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 | Susan L. Gibbs, left, SS United States Conservancy Executive Director, accepts a donation from Evan Shekhar, 4, with his mother Carol Shekhar, from Hockessin, Delaware.
Photo Credit: Judy Lowery of The Daily Press.
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Executive Director's Update
Dear SS United States Conservancy Members and Supporters:
Earlier this month, I had the honor of speaking at the Mariners Museum of Newport News and screening a "rough cut" of Bob Radler's wonderful new film, SS United States: Made in America.
Lee Sutton was one of the 350 people who attended the event. His father was a Newport News shipyard draftsman who designed the captain's toothbrush holder aboard the SS United States. "When I see the clips of the thousands of workers descending the steps next to the ship," Lee explained, "I think about the pride that every worker felt as they assembled the most beautiful ship ever built." He remembered the ship's return to Newport News in December for annual maintenance: "We'd drive downtown at night for Christmas shopping and round the curve on Huntington Avenue, and there it would be, the funnels aglow, dominating the river, the town, and the sky. We couldn't help feeling important."
I also met four-year-old Evan Shekhar. Evan presented me with a piece of orange construction paper that had been folded and taped. His mother explained that they had traveled all the way from Delaware to give a donation to the granddaughter of the "inventor of the SS United States." His nickels, dimes and quarters totaled $1.09.
I later learned more about Evan's fascination with the ship and how his mother supported her son's passion. She explained, "Together, we made up a SS United States song. We mapped out 990 feet in the yard. He drew SS United States pictures and made models with paper and tape. At one point there were probably 20 SS United States models lying around. They were made of duct tape, construction paper, Lincoln Logs, Lego, paper towel rolls, cardboard, various toys, and even puzzle pieces. When called on in preschool to tell a story, his stories are always about the speed of the SS United States."
"When Evan learned that the ship was stripped out inside, he seemed genuinely crushed," his mother told me. "He understood that paint wasn't going to be enough. It was then that I told him that the ship needed a lot of money. He went straight to his money and divided his coins into two piles. He kept the smaller one, and handed me the larger. He said, "Let's give this to the guys who are trying to save the SS United States."
So many people share our dream of saving the SS United States, from Gerry Lenfest - whose grants totaling $5.8 million gave the vessel a temporary stay of execution - to four-year-old Evan, who carried a fistful of coins on a train from Delaware to Virginia and whose love of the Big U kept him up way past his bedtime. As we race against time to save the SS United States, we also honor the memory of Lee Sutton's father - and all the other Newport News shipbuilders who combined brain and brawn to build the nation's fastest and most beautiful ocean liner.
Their dream endures.
In gratitude,
Susan L. Gibbs
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 Students from Union, New Jersey Honor the SS United States With Stunning Presentation
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"Now is the time for action!"
Students in Stephen March's Graphic Design & Commercial Arts class at Union High School in Union, New Jersey, have taken the mantra to heart. In early 2011, March's class, including Clayton Shaw, Matthew Ruiz, Anthony Alulema, Matt Massarelli, Kevin Cordova and Kunal Chawla spent over three months recreating the Conservancy's call to arms, originally drawn by Cadet Stephanie Biddle of SUNY Maritime College, in brilliantly carved and decorated wood.
 | | The students' handiwork. Photo credit: Susan Caccavale. |
Stephen March had brought a copy of the poster into his classroom, and, his students, upon hearing the history of the ship, were immediately inspired. They spoke of the elegance of the SS United States, and the engineering marvel that she represented. The ship was an emblem of pride in workmanship, and March's students did her proud. Over the course of the class, they traced the poster and etched it into wood, drilling out holes for pinpoint lights to illuminate the carving. The funnels even smoke!
The final product was breathtaking, and a real wonder.
On February 3rd of this year, Stephen March and his students presented the carving to the SS United States Conservancy in a ceremony at Union High School. Steven Ujifusa, the Conservancy's Development Associate, and Susan Caccavale, a member of the Board of Directors, accepted the gift. Ujifusa and Caccavale gave a joint presentation on the history and meaning of the SS United States to over 100 students. Ujifusa talked about the SS United States as representing an era when America built great things, as well as the story of a young man - the vessel's designer William Francis Gibbs - who followed his dreams. Caccavale talked about her mother Elaine Kaplan, a pioneering female engineer who designed the ship's propellers and was the only female engineer on the Gibbs & Cox SS United States design team.
News12 New Jersey and TV34 of Union, New Jersey covered the event, as well as local newspapers, including Suburban News of New Jersey. (Click on the bold type to read the story.)
The Conservancy is incredibly grateful for this gift. Indeed, as the poster proclaims, "Now is the Time for Action!" We have less than a year in which to save the SS United States. Stephen March and his talented students give us hope that we can join forces to Save Our Ship!
 | Showing their work: the Union High School students with their presentation.
From left: Dr. Patrick Martin, Superintendent of Schools, Township of Union, Stephen March, teacher, Susie Caccavale, Nicholas Gallicchio, Clayton Shaw, Kevin Cordova, Matt Massarelli, Steven Ujifusa.
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| Kick-Off Party and Silent Auction for the Washington DC Chapter | |
To our friends and supporters in and around Washington, DC: Mark your calendars!
The spring kick-off celebration and chapter gathering is set for the evening of Friday, March 2nd!
Please join us for refreshments, a silent auction, and an evening of conviviality in honor of the SS United States at the Wharf Preview Center at 700 Water Street SW in Washington, DC! The doors open at 6:00 PM, and the festivities will conclude at 8:00 PM. We can't wait to see you there!
ALL proceeds from the auction and the event will go towards saving our ship!
If you'll be joining us, please RSVP and register for the event here. If you're interested in donating an item to the silent auction, please contact Sarah Carley at scarley@ssusc.org.
Special thanks go to Chris Beck, Bob Craycraft, and PN Hoffman, Inc. for graciously supporting the event and providing such a beautiful waterfront venue.
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Save the Date! Fort Schuyler Chapter to Hold Gathering at SUNY Maritime!
|  To our friends and colleague in the New York Area: Save the date! The Conservancy is incredibly pleased to announce that on the evening of Saturday, March 24th, the Fort Schuyler Chapter will be hosting a Gala Celebration and Fundraiser, and we look forward to seeing you there! The evening begins at 5:00pm in Vander Clute Hall on the campus of SUNY Maritime College, and will continue until 9:00pm. Hors d'oeuvres will be served, as well as a selection of beers, wines, and soft drinks, covered under the price of admission. Situated in the Bronx, SUNY Maritime's campus at Fort Schuyler commands a stunning view of the East River and Long Island Sound. It contains one of the SS United States' five-bladed propellers and is the home of the Maritime Industry Museum, which will be open to guests throughout the evening. All three of the SS United States' Commodores - Harry Manning, John Anderson, and Leroy Alexanderson - were Fort Schuyler graduates. Tickets for this event are limited, so be sure to reserve yours in advance by going here and ordering yours! If you can't join us on the evening of the 24th, we'll miss you terribly, but you can still support the SS United States - please consider making a donation. We depend on your good will and contributions to keep our ship alive! |
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SS United States: Made in America To Be Screened at Event Honoring Atlantic Logistics' John Reynolds
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Friends and supporters of the Conservancy, we invite you to join us for a special celebration in Philadelphia on Wednesday, March 28th!
John Reynolds of Atlantic Logistics, whose firm has been taking care of the SS United States since 2003 and plays a key role in the SS United States Redevelopment Project, is being honored by the Seaman's Church Institute of Philadelphia and South Jersey. He will receive 2012's Spirit of the Port Award, given in recognition of his work as Chairman of the Maritime Exchange, among various other endeavors. We at the Conservancy could not be more grateful for all the help that he has given us over the past years, and are proud that we can help recognize all of his good work.
The Award luncheon will be held at the Sheet Metal Workers' Union Hall, at 1301 South Columbus Boulevard in Philadelphia. Opening for registration at 9:30am, the celebration will begin at 10:00am with a special pre-screening of the documentary SS United States: Made in America - an update of the hit SS United States: Lady in Waiting released several years ago. Following the film and discussion of the future of the Big U will be a cocktail reception, and, at 12:30pm, the luncheon itself.
Space is limited, so please reserve your space in advance! Full tables in addition to individual seats may be reserved. Contact barlow@sciphiladelphia.org for information or to make a reservation! We are very excited about this special event, and we hope to see you there! Our heartiest congratulations to John Reynolds!
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All Hands On Deck - Help Us Celebrate the Big U! | |
A Call for Volunteers! Help us celebrate the Big U's 60th Anniversary
This year is a big one for the Big U. July will mark the 60th Anniversary of her maiden Atlantic voyage. We plan to celebrate by making a huge splash nationwide and we need YOUR help organizing local events. Casual happy hours, informative lectures and film screenings, themed evening events... every event garners interest and support for our mission to SAVE the SS United States! In this make-or-break year, we need to rally support throughout the nation. You can help by joining the Conservancy and volunteering your time to organize an event or start a membership chapter in your area.
We are now planning our special 60th Anniversary events calendar and would like to include an array of festivities across the nation. Let us know if you can organize an event in your local community!
We will welcome volunteers from across the nation. At this time, we are particularly interested in founding membership chapters in the Miami area of Florida, Hampton Roads area of Virginia, and on the West Coast. Volunteers will work closely with the Conservancy to recruit members, fundraise, and raise local awareness of the SS United States. Interested? Send an email to Sarah at scarley@ssusc.org
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| SS United States Featured in Seville's Pabell�n de la Navegaci�n | |
Attention to all our friends and colleagues across the Pond! An intricate scale model of the SS United States is being featured in Seville's Pabell�n de la Navegaci�n, a museum dedicated to the history of the Atlantic world.
 | A beautiful model of a beautiful ship! Credit: Mario Alvarez-Garcill�n
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The model of the SS United States, one of the most technologically stunning ships ever constructed, and still the holder of the Blue Riband besides, occupies a place of honor in a row of historically significant ships.
 | | The model of the SS United States lined up with those of other notable ships. Credit: Mario Alvarez-Garcill�n |
With a stated mission of bridging the ocean between Europe and the Americas, and recovering the voices and stories of those who made the crossings, the Pabell�n de la Navegaci�n covers a vast and fascinating swath of history. The museum was initially a part of Seville's Universal Exhibition of 1992 (Expo '92), celebrating the 500th anniversary of Christopher Colombus's Atlantic crossing. Closed for several years, the Pabell�n de la Navegaci�n has only just re-opened. Best wishes for the museum, and may they enjoy many years of success!
Many thanks also go to Mario Alvarez-Garcill�n, the Conservancy's European Outreach Chair, who recently visited the museum and who has graciously allowed the Conservancy to use his photographs.
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| From The Vault: George Dominick's Voyage Home | |
Last December, we began the series From The Vault, showcasing oral histories, still images, home movie footage and other personal remembrances of America's "Ship of State." These stories and photographs will be incorporated into our future exhibitions, expanded archives and outreach materials. We will also share highlights in our newsletter. We are always searching for new material - we look forward to hearing from you! Contact us at archives@ssusc.org!
From George Dominick: "Looking at the picture of the SS United States switchboard you showed in your last e-newsletter, I noticed my cabin number "B121" displayed on one of the terminals. This brought back memories of my trip aboard the "Big U" years ago.
After graduating from college in 1958, it became my time to travel and see the World. The 1958 World's Fair in Brussels was enjoying good reviews at the time so that became my first destination. Plans to travel to Europe were made to travel round trip via shipboard. My passage eastbound was aboard one of US Lines' freighters the SS American Planter. The ship was of the WWII era. The ten day crossing was a story for another time.
After finishing my travels about Europe, it became time to return westward aboard the SS United States. On the night of Saturday, October 25, 1958, at the St. Lazare station in Paris I boarded the special train heading for Le Havre and dockside to the United States. I remember well seeing this ocean liner for the first time in full view upon leaving the train. The ship was well lighted along the dock. I had never seen such a large ship up close. I boarded the ship ready for embarkation the next morning. I was assigned to Cabin B121, being a Tourist Class Passenger. My stateroom was easily found on B Deck. I was the only person in the cabin. The bath facilities were located not far down the corridor.
It was a great experience for me, traveling aboard the United States. The next four days went by in a hurry. Too bad this experience cannot be relived. However the good memories linger from that time long ago aboard the SS United States."
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Follow the Conservancy with Facebook and Twitter!
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Over the past few months, the Conservancy has completely redeveloped its social media presence, giving us new ways to connect with Conservancy members, fans and potential supporters of the SS United States. Be sure to join us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest in developments from the Conservancy as well as discussions, photos from the ship, photos of Conservancy events, and fun ship related trivia!
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