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Black and white portrait of U.S. Navy officer Basil “Hap” Struthers
B. Hathaway Struthers
Black and white portrait of U.S. Navy officer Basil “Hap” Struthers
Black and white portrait of U.S. Navy officer Basil “Hap” Struthers

B. Hathaway Struthers

BiographyB. Hathaway Struthers, nicknamed Hap, served as a U.S. Navy chaplain for 21 years. He served on board the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid (CVS-11) as the ship’s Protestant chaplain from 1971 to 1973. At the time, he held the rank of commander. As chaplain, his duties involved holding religious services and counseling crew members. Struthers was involved in initiatives to improve race relations on board the ship. He was involved in the response to racial unrest on board Intrepid in January 1973. He also served as the chairman of the ship's Human Relations Council, which was formed to improve the wellbeing of the crew as a whole and to address issues of racial discrimination. After he left the military, Struthers taught at Columbia International University in South Carolina and later was a founder of Faith Bible College in Virginia. The Museum interviewed Struthers for the oral history collection (OHP.169).
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