August 18, 2018
Philadelphia philanthropist H.F. "Gerry" Lenfest with America's Flagship, the SS  United States .
The SS United States Conservancy mourned the passing earlier this month of  Philadelphia philanthropist H.F. "Gerry" Lenfest . One of the nation's foremost philanthropists, in 2011 Lenfest donated the funds necessary to prevent the scrapping of the iconic SS United States , securing a future for our nation's greatest ocean liner and allowing the SS United States Conservancy to purchase the vessel from Norwegian Cruise Line.
Remembering Lenfest, Conservancy Executive Director Susan Gibbs writes:
 
" Gerry Lenfest was our hero. Without him, our nation's flagship would have been lost to history. Like all great Americans, Gerry turned his own success into a way to give back to his community, his country, and the world... We wish Gerry fair winds and following seas, and we will work every day to honor his commitment to the SS  United States  and the nation’s maritime history."
Lenfest, shown with Susan Gibbs and former Philadelphia Mayor
Michael Nutter, is awarded the Conservancy's National Flagship Champion medal in 2010. Photograph by Josimar de Souza.
The Conservancy offers our heartfelt condolences to all of Gerry's family, colleagues and friends. When the SS  United States  was only days away from being lost forever, Gerry Lenfest stepped forward, responding with a generosity and vision that has inspired countless others.

"[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)
Photographs courtesy of Jeffrey Katz and Greg Shutters.

The story of the SS  United States  is the story of a brilliant marine engineer and naval architect who brought her into being. To say that William Francis Gibbs had a long-running love affair with a ship would be, quite frankly, an understatement. Salty-tongued, superstitious, and with no formal training in the field, he quit his job in real-estate law in 1916 to devote himself to designing the world’s fastest ship.

On Saturday, August 25th at the Peconic Landing Community Center in Greenport, Long Island, Conservancy Executive Director Susan Gibbs, granddaughter of William Francis Gibbs, will be giving an exciting talk on the history and preservation of the SS United States .

The event is free and open to the public. CLICK HERE for additional details. 
SS United States designer William Francis Gibbs was insistent that his beloved "Big Ship" be built entirely from fireproof materials, but did you know that before the launch of the Big U, Gibbs was responsible for designing a state-of-the-art fireboat for New York City?

The fireboat Fire Fighter was active with the New York City Fire Department from 1938 to 2010, and led the FDNY Marine Unit response on 9/11 by supplying water to emergency crews fighting fires at Ground Zero. 

Today, the vessel resides in Greenport, Long Island as the Fireboat Fire Fighter Museum. She is a National Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This month, the museum is celebrating the vessel's 80th birthday with a variety of festivities — including a rechristening of the ship by Conservancy Executive Director Susan Gibbs.
The fireboat Fire Fighter docked in Greenport, Long Island.
Photograph by Katharine Schroeder for The Suffolk Times .
Fire Fighter battles a Brooklyn pier fire, Dec 3, 1956. Photograph from the John Landers & Beth Klein collection .
The three-day birthday celebration will run from August 24th to 26th, with the rechristening ceremony on Sunday, August 26th . The weekend of events will feature free tours, fire department and Coast Guard demonstrations and water displays by the fireboat Fire Fighter . CLICK HERE for additional details.
Help Us Save America's Flagship!
Now available: T-shirts designed by European Chapter Chair Mario Alvarez-Garcillán. 
Are you passionate about the SS United States ? Why not show it off!

As we chart a course towards this extraordinary vessel's revitalization, you can show your support for our nation's greatest and sole-surviving ocean liner in style by ordering the Conservancy's newest, limited-edition t-shirt .

Designed by European Chapter Chair Mario Alvarez- Garcillán, the shirt was inspired by a fabric pattern featured in First Class staterooms aboard the SS United States .

Hurry before they're gone! CLICK HERE to order yours today.
"The [SS United States ] can be saved if we all do our part. Every donation counts. As a U.S. citizen, she is my ship." — Russell Parmerter, Savannah GA