 | | photo courtesy of Paul Galka |
Stay Tuned: Conservancy Making Progress on Redevelopment
Please keep an eye on your inbox over the coming week for an exciting update regarding our redevelopment efforts.
As you know, the SS United States's restoration and repurposing is a complex engineering, real estate, and curatorial undertaking that has been taking considerable time to advance. We can't thank you enough for your patience and support during this critical time. Your continued outreach, enthusiasm and contributions over the last three years have enabled our efforts to progress. We will honor your commitments by continuing to work tirelessly to ensure that America's Flagship endures and inspires for generations to come.
Support our efforts now to help save the SS United States
and ensure her legacy continues!
Also in this Issue:
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 A Deep Expression of Gratitude
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The Conservancy would like to thank all of our donors for your continued generosity in helping to save the SS United States and for your ongoing support in the our greater mission of spreading awareness of the ship and her history. Each and every one of you has helped, whether it has been through volunteering your time, sharing the story of America's Flagship with others, or making a donation of items or funds.
As we move forward in securing a new purpose for the SS United States, we also need to continue to move forward in preserving her legacy. We have collected numerous stories, artifacts, and documentation related to the ship and her voyages. We are in the process of organizing and cataloging passenger and crew information, and hope to digitize these records and eventually provide online access to them. Your continued financial support will enable us to do so.
You have our deepest gratitude for assisting us in our greater mission of preserving "all things United States" and ensuring that she lives on for generations to come.
We'd like to recognize the following supporters for their membership donations:
Charles Zilinski & family - $1,000
Curators' Circle: Noelle Hollander, in honor of Janice Lee & Stuart Shapiro - $2,500
Flagship Founders' Circle: Roger & Vicki Sant - $5,000
In addition, we'd like to recognize the following supporters for their membership donations in the form of shares of stock:
Jody Morey - shares of PepsiCo stock, valued at over $1,000
Blue Riband Council: Annie Locher - shares of Alliant Energy Corp. stock, valued at over $10,000
If you'd like more information on how you can donate shares of stock to the Conservancy, please send us an email at [email protected].
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From Our Chapters
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The next meeting of the Florida Chapter will be held at 12:30pm on Saturday, November 8th. This quarter's meeting will be held at lunchtime in the southern part of the state, at 2912 Waterford Drive South -- Bldg #14, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442. (Please make sure you are at building #14 in the complex.) Attendees should bring their own lunch; however, drinks will be provided. The meeting will focus on the formation of one or more additional Florida regional Chapters, in an effort to gain broader support at this critical juncture of the fate of the Big U. For additional information about the Florida Chapter, please email [email protected].
The Europe Chapter of the Conservancy has been diligently planning to host its premier meeting on board the SS Rotterdam in the Netherlands. The event is scheduled for November 22 in the Library, which has a number of SS United States items on display. The successful restoration of the SS Rotterdam, the Dutch flagship, provides a powerful example of the redevelopment potential of the SS United States.
More details, including the schedule of events, for the first meeting of the Europe Chapter will be announced in the next e-Newsletter. To find out more about the Conservancy's Europe Chapter, visit the Chapter's Facebook page HERE or send an email to [email protected]. |
In Memoriam: William J. Wilbert
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Bill Wilbert's family, counterclockwise from the right: Bill's grandson Bill Souhrada; Bill's daughter Nancy D'Angelo; Nancy's daughter-in-law Rebecca Souhrada; grandson Bill's wife Jen Souhrada; grandson Bill and Jen's daughter Harper; grandson Bill and Jen's son Andrew.
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The Conservancy wishes to extend its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Bill Wilbert. His long-time friend John Reynolds of Atlantic Logistics, the SS United States's caretakers, recently wrote a moving tribute to Bill for the Philadelphia Maritime Exchange newspaper. John begins:
"We have recently lost an important part of the Delaware River history and I have lost one of my best friends. Because Bill Wilbert was a quiet modest man, most people may not recognize his name. He grew up on Long Island, NY, and like many of us, loved the sea and headed to Fort Schuyler. He graduated in 1942 with a third engineers license and went to sea in the US Merchant Marine. It would not be long before his Grace Line ship would be torpedoed in the North Atlantic but he survived and soon after got his next ship. By war's end he was sailing Chief Engineer and came ashore to work for Westinghouse.
"It was at Westinghouse where he heard about a project of William Francis Gibbs to build the fastest passenger ship in the world. Bill would go on to move to Newport News, VA, to supervise the installation of the Westinghouse steam turbines that would provide 225,000 horse power to the SS United States. He stayed with the ship until she was launched in 1952 and then made 8 round trips as guarantee engineer for Westinghouse. His wife Jean of almost 70 years would say he also managed to wear out the seat of his tuxedo in the ship's bar on those 8 round trip voyages."
John goes on to describe the executive engineering positions Bill held in New York, until he was tasked by the CIA to supervise construction of the spy ship "Hughes Glomar Explorer." Bill eventually joined DuPont as Principal Engineer for the company's marine fleet, where John met him and they became the best of friends. And, understandably, many of their conversations over the years were about the SS United States.
Fair winds and following seas, Bill.
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America's Flagship In the News
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The SS United States continues to capture the media far and wide.
Dionysis Noratakis of Greece has written a two-part article about the SS United States for the October and November issues of Efoplistis Maritime Magazine. The first part of the article covers the period from 1922 to 1969 and has been published in October's issue. The second part, which will be published in the November issue, covers the period from 1969 until present and includes an interview with Conservancy Executive Director Susan Gibbs. A PDF version of the first article, which is written in Greek, can be found HERE.
On October 9, editor Joe Koshuta wrote about the Conservancy's successful matching-grant campaign to raise $100,000 pledged and matched by cruise industry executive Jim Pollin. The TravelPage.com article, titled "High Hopes to save ss United States," can be found HERE.
On October 25, Conservancy Executive Director Susan Gibbs was a guest on the live-streaming radio broadcast of Rudy Maxa's World, a travel radio show. Susan joined the broadcast to talk about the ship's historical significance and our efforts to preserve her. The interview, which can be heard HERE, starts at the 12-minute-mark of the broadcast.
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Philly Photo Day 2014
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SS United States at sunise, photo courtesy of Paul Galka
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Every year, the Philadelphia Photo Arts Center (PPAC) holds its annual Philly Photo Day, a day when the organization invites everyone to take a photograph within the city, with the only restriction being that the photo was taken on that day. The organization then prints and hangs every single image for a vast exhibition, which represents the city as viewed through the eyes of thousands of individuals.
This year, Philly Photo Day was October 10, and SS United States supporter Paul Galka chose the SS United States at sunrise as the subject of his photo for the exhibition. Paul told us: "I have been passing the ship on I-95 for many years. I have also pictured its past majesty in my mind and wanted to let people be aware of its condition and how they can help bring it back. Some things need to be preserved."
PPAC received over 1,900 submissions this year, and will be displaying the photos in a gallery exhibition at the Crane Arts building November 13th. Some photographs will also be selected to appear on 40 billboards placed around the city in the Spring, and there will be an inaugural outdoor exhibition of the photographs in the newly-revitalized Dilworth Plaza at City Hall in April of 2015.
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RIVERS: A Journey in Music, Movement & Image
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The SS United States has appeared as the backdrop for countless photos, has been the setting in various movies, and now has an appearance in RIVERS, a new six-movement work written by Joshua Stamper for prepared piano, prepared cello, dance, and film.
RIVERS is the first chapter of Elements, a four-part multimedia series exploring the physical, environmental, and cultural significance of the four classical elements (water, air, fire, earth), and the specific ways their movements have shaped Philadelphia. RIVERS explores the dynamic relationship between the Schuylkill and Delaware Rivers and the city recognized as the cradle of liberty and the birthplace of America.
The Trinity Center for Urban Life will host the premier of RIVERS on Saturday, November 8, at 8pm. The Trinity Center for Urban Life is located at 22nd and Spruce Street in Philadelphia, and tickets may be purchased for $10 HERE or for $13 at the door.
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Dates in SS United States History
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October 25, 1969: The SS United States departs New York on her 400th voyage, which would be her last.
October 27, 1964: The SS America, running mate to the United States, completes her last voyage for United States Lines.
October 28, 1886: The Statue of Liberty, designed by Fr�d�ric Auguste Bartholdi, is dedicated in New York Harbor. The Statue became an important symbol to immigrants sailing to America for the first time on board ocean liners.
October 29, 1955: Gentlemen Marry Brunettes, sequel to 1953's Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, opens. The film features the SS United States prominently, and it is reported that star Jane Russell had wished for the premiere to be held on board the ship.
October 31, 1993: The SS United States is blocked from entering Ukrainian waters due to fears that workers will dump discarded asbestos overboard.
November 1, 1985: Virgin Atlantic Challenger, a catamaran built by Richard Branson to best the SS United States' transatlantic speed record, sinks in the North Atlantic during her record-breaking attempt. Branson's second attempt, eight months later, was successful.
November 2, 1950: The US government rescinds its order to complete the United States as a troop carrier, and the ship resumes construction as a liner.
November 3, 1966: Hermann M�ller, Chief Steward since the maiden voyage, retires.
November 3, 1977: SS United States' secret design and performance figures are declassified by the Navy and are published by John R. Kane of Newport News Shipbuilding.
November 4, 1964: The United States' former running mate, the SS America, is sold to the Chandris Lines of Greece. She would serve as the SS Australis for Chandris until 1978, and sail under various other names until her 1994 wrecking.
November 6, 1969: The SS United States docks in New York after her 400th voyage. This would be her last transatlantic voyage under her own power.
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Help us to reach more people
in our quest to save America's Flagship.
Thanks to your support, we are now at almost 12,500 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!
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SS United States Conservancy
P.O. Box 32115
Washington, DC 20007
(888)-488-7787
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