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January 21, 2016 | ssusc.org
SS United States Model on Display at Pabellón de la Navegación in Seville, Spain.
Photo Courtesy of Mario Alvarez-Garcillan
 
News Updates
Monthly Membership Pledges
Photo courtesy of 
Charles Anderson
 
Have you considered making your membership pledges monthly instead of annually?
 
If 6,000 supporters pledged only $10 a month, the SS United States' core carrying costs would be covered for 2016! Enroll in a tax-deductible monthly membership today!

Featured Photos from our Collections
United States Lines,
SS United States , Westbound Ticket
United States Lines,
SS
United States , Bath Rug
Grey Star Tea Cup,
SS
United States
Philadelphia Chapter Gathering
The Conservancy's Philadelphia Chapter is now on Facebook! Be sure to "Like" our page for chapter updates, events, and more! 
 
On Sunday, February 14th, the Philadelphia Chapter will be hosting a chapter gathering at Pepbowl Bowling Alley, located at 1200 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, from 1:00pm to 3:00pm. It's a BYOB venue, so we will be providing a variety of drinks.

Please RSVP to Jen Rogers or Chris Moody by January 31st so that we can plan accordingly.

We hope to see you there!

Executive Director Update: $50,000 Challenge Grant  
Dear Conservancy Supporters:

Sixty-four years after the SS
United States ' triumphant maiden voyage, momentum continues to build in support of saving America's Flagship. Redevelopment negotiations continue to advance "behind the scenes" and we look forward to providing a more detailed update on the ship's future in the coming weeks. We remain deeply grateful for your continued patience and support. 

We are thrilled to announce an exciting and generous challenge grant from a supporter who has requested anonymity. This supporter has committed $50,000 to the Conservancy - if we can match it!  These funds will help us  build the Conservancy's permanent curatorial collection of SS United States art and artifacts and continue our crucial preservation efforts. If you are in a position to contribute to this challenge grant, we would be delighted to hear from you! Donations of any size can be made HERE.

We would also like to thank everyone who contributed so  generously to the Conservancy's year-end annual appeal. We continue to process these donations and will share a summary once they have been tallied. Your contributions have been indispensable as we continue to keep the ship safely afloat.
 
In sum, 2016 promises to be a momentous year for the SS United States , and we can't thank you enough for your continued support.

         Susan Gibbs signature
       Susan Gibbs
       Executive Director
 
"Let's Look Inside the World's Fastest
Luxury Liner" Brochure
SS United States Passenger List, 
Cover Page
Herb Douglas: Legendary Olympian with a Passion for the SS United States
Famed Olympian Herb Douglas shows his support for the SS United States
 
"I won my Olympic medal  66 years ago, four years  before the
SS United States won her own prize for breaking the transatlantic speed record," Herb Douglas said. "There are many great Olympic champions, but there is only one great American ocean liner still with us: the SS United States. We must save her!"
 
Douglas is the oldest living African American Olympian, having won a bronze medal at the 1948 summer games in London. He is renowned for his dedication to racial equality, integrity, and sports excellence. The creator of the Jesse Owens Award for Peace, Herb Douglas knows what it means to work hard and fight for what is right. This prestigious award has been bestowed upon world leaders such as the late Nelson Mandela and former US President George H. W. Bush.
 
We're in a race against time to save the SS United States, and with support from champions like Douglas, its a race we can win. As Herb explains, you don't have to be an Olympian to lend a hand: "I am so proud to lend my support to the Conservancy as it works to rescue and restore a true American champion, the SS United States."

Join legendary Olympian Herb Douglas in sharing your #SaveTheUnitedStates hashtag photo. Post photos or videos of yourself or friends holding the hashtag on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram.  Help us raise awareness of the plight and potential of America's Flagship!

Remember, #SaveTheUnitedStates!


Making Waves in Seville, Spain
On March 4th, Mario Alvarez-Garcillan, European Chapter Chair, will give a talk about the SS United States at Pabellón de la Navegación, a maritime museum in Seville, Spain. Mario's presentation will also include a showing of the award-winning documentary film about the SS United States, Lady in Waiting.
 
From February 29th to March 6th, the city of Seville will host Fiesta de la Historia, or Festival of History. The maritime museum will play an important role in the festival and will be reserving March 4th for the Big U.
 
We are honored and proud to have such a wonderful chapter chair representing the SS United States Conservancy in Europe. We look forward to sharing further updates as the SS United States makes major waves in Seville this spring - please stay tuned! 
 
Close-up Shot of SS United States Model on Display at Pabellón de la Navegación, Seville, Spain
 
 
Shot of SS United States Model, Photos Courtesy of Mario Alvarez-Garcillan

SS United States featured in Mark B. Perry's
Critically-Acclaimed Novel
Hollywood. 1952. In the dwindling twilight of
dream of stardom
Tinseltown's golden age, one young man's
devolves into a lurid nightmare. 
Conservancy founding board member Mark B. Perry's debut novel about Hollywood in the early 1950s was published to critical acclaim in August, 2014. Kirkus Reviews called it "...subtly powerful...a Truman Capote-like piece...deeply affecting and tinged with pathos." Foreword Reviews named it one of The Top Ten Historical Novels of Fall, 2014 and wrote, in part, "...a complex story that both satisfies and subverts the reader's expectations...City of Whores displays an excellent sense of plot and pacing...the historical settings sparkle, especially a vividly described transatlantic passage aboard one of the last great ocean liners, the SS United States ..."  The passage in question is the 1952 maiden voyage as experienced by the book's protagonist/narrator. The same magazine has also selected Mark's novel as a finalist for the IndieFab Book of the Year Award in the category of LGBT fiction.

Mark will be donating 10% of his royalties to the SS United States Conservancy through June of this year. Advisory: As you might guess from its provocative title, City of Whores deals with mature themes and is recommended only for readers 18 and over. 



Also Available for Download through iTunes.

Remembering SS United States Maiden Voyage Passenger Shirley Barol
Shirley Barol, aboard the SS United States
Courtesy of Bill Barol

SS United States Maiden Voyage, 
Passenger List

The Conservancy is deeply saddened to report the passing of maiden voyage passenger Shirley Barol (May 2, 1921 - December 22, 2015). As a featured interview subject in the award-winning documentary SS United States: Lady in Waiting, Mrs. Barol recounted the thrill of the vessel's sail away on July 3, 1952. She crossed in Cabin Class with her late husband, Daniel H. Barol, to whom she was married for 57 years. She is survived by her son Bill, daughter Ellen, and grandchildren Molly and David. Our sincerest condolences to the family. 

(Photo: Mrs. Barol strikes an iconic life-ring pose prior to the ship's departure from New York Harbor on July 3, 1952. Photo taken from the Barol family home movies, which were generously shared with the Conservancy's Legacy Project courtesy of her son, Bill Barol.)

Help spread awareness of America's Flagship.

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SS United States Conservancy

P.O. Box 32115

Washington, DC 20007

(888) 488-7787