in Athens. The cars were twice the size, while the houses on the suburbs of the middle class were similar to those of Athens’ poor working class dwellings, all identical to a specific model, in every neighborhood.
At MIT I learned to eat ice cream and drink water with ice in the winter, which was unheard of in Greece. The winter was very cold but not as humid as in Greece. The professors were approachable, dressed casually, without neckties. We could see them sitting next to us in the cafeteria to rest. The courses were many and the study was on a 24/7 basis. There was no time to get a job. In two and a half years, I graduated.”
He was a MIT Educational Consultant for Candidate Students and a Mentor for graduates, member of the Technical Committee of the American Bureau of Shipping, member of the American Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, member of the Greek Societies of Pyrgi, Chios, AHEPA and the Greek Orthodox Church.
Elias Pantelaros is married to Irene Lagoudi, a Columbia University graduate.
Their two children are George, who recently graduated from New York Law School, and Maria, a civil engineer, who graduated from Carnegie Mellon University and works for Turner Construction Company. She is currently overseeing the project of a new wing built at Columbia.
The post A Tribute to Elias Pantelaros – Shipping Expert and Community Supporter appeared first on The National Herald.