The Marine Society of New York is a charitable and educational organization, the regular membership being composed entirely of seafarers, all of whom must be, or have been Captains or Officers of merchant vessels under the United States flag. It was formed in colonial days, and formally chartered by King George III in 1770 to "...improve maritime knowledge and relieve indigent and distressed shipmasters, their widows and orphans..." Among the early honorary members of the Society was President George Washington.
