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SS United States Conservancy
Successful Symposium and Annual Meeting in NYC!
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Dear SS United States Conservancy Members and Supporters:
The month of May was very busy for the SS United States Conservancy as we pushed full-speed ahead to secure a dignified future for our national flagship! - The SS United States Symposium and annual meeting held at New York City's South Street Seaport Museum on May 23 was a great success!
- The Smithsonian Institution unveiled its long-awaited permanent maritime exhibition, "On the Water: Stories of Maritime America" on May 22, which included a display developed with support from the Conservancy!
- The documentary film "SS United States: Lady in Waiting" was re-broadcast on American Public Television and Public Broadcasting Stations nationwide!
- Media, legislative outreach, and coalition-building picked up steam as supporters of the SS United States swung into action across the country.
- The Conservancy published an updated full-color tri-fold brochure on the SS United States with help from graphic designer Greg Shutters www.gregshutters.com. We thank Greg for his wonderful work and encourage you to contact him with any future graphics design needs.
As always, we thank all of you for your encouragement and involvement... we will not be able to save and restore the SS United States without your support! With our best wishes, The SS United States Conservancy's Board of Directors
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SS United States Symposium Summary
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South Street Seaport Museum Celebration
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 The SS United States Conservancy's annual meeting and symposium, convened in collaboration with the South Street Seaport Museum, the Ocean Liner Council and the Steamship Historical Society of America on May 23 was a great success! The event featured a series of entertaining presentations on various facets of the ship's history, including a special screening of the documentary film, "SS United States: Lady in Waiting." Former passengers and crew, maritime historians, ship enthusiasts and other attendees had a wonderful time together at the reception at the end of the day.
One of the main "take-aways" of the meeting is that the SS United States is currently for sale and NOW IS THE TIME to reach out to your local, state, and national policymakers to share the story of the SS United States' historical important and future potential. The SS United States Conservancy is working in collaboration with a number of other organizations and individuals and we are currently supporting focused business development and media outreach in New York, Philadelphia, and Miami. New York City's Economic Development Council has pledged its support for the Conservancy's efforts and We could always use more hands on deck!
 The SS United States symposium featured many special moments. The Conservancy was deeply honored and humbled to receive a gorgeous painting of the SS United States at her Philadelphia pier from Thom Sweeney and his son Brad. We look forward to featuring it in our 2010 calendar, which will be dedicated exclusively to artistic renderings of the SS United States. (Stay tuned for more details and ordering information.) We were also thrilled to welcome renowned New York artist Edward Meshekoff and his daughter Luisa to the symposium (shown in photo below). Edward was commissioned to provide the artwork in the SS United States tourist class playroom, a series of whimsical circus scenes rendered in gouche.
While the formal inaugural event for the SS United States Conservancy's Advisory Council will take place in the coming months, we were delighted to welcome several Council members to New York: Elizabeth Fletcher (who kindly signed copies of her fabulous children's book about the SS United States, Grandfather's Ship), Laura Franklin Dunn, Noelle Hollander, and Dick Bracken.
The Conservancy's Dan McSweeney has also posted about the event on our blog. For regular updates about the ship and our efforts to save her, be sure to bookmark our blog page.
For those of you who were unable to join us in New York, we are planning a special summer event in Philadelphia - please stay tuned!
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| SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM EXHIBIT OPENS
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SS United States Conservancy Honored to Assist with Museum's SS United States Display
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The Smithsonian Institution unveiled its long-awaited permanent exhibition on U.S. maritime history, "On the Water: Stories of Maritime America," on May 22. For more information, click HERE.
The SS United States Conservancy was honored to be represented at the exhibit's opening ceremonies and to have contributed some special images of the SS United States to the display. Many thanks to Joe Rota and Joan Browning, two contributors to the SS United States Conservancy's Archives Project, for their fabulous photographs! They will now be seen by millions of Smithsonian visitors each year.
The Smithsonian has also developed a wonderful "virtual" display of "On the Water" - it can be explored by clicking HERE.
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NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION FEATURES THE SHIP'S PLIGHT
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Preservation Magazine Reports on
Ship Being Listed for Sale
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The National Trust for Historic Preservation ran a piece on May 14 to draw attention to Star Cruises' decision to list the SS United States for sale. Author Eric Wills noted the SS United States Conservancy's efforts to prevent the ship's sale for scrap. To view the piece, click HERE.
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GIBBS & COX CELEBRATES 80TH YEAR
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Firm that designed the SS United States
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Gibbs & Cox, Inc. is celebrating 80 years of operations as one of the
largest independent U.S. naval architecture and marine engineering firms. Since its founding, more than 6,000 naval and commercial ships have been built to Gibbs
& Cox, Inc. designs.
The company was founded on June 29, 1929 by lawyer and
engineer William Francis Gibbs, his brother Frederic H. Gibbs and Daniel Cox, a
noted yacht designer. As the inspirational leader of the company, William
Francis, designed the famous, standardized cargo-carrying Liberty ships of World
War II and was instrumental in the implementation of modular construction,
centralized material and equipment procurement, and design-for-production
features that are the foundation of cost-effective shipbuilding today. During World War II,
Gibbs & Cox was a leader in the shaping of the U.S. maritime forces.
Approximately 80 percent of the ships built during the war were built to Gibbs
& Cox, Inc. designs. These included destroyers, destroyer escorts, light
cruisers, landing ships and amphibious assault vessels, liberty ships,
minesweepers, icebreakers, tankers and tenders.
Following the war, Gibbs & Cox designed the passenger liner SS United States (1952). This ship, which
could be rapidly converted from a luxury liner to a high-speed troop transport
or hospital ship in wartime, was the largest and fastest passenger vessel ever
constructed in the U.S. On her maiden voyage in 1952, she set the record for
fastest eastbound and westbound transatlantic crossings.
Gibbs & Cox, Inc. is an independent engineering and design firm
specializing in naval architecture, marine engineering, management support, and
engineering consulting. The firm is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia with
offices in New York, NY, City, Washington D.C., Hampton, VA, and Philadelphia, PA.
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SS United States Conservancy
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