Dear SS United States Supporter:
This has been an extraordinary year for the SS United States. I'm writing to thank you for your crucial support and invite you to consider making a year-end gift to the Conservancy as we work together to secure an exciting and sustainable future for "America's Flagship." Conservancy members will be receiving our year-end appeal in the mail, and I'd like to thank you for considering us as you finalize your year-end giving.
As you know, the SS United States is the largest and most advanced ocean liner ever built in her namesake nation. Launched in 1952, she still holds the transatlantic speed record and endures as an iconic symbol of America's post-war pride, purpose and innovation. The ship is a unique and endangered historic landmark that has captivated the imagination of millions.
This October, the Conservancy's Board of Directors reached an agonizing moment. Despite considerable progress toward finding a permanent home and attracting redevelopment partners to the SS United States, the burden of the ship's monthly expenses had become unsustainable, and we were compelled to consider the unthinkable. We had never been closer to saving America's Flagship, nor ever closer to losing her.
Thousands of supporters worldwide responded to our SOS. Eleven-year-old Thomas from Florida sent us a $5 bill and a drawing of the ship in red, white, and blue magic marker. Former deck officer Richard O'Leary donated $100,000 and said, "To illuminate her red, white and blue stacks once again would serve as a gleaming and powerful symbol, and would showcase the greatness of this country." A donor who requested anonymity contributed $250,000 because "letting the SS United States go to the breakers would be like letting the Constitution be cut up for firewood, or letting the Statue of Liberty be melted down and turned into pennies. Unthinkable." The ship's story was covered in media outlets at home and abroad, including some of the largest networks and publications in the world, such as the New York Times, NBC Nightly News, Agence France-Press, and Britain's Daily Mail. From New Jersey to the United Kingdom, to Honduras to the Czech Republic, and as far away as Thailand, the world seemed aghast that an object of such historical importance was on the brink of destruction.
Because of supporters like you, we are now able to keep the SS United States safely afloat well into 2016. Your crucial lifeline allows our developers to continue their due diligence and enables us to explore new and intriguing possibilities for the ship's restoration. A project of this scale and complexity takes a great deal of time to advance, and we're elated that we've been granted more of it.
Over the course of the past year, the Conservancy made progress on various fronts:
- Redevelopment. Exciting plans advanced in support of the SS United States' redevelopment, an ongoing process that has generated exciting conceptual renderings and promising engineering studies. These efforts have been supported by Gibbs & Cox, the ship's original designers. Several interested development firms, along with their consultants, architects, and engineers, continue to evaluate space configurations and redevelopment options. The Conservancy is in continued confidential discussions and is assessing several promising scenarios for the ship's future.
- Outreach. In addition to garnering worldwide media attention, we educated a range of audiences about the ship's history and importance. A star-spangled event was held at Philadelphia's historic Union League that included live performances of original music by renowned musicians Dan Landau and Marc Jonson. A "Model the SS United States" Instagram contest sparked dozens of entries. A new #SaveTheUnitedStates hashtag campaign galvanized outreach on social media.
- Curatorial. We continued to expand our permanent curatorial and archival collections, and long-term planning advanced for the future SS United States Center for Design and Discovery. The future Center will feature unique and exciting exhibitions on maritime history, 20th century industrial innovation, and mid-century modern art and design. We also turned our attention to our planned digital exhibition: Renowned author-illustrator David Macaulay guided the Conservancy through an initial design session to examine how the legendary liner could best be explored and encountered digitally.
As we head into 2016, we look forward to continue working closely with you to ensure that our nation's last remaining and greatest ocean liner remains safely afloat. Anything less would be, as Walter Cronkite once said, "a crime against history."
Musician Dan Landau's powerful song about the SS United States reminds us that the ship "still speaks to all who dream, and to every journey yet to be." We've been on an extraordinary journey together, and we remain profoundly grateful for your continued support. We hope you will consider making a year-end tax-deductible contribution to the Conservancy so our momentum continues to build. Let's Save Our Ship!
