 | | Front page of The Washington Post for July 31, 2014 |
SS United States Headlines Front Page
of The Washington Post
Yesterday's Washington Post ran a front-page story by Michael Ruane profiling the Conservancy's efforts to save "America's Flagship," the SS United States. A fantastic video produced by Zoeann Murphy accompanied the story, as did a photo gallery taken by Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Michael Williamson. The story highlighted the legendary liner's storied history and emphasized that the ship bearing her nation's name is the only American ocean liner still afloat. Barring an infusion of funds, the ship's survival is measured in a few short months.
The story highlighted Conservancy Executive Director Susan Gibbs's passion for the project, but the ship remains afloat because of the incredible and sustained contributions of thousands of people from across the nation and around the world. The Conservancy's staff, board of directors, advisory council, leadership donors, chapter chairs, volunteers, members, and other supporters continue to work tirelessly to keep the ship afloat and advance plans for her reuse. We remain profoundly grateful for this extraordinary collective effort.
While the article referred to the SS United States as a "crumbling transatlantic ocean liner," we know that underneath the ship's peeling paint is a remarkably solid steel-and-aluminum structure still at 92% integrity, awaiting a fresh coat and a new life. The ship offers a once-in-a-lifetime real estate development opportunity as a permanently-moored vessel in a metropolitan waterfront district.
In the words of Dan McSweeney, managing director of the SS United States Redevelopment Project, "The ship offers 650,000 square feet of space in a resilient structure of unique and culturally-significant appeal. Thankfully, the Conservancy is now in talks with credible and capitalized developers who understand the potential offered by the SS United States. The Conservancy will entertain the best fully-developed and vetted offer that comes in first. This ship must be saved for a variety of symbolic and practical reasons, period."
Not everyone supports the SS United States's preservation, and some detractors have posted comments on the online version of the Washington Post's story. If you are so inclined, we encourage you to join the conversation and express why you think the SS United States deserves to be saved.
Thank you so much to everyone who has supported our efforts. Let's Save Our Ship!
Support our efforts now to help save and
redevelop the SS United States --
and have your donation matched dollar-for-dollar!
Also in this Issue:
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Many Thanks for Your Generosity
|
The Conservancy would like to thank the following individuals for their recent generous donations, which are being doubled by Jim Pollin's matching grant challenge:
CAPTAIN'S QUARTERS SUPPORTERS - $1,000
John Scholes of Essex, CT
Troncalli Automotive Group of the Atlanta,GA, metro area
In addition, we'd like to thank each and every one of you for all of your contributions, including those of volunteer time, outreach efforts, letter-writing and social media campaigns, and helping us to spread the word about the importance of saving the United States. Your continued impassioned support is what helps to keep America's Flagship from the unthinkable.
As a reminder, any donations made right now -- including employer matching gift programs -- are being matched dollar-for-dollar, up to a total of $100,000. We've received approximately $30,000 in donations since Jim issued the challenge, so we still have another $70,000 that he's willing to match! Miss the announcement? Watch the full press conference recorded by Bill Magee of MageeMedia Productions here.
Have you renewed your membership yet? If not, that's eligible for matching too! Or, give the gift of membership to someone else for as little as $25, and feel good that you're giving twice -- to the gift recipient and the United States! And, remember that when you make a donation by purchasing inches on our "virtual" ship at SaveTheUnitedStates.org, you can upload a photo and share your memory of the SS United States.
The Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and all donations to the organization are tax-deductible. So click on by ssusc.org or SaveTheUnitedStates.org to make your tax-deductible donation today!
|
$10,000 Hole-in-One Challenge Just Announced!
|
 If you haven't yet registered for our golf tournament benefit on Friday, September 19th, there's a new reason to do so! All Your Dreams Travel is awarding a $10,000 credit toward an MSC Yacht Club Cruise to any registered player who gets a hole-in-one at the 17th Hole from the white tees during the tournament! For contest details, contact Pat Shouldice at 877-698-0947 extension 1.
The event, being held in memory of Capt. William Francis Kolbe, will be held at Honeybrook Golf Club in Honey Brook, PA, and include a special art exhibition and silent auction.
The tournament is open to the public but limited to 144 participants. The Player fee includes cart, range balls, lunch and the exhibit; the Spectator fee includes lunch and the exhibit. A portion of the entry fee is tax deductible. Tee-off time is at 8:30am sharp, with a shot-gun start.
Sponsorships are available for each of the holes along the tournament course.
If you're interested in sponsoring one or more holes during the event, please include that on your registration form or contact Ted Piersol at Honeybrook Golf Club at 610-636-5842.
Remember that any donations -- including sponsorships -- made to the Conservancy leading up to the event will automatically be matched by Jim Pollin's matching gifts pledge! So, in addition to being tax-deductible, your donation will go twice as far!
|
Chapter Events
| |
Our chapter chairpersons have told me they've got many exciting events coming up in August, so you'll want to make sure you're on the distribution list for the chapter(s) in your area! Click on the Update Profile link at the bottom of this email to see which chapter lists are available.
MULTI-CHAPTER EVENT
On Saturday, July 5, a number of SS United States supporters from TEN different states -- including California! -- converged on South Philly to celebrate both Independence Day and Big U's record-breaking maiden voyage. We began the afternoon's events with a brief ceremony aboard the ship. In attendance were author Steven Ujifusa, Conservancy Southeastern Chapter chairperson Jordan Morris, and Conservancy New England Chapter chairperson Eric Jones. One of the ship's supporters, Tom Lynskey of Tom Lynskey Films, recorded the event, which you can view below.
At the ceremony's conclusion, a large group of us gathered across the street at Longhorn Steakhouse for food and drink to celebrate the ship's past and future. After dinner, as some headed for home, the rest of us met up with even more supporters at Independence Seaport Museum to view the SS United States exhibit, followed by an amazing concert and incredible fireworks display, watched from the museum's second-floor balcony, to cap off the night. Kyle Ober captured the festivities, below.
NEW ENGLAND CHAPTER
The Conservancy is delighted to announce that Eric Jones has accepted the chairperson position of the New England Chapter! Eric shared some of his ideas for the Chapter during our July 5th festivities, and began implementing them before he even returned home to Connecticut. He has also set up and manages a Chapter Facebook page and Twitter account. If you'd like to know more about the New England Chapter, you can email Eric at newengland@ssusc.org or visit one of the Chapter's social media pages. Welcome, Eric!
SOUTHEASTERN CHAPTER
The Conservancy's Southeastern Chapter, headed by Jordan Morris, also has been busy with outreach plans following our July 5th celebration. The Chapter's first meeting will be held in Rutherfordton, NC, on August 22, with Jordan's "An Introduction to Our Nation's Flagship" presentation and a screening of the ship's "Lady in Waiting" documentary. In addition, Jordan will have a number of items from the ship on display. To keep current on the Chapter's events, watch for updates here in our newsletter and on the Southeastern Chapter's Facebook page, which Jordan manages. |
Inspired by the United States
| |
America's Flagship continues to inspire artists of every form, from dancers to musicians, writers to illustrators, poets to painters, photographers to modelers, and everything in between. But those inspired by the ship aren't limited to artists. Many of you have shared with us your stories of hope, new beginnings, and other things she has symbolized for you during her "glory years," and even now.
On our web site, we list a number of comments made over the years as to " Why the SS United States Inspires." In our lead story, we ask you to share on the Washington Post article's comment section why the ship's important to you. And, in the near future, we'll be posing the question once again in a fun little exercise.
For now, we'd like to share a few more ways our great "Lady in Waiting" has inspired you, our supporters.
 | |
�2014 Amber Magee
|
- Amber Magee: Amber is a Philadelphia-bred, New York-based artist and graphic designer. She is a 2011 graduate of Lehigh University's school of Art, Architecture and Design, where she studied fine and applied art. During her studies, she returned often to the SS United States, as subject and inspiration for painting.
- Hector Luis Aponte III: In his Hudson River Piers digital project, Hector, a self-taught 3D designer, has envisioned the restoration of iconic Chelsea Pier 54. His restoration idea would also accommodate recreational use of former Chelsea Piers 53 and 56. As a huge supporter of the ship, one of Hector's options suggests a new home for the SS United States.
- Richard H. Wagner: Richard has created an entire SS United States section on his BeyondShips.com web site. Included are a general profile page; an interview he conducted with Conservancy Executive Director Susan Gibbs; a multi-page article on the ship's background; and photos and a video from his recent visit to the ship.
- Claude Scales: Long-time Brooklyn Heights resident Claude Scales is a regular contributor to media executive John Loscalzo's Brooklyn Heights Blog. With a passion for history, ships and the sea, the July 15 New York Times article about the ship's possible move to Brooklyn caught the lawyer's attention, prompting him to write the blog entry "Is S.S. United States Coming to Brooklyn?"
- Basil Karatzas: Basil is CEO of Karatzas Marine Advisors & Co., a shipping finance advisory, vessel valuations and appraisals, and ship brokerage firm based in Manhattan. He maintains several industry-related blogs, including one on "all things maritime and nautical" in which he wrote this article after a recent trip to the ship. After scouring the internet, Basil also created an SS United States Pinterest board with over 100 "pins" of new and vintage photos, drawings, cartoons, deck plans, and other images.
- Rick Ellis: Rick is a 3D Artist/Animator for Fox Television. Having started his career in the cruise lines, he says he has seen many beautiful ships get scrapped instead of saved and feels passionately about the SS United States being saved. He has created a 3D digital model of the ship, which you can view and download from his web site here.
|
Dates in SS United States History
|
July 20, 1969: The SS United States' blueprints are officially declassified by order of Admiral Thomas H. Moorer, US Chief of Naval Operations.
July 21, 1916: A model of William Francis Gibbs' first 1,000-foot liner design, code-named "S-171", is water-tested by the US Navy. The United States' entry into World
War I ended the project.
July 24, 1996: The SS United States arrives in Philadelphia.
July 25, 1956: The Italian liner Andrea Doria collides with the Swedish-American liner Stockholm off Nantucket. The Andrea Doria sinks the next day. The design of the SS United States ensured that she would have survived a similar collision.
July 29, 1966: Captain Leroy J. Alexanderson of the SS United States is officially awarded the Commodore's Title and Flag by US Lines President William B. Rand.
August 2, 1974: Harry Manning, the first master of the SS United States, dies at age 77.
August 10, 1940: The SS America, future running mate of the United States, begins her maiden voyage. Due to the escalating war in Europe, the voyage is a cruise to San Juan, Puerto Rico, rather than the Atlantic route for which she was designed.
|
|
|
|
Help us to reach more people
in our quest to save America's Flagship.
Thanks to your support, we are now at over 11,600 followers on our
Facebook page! Remember to follow us on the following social media platforms, and encourage your friends, colleagues and family members to do the same!
|
|
|
SS United States Conservancy
P.O. Box 32115
Washington, DC 20007
(888)-488-7787
|
|
|
|
|
|
