The SS United States Conservancy joined forced with the Steamship Historical Society of America's Hampton Roads Chapter and convened a well-attended event entitled, "The SS UNITED STATES: Past, Present and Future" in Hampton, Virginia on January 30, 2005. The event's first speaker was Elizabeth Fletcher, author of children's books on the SS UNITED STATES and the SS AMERICA and a close personal friend of the ship's last master, the late Commodore Leroy Alexanderson. She highlighted the Commodore's pride in the SS UNITED STATES and entertained the crowd with some amusing sea tales and poignant images from his days in command.
Next, Susan Gibbs, granddaughter of William Francis Gibbs, showed a PowerPoint presentation on the life and achievements of her grandfather, culminating in the successful career of the SS UNITED STATES. Bill Fox, Chairman of the Steamship Historical Society's Hampton Roads Chapter, then discussed the design and construction of the SS UNITED STATES. He emphasized that she was designed to be the "world's greatest ship" and that the period from keel to launch was only 17 months, a remarkably fast schedule. His remarks were accompanied by fascinating slides of the ship being built.
The next speaker was Mark Nemergut, merchant mariner and SS UNITED STATES collector, who provided a personal perspective on the significance of the SS UNITED STATES and showed some fabulous vintage slides. Finally, Bill Fox discussed the ship's future. The SS UNITED STATES was purchased by Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) in 2003 and he updated the group on a feasibility study now underway to determine refit options. Drawing upon a recent presentation by Peter Randall, NCL's SS UNITED STATES Project Manager, Bill Fox reported that NCL conducted a technical review aboard the ship in March of 2004 and found the ship to be in good shape. He reported that NCL plans to maintain the exterior appearance of the ship, add stabilizers, and repower the ship with diesel or diesel/electric propulsion.
After the presentations, members of the audience participated in an "open forum" and shared stories about life aboard the ship and opinions about her future. The SS United States Conservancy and the Steamship Historical Society of America thank Joe Gerson, Indiana Port Commissioner, for generously underwriting a major portion of the event costs.
For more information, please email:
info@ssunitedstatesconservancy.org
