March 12, 2019
Photograph courtesy of John Dost.
Every passenger who traveled aboard the SS United States left with a story they could tell for the rest of their lives. However, none of these stories is quite like the one told by John Dost, one of the very few children ever born on America's Flagship .

John's parents, Lucia and Harald Dost, were traveling to visit John's grandmother in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They departed from Bremerhaven, Germany on December 1, 1959 — a full month before Lucia's due date.

The Big U made her regularly scheduled stops in Southampton, U.K., and Le Havre, France, before setting course for New York City. A day later, John Dost made his unexpected arrival.

"I was one month premature due to rough seas," he says. "I was, however, one of the few passengers that was not sea sick."

Photograph courtesy of John Dost
The attending doctor was the ship's chief surgeon, Dr. John E. Sheedy. "It was Dr. Sheedy and several other crew members who helped determine my weight," Dost reveals. "As there was no scale that could weigh me, they passed me around to guess my weight at 5 pounds."

Nearly 60 years later, John Dost holds a special fondness for America's Flagship. He says, "I am just a little biased, due to past events."

Do you have a story from aboard the SS United States that you'd like to share with your fellow newsletter subscribers? Let us know !
United States Lines playing cards, donated by Paul T. Allen.
Photo courtesy of Allee Davis and Michael Wolfe.
Along with physically preserving the SS United States and ensuring a bright future for the vessel herself, a major part of the Conservancy’s mission has been to collect items from (and related to) the ship and United States Lines for our curatorial collection. Our ultimate goal is to create a museum space devoted to the Big U and broader themes of mid-century modern art and design in the ship's namesake nation in the post-war era, in conjunction with a full plan for the SS United States ' redevelopment and revitalization.

A key component of this work is building our permanent SS United States  collection through donations from former passengers and crew members, as well as generous financial donations from our supporters.
For example, these beautiful pieces of serveware were designed expressly for United States Lines and enjoyed by passengers aboard the SS United States. The steel carafe was donated by Katherine Neurohr, while the Lamberton china was donated by Susan Allen.

We are always interested in receiving SS  United States  artifacts, whether it be a passenger list, menu, photograph, home movie, or an item related to the ship itself. Rest assured that, once you've chosen to make a donation, your artifacts will be in safe hands: the Conservancy prides itself upon strictly adhering to  best practices for curatorial protocol . 
In addition to physical objects, we are also grateful for permission to add digital scans and photographs to our permanent collections. Simply drop us a line at [email protected] .
" You can’t set her on fire, you can’t sink her, and you can’t catch her ." — William Francis Gibbs, designer of the SS United States
Photograph courtesy of Randy Becker.
Ever since she was first constructed, the SS United States has been admired for her beauty and workmanship. From passengers and crew to maritime enthusiasts and beyond, people from all walks of life have been taken with her graceful lines, distinctive shape, and patriotic red, white, and blue funnels.

The iconic appearance of America’s Flagship has led countless hobbyists and expert model makers to try to recreate her on a smaller scale. The Conservancy’s curatorial collection contains a number of extraordinary models, ranging in size from over 11-feet to only inches in length. We are also collecting photographs of some of these miniature Big U replicas, which have been constructed in all corners of the globe. We recently devoted a post on our blog to showcasing those lovingly crafted recreations.
The above photo comes from Randy Becker, whose grandfather, Paul Erdman Becker, constructed a faithful, 3-feet-long model of the SS United States sometime in the 1950s or 1960s.

CLICK HERE to see more stunning recreations of America's Flagship.
Have you built your own model of the United States that you’d like to show off? If so, we'd love to include your work in this newsletter! Send your photos to [email protected] .
Calling all model train enthusiasts: METCA (The Metropolitan Division of the Train Collector's Association) has announced a beautiful, limited edition SS United States box car !

This 100% Lionel made and decorated 6464-sized box car is molded, decorated, and assembled in the USA. The car (1901230) features a stamped metal frame, metal brake wheel and die-cast sprung truck.

As if that wasn't enticing enough, METCA has promised to donate 50% of the proceeds from sales to the Conservancy, to help us in our efforts to preserve America's Flagship.

If you're looking to purchase one of these stunning pieces, make sure to act quickly — only orders placed by May 31 will be guaranteed.

CLICK HERE to order your SS United States box car today.
Help Us Save America's Flagship!
Photograph courtesy of Robert G. Lenzer.
Are you looking for a way to maximize the impact of every donation you make to support America's Flagship? The next time you're planning to donate, find out if your employer might be willing to match your contribution.

This is a great way for you or your loved ones to double or even triple the impact of an already very meaningful gift. Better still: some companies will match up to 100% of your donation.

The most recent employer to join the Conservancy's matching gifts program is The Walt Disney Company. Disney joins an impressive list of employers who have been generous enough to support America's Flagship, including:

BD (Becton Dickinson)
Benevity, Inc.
Broadridge Financial Solutions
Chubb Federal Insurance Company
Cigna Foundation
ConocoPhillips
Emerson Electric, Co.
Erie Indemnity
GE Foundation
Google Inc.
IBM Corporation
Lexis Nexis
MacArthur Foundation
McKesson
Merck Partnership For Giving
Nova Caeserea Harmony Masonic Lodge No. 2
Pfizer Foundation Matching Gifts Program
PSEG
Silicon Valley Community Foundation
The Prudential Foundation Matching Gifts
UBS
Verisk Analysis

This is just a partial list of employers who've taken part in the program, and the list is growing all the time. We're so grateful for the incredible generosity of our supporters, as well as their employers.

To help us ensure a bright future for the magnificent SS United States , please make a donation today.
"[The SS United States ] was built at a time when 'made in America’ really meant something, and that is a legacy that cannot be lost.  — H.F. “Gerry” Lenfest (1930-2018)