Her name is so linked to Baltimore's port that it has been renamed the "Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore."
For well over a half-century, Bentley has followed and championed the causes of the city's maritime industry, as a journalist, Nixon administration appointee, congresswoman and consultant. She has been called "the godmother of the port," which she has described as being akin to her own child.
This month, the Baltimore Museum of Industry gave Bentley the 2010 William Donald Schaefer Industrialist of the Year Award, presented each spring to visionary local business leaders.
She began her career in 1945 as a port beat reporter at The Baltimore Sun and continues to work today as a lobbyist. She has credited her mother, who immigrated through the port, with instilling in her a passion for the waterfront.
When asked which of her accomplishments would be the most enduring, she said: "My legacy will be that the port will continue to thrive and will continue to be the backbone of the industry in the state of Maryland."
In a recent interview with The Baltimore Sun, Bentley reminisced about the port over the decades.
Question: What are some of the bigger changes you've seen at the port?
Answer: When I started on the port, there were no women there. There were two working in offices, and the three of us became friends. They weren't allowed to many events. I was frequently the only woman, and I'm so pleased to see the capable women coming up in the transportation industry, and I will say I believe their participation is making the industry an even better one.
Q: How was it for you covering the port as a female reporter?
A: I had to be as mean and as tough as I could be. And I was. I was thrown out of more union halls. I was kicked out and carried out of the halls. And another time, when I was thrown out of one, I put the microphone down through the transom, and they came chasing after me. The male reporters were too afraid to go. I won't mention any names.
Q: What were some of the major issues facing the port during the 1950s?
A: The port of Baltimore was not growing at that time. It was owned and controlled by the three railroads who had facilities there. And the railroads were not interested in investing to modernize their facilities because they did not want to provide opportunities for the trucking industry to be able to survive.
New York, Philadelphia and Norfolk all had public agencies that were developing, modernizing and providing funds for facilities. Gov. Ted McKeldin named a committee, and [the public agency proposal] went to the state legislature, and we lost that year. We were opposed by the railroads and the association of commerce, but by the time we were there the second time around, we had the gas and electric company with us and got the legislation through the General Assembly.
The next major problem was [the need for] a 50-foot channel. At Hart-Miller Island, there was a fight on to put dredge material there. And Clarence Long was the congressman from the 2nd District and was opposed to the dredging and placement of materials. That's when I ran against him for Congress on that issue. I had been chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission in the interim. We got the 50-foot channel authority. It was the last piece of legislation in the 99th Congress, and it was a fierce battle to get that through.
Q: How do some of those issues compare to challenges today?
A: We have to keep some waterfront land — of what little is left — available for the industrial base. That's where the jobs are, good-paying jobs. In this day and age, the only good-paying, blue-collar jobs left are around the waterfront. Even though manufacturing has changed, there will always be some opportunity for manufacturing as land is available to expand.
Q: Do you think too much has been rezoned for housing and other uses?
A: Yes, I do, and unfortunately the city is not receiving the kind of tax money it had expected because of what happened in the economic decline. So nobody is benefitting.
Q: As a longtime supporter of the port, what do you think of the agreement with Ports America to operate Seagirt Marine Terminal and build a 50-foot-deep berth? (The project is designed to prepare the terminal for larger cargo ships that are expected after the widening of the Panama Canal is completed in about four years.)
A: We needed the 50-foot berth very, very much. The state simply did not have the funds, and we had to do something to make it happen. We were lucky that Ports America came along and has the funding to accomplish the job. If we had not done the 50-foot channel when we did, we would never have it today.
Q: Has the port been able to remain competitive as an auto handler?
A: Because we cannot expect to be a major container port 150 miles from the ocean, we have focused in on niche cargoes. Automobiles are one, and forest products are another. Both of those products have to have very careful handling and quality checks. Our longshoremen are trained along those lines and cognizant of how careful [they need to be]. For automobiles, there can't be any scratches. They can't even wear rings on their fingers. On forest products, it's equally as urgent that they take care. If there is a tear in a roll of paper, hundreds of thousands of dollars are lost.
Q: How will the loss of Amports' contract to process Hyundai and Kia cars, and the layoffs of 116 workers announced in May, impact jobs and the image of the port as a top auto handler?
A: Not seriously. The loss of any jobs, nobody likes, and we hope that we will be gaining Kia and Hyundai back.
Q: What is the current state of relations between port-related companies and organized labor?
A: I think it's quite good. … It's a lot different than when I first started around the waterfront. Labor only thought of labor, and management only thought of management. Today both realize they need each other.
In 1988, Baltimore had an international reputation of being the port that wouldn't work in the rain, and labor was a very touchy issue. And William Donald Schaefer as governor was very angry and ready to shut the port down to all commerce. And I said, 'Governor, let me have a chance at mediating this.' And he gave me authority, and we started labor negotiations on Nov. 22, 1988. We went to Jan. 8, 1989, night and day for eight weeks, with the exception of Christmas Day, and we got the rain clause eliminated.
Q: Has security at the port improved? How do you balance commerce with the appropriate security?
A: You go down to the port and try to get in. Without the right papers, you will have a very, very hard, if not impossible, [time] to make it. … You'll never be able to keep any port 100 percent secure. You have water, and you have land, and you have entrances from all over, but I will say this, the security we do have, it's very good.
Q: You started Helen Bentley & Associates in 1995. Tell me about your decision to stay active in business rather than retiring.
A: I'm a lobbyist for maritime and defense and the patent industry. Patents are such an important part of the base of this country. I plan to just keep going along as I have been. … I'm not over the hill, but I'm at a place where I don't want to overexert. I'm happy with what we're doing.
lorraine.mirabella@baltsun.com
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