The Conservancy has laid an extensive amount of groundwork in 2011 for the ship's redevelopment, but the ship is not saved. While we have made significant developmental progress in the past year, the fact remains that if a viable real estate deal and our organizational fundraising goals are not reached by the end of 2012, the ship will be sold and broken up for scrap.

That means we need your help.  Please become a paying member of the SS United States Conservancy today.

The SS United States Conservancy has begun the process of cultivating many new donors — individuals, foundations, and corporate donors. The Conservancy has identified over 140 foundations for priority outreach, as well as begun development of a new "Corporate Flagship Council" for corporate sponsorships. In addition, the SS United States Redevelopment Project has identified several potential partners in both New York and Miami and is continuing to hone in on the best possible opportunity for the ship's redevelopment as a financially sustainable waterfront attraction.

Gearing up for the ship's 60th Anniversary in our "make-or-break" year, the Conservancy has many exciting plans for the upcoming year to bolster awareness for the ship, for our mission, and to help us attain our ultimate goal of restoration. Among these plans are:

• Unveiling a brand-new documentary highlighting the ship's history and the Conservancy's mission, SS United States: Made in America
• Releasing a made-for-television Public Service Announcement, featuring Super Bowl-winning head coach Dick Vermeil
• Unveiling a new museum installation at the Forbes Gallery in New York City in May, 2012 as a preview for our larger shipboard museum planning efforts
• Hosting several new member cultivation events, including a gala in New York City in celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the ship's maiden voyage
• Launching an interactive, online, grassroots fundraising campaign — "Paint the Big Ship"
• Holding a ceremonial lighting and painting of the ship's funnels

All of these plans coincide with the Conservancy's main effort to raise funds for the vessel's historic redevelopment, and support the mission of the SS United States Redevelopment Project to ensure the ship's sustainable future. The Conservancy needs your help to continue to develop these plans and make sure that 2012 will see a successful redevelopment of the SS United States. We have a great opportunity before us, but a failure to realize it by the end of this year means that opportunity will be lost forever. Please become a member of the SS United States Conservancy today.  Your contribution will help preserve America's flagship for future generations.

Together, we can change history. Together, we WILL save the SS United States!

The film, a successor the award-winning film SS United States: Lady in Waiting produced by Bob Radler and Conservancy board member Mark Perry, includes extensive new footage and tells the riveting story of the SS United States past and present. After the film screening, Susan will deliver a short presentation on the SS United States Conservancy's ongoing to quest to preserve the record-breaking liner as well as share a few stories about her grandfather William Francis Gibbs, the ship's designer.

As a special treat to accompany the program, the Mariners' Museum Collections Department will be exhibiting original table, chairs, and place settings from the SS United States. A light reception will follow the screening and presentation. The event is free of charge. We look forward to seeing many of you there!

For more information on this event, please click here.

A new exhibition presents a haunting juxtaposition of the Big U’s glamorous past and her faded present. Memorabilia and prints of Kodachrome photographs, commemorating the ship’s heyday, are set in sharp contrast to five large-scale photographs of the SS United States as she is today.

Richard Williams, Professor of Contemporary Visual Cultures and Dean of Postgraduate Studies at the University of Edinburgh, is the architect of this exhibit. Although documenting the present of the SS United States fits well with his academic interest in contemporary urbanism, Williams has a deeper and more personal claim to the ship.

Born in the United States, Williams’ parents brought him back to the United Kingdom aboard the SS United States. “It's my creation myth!” Williams says of that trip, and it sparked a lifelong love for and fascination with the ship. In 2010, he had the opportunity to revisit the SS United States. Coming face to face with the icon of his youth, he says, “was an extremely strange experience - seeing something so familiar in image, but for the first time in real life.”

Williams had brought his camera, and the weather, fortunately, obliged. His photographs thoughtfully documented a weary and forlorn SS United States, and formed the backbone of the exhibition. But perhaps more poignant, by contrast, are the prints of old Kodachromes – documenting Williams’ and his parents’ transatlantic trip in 1967.

To our constituency across the Atlantic: Richard Williams’ exhibit at the Stills Gallery will be up through March 18th, 2012. More information can be found here.

For those of us on this side of the Atlantic: Richard Williams has written an article for the UK's Blueprint Magazine, summarizing his experience with the SS United States and featuring some of his photography, which may be found here.

SSUSC New York Chapter "Big U Holiday Happening"
Soldiers', Sailors', Marines', Coast Guard and Airmens' Club
283 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10016-3540
Thursday, December 15, 2011 from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM (ET)
RSVP at http://nycssuscholidays2011.eventbrite.com/

SSUSC Washington, DC Chapter Holiday Party
At SS United States Conservancy executive director Susan Gibbs' private residence in NW Washington, DC
Thursday, December 15, 2011
For more information and to RSVP, email the Conservancy at info@ssusc.org

Admission costs go to the Conservancy's efforts to restore the SS United States.

The SS United States Conservancy has released, on pre-sale, the latest yearly wall calendar featuring the SS United States, this year commemorating 60th Anniversary of the ship's maiden voyage in 1952. Celebrate this milestone by following the SS United States on a voyage across the Atlantic — from boarding in New York City, steaming down the Hudson River, racing through the open ocean, docking in Southampton and Le Havre, and then speeding back home. Filled with facts, including notations on important dates in the ship's history. A must-have for any ship lover, history buff, or both! To order, please visit our online store. Calendars are $25 each, and payment is accepted through PayPal, credit card, or mail-in check.

Conservancy donors are inspired by the SS United States for many reasons. In explaining her recent $10,000 gift, Marie Prewett writes, "Especially in times like these, we must save a symbol of America's perseverance and resilience... For future generations, she represents the ability that we once had, then let drift away, but can — and will — reclaim."

As always, to make a tax-deductible donation in support of the Conservancy's predevelopment and historic preservation efforts, please click here.

One major focus of the Conservancy's fundraising efforts is our future shipboard museum. I recently delivered a presentation to the International Congress of Maritime Museums, a gathering of museum executives from 22 countries. Panels examined evolving museum visitor expectations, new revenue models, and trends in innovative interactive exhibits. The Conservancy recently launched its own curatorial planning process: What stories should our museum tell? What can the SS United States teach us about the American dream? Our Cold War history? Advances in steam propulsion? The immigrant experience? The "Mad Men" era? We look forward to receiving your thoughts and suggestions as we continue to refine our curatorial plans.

We always love hearing from Conservancy supporters. Eight-year-old Elliot Lehmann recently wrote to tell us to tell us not to scrap the SS United States. He asked us to "look out for the ship carefully. There are no more German U-boats or sea mines. There may be icebergs. If there are, just be careful. And turn in time."

Elliot Lehmann: We vow to turn the ship in time. And we promise to work our hearts out to save the SS United States for your generation and those that follow behind.

Susan Gibbs
Executive Director
SS United States Conservancy

Stephen S. Lash is Chairman Emeritus of Christie's Americas and Vice Chairman of Christie's American Advisory Board. He has been with Christie's since 1976, when he was one of the original team of eight responsible for launching the venerable auction house's first galleries on Park Avenue in New York City. Prior to joining Christie's, Mr. Lash worked in London with the investment-banking firm of S.G. Warburg. During his 35 years with Christie's, he has been involved with virtually every major historic record-setting auction. Mr. Lash serves on the boards of the Museum of the City of New York, The New York Landmarks Conservancy (of which he was Chairman for several years), the Park Avenue Armory, and the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts, where he is on the Board of Overseers and Chairs the Maritime Visiting Committee. He previously served on the boards of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission and the Preservation League of New York State. He is a newly appointed Trustee of the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University, as well as a newly appointed Member of the Advisory Board of Stanhope Capital in London. His passion for all things maritime inspired him to become the founder and first president of the Ocean Liner Museum, which became part of the South Street Seaport. He is an avid collector of trans-Atlantic passenger steamship memorabilia, and has loaned items from his collection to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, as well as to the Cooper Hewitt, Mystic Seaport, Peabody Essex, and Forbes museums. Mr. Lash enjoys lecturing on board various vessels and at other venues; a favorite speech includes The Floating Palaces of Art Deco. He has also taught a Residential College Seminar at Yale, entitled The Ocean Liner and the Golden Age of Travel. Mr. Lash received a B.A. in French Literature from Yale and an M.B.A. in International Business from Columbia.

Mark Byers is a vice president and senior relationship manager at Wilmington Trust Company responsible for managing high-net worth family relationships throughout the United States. Prior to joining Wilmington Trust in 2002, he worked in New York for the Swiss investment bank UBS Warburg. Mark's international experience includes five years in Moscow, Russia, as a business development director for a Moscow-based joint venture. As a veteran of the United States Army, Mark worked in Intelligence and served in Operation Desert Storm in the Persian Gulf War. Mark holds an MBA in International Management from Thunderbird, The Garvin Graduate School of International Management, and is a magna cum laude graduate of Portland State University with a bachelor's degree in Economics. Mark is a member of the Philadelphia CFA Society where he serves on the Board of Directors as a vice president and is also chairman of the Society's Career Development Committee.

Robert L. Forbes is Vice President of Forbes and President of ForbesLife, launched in 1990 as Forbes magazine's dedicated lifestyle supplement, devoted to the pursuit of "civilized pleasure and fulfillment." Published five times a year, it is designed for affluent business leaders who "play as hard as they work." Mr. Forbes has authored numerous articles on food and travel, in addition to producing various documentary films for Forbes. In September 2007, his book of poetry for children, Beastly Feasts! A Mischievous Menagerie in Rhyme (Overlook Press), was published. His new book, Let's Have a Bite! A Beastly Banquet in Rhyme, was published by Overlook Press in September 2010. Both are illustrated by world renowned caricaturist Ronald Searle. He divides his time between Manhattan and Palm Beach, Florida.

Dr. Prewett hopes that her generous gift to our organization will inspire others to contribute to the preservation of this irreplaceable national treasure for future generations:

For me the SS United States represents much more than just an engineering marvel. She represents a time when America could always improve upon existing technology and make it better, faster, and more efficient. We had the talent to take the design successes and failures of the past, learn from them, and distill that knowledge into something new and special. "Made in America" meant solid engineering and durable quality. For future generations she represents ability that we once had, let drift away, but can and will reclaim. After long consideration I've decided to help toward the preservation of the SS United States because, especially in times like these, we need to save a symbol of America's perseverance and resilience.

Congratulations to our newest Blue Riband Council member! Together, we can indeed change history.

To read Prewett's complete statement, click here.

sales@marpubs.demon.co.uk or visit www.lesstreater.com.

Streater has very graciously offered to donate 10 percent of the book's sale proceeds to the SS United States Conservancy. The Conservancy is delighted to spread the word on this comprehensive work on our great ship. Streater was meticulous in his research for the book and has assembled an extraordinary collection of vintage photographs to accompany his riveting narrative.

The Conservancy was fortunate enough to be introduced to Les Streater by Carl Weber, administrator of the SS United States Yahoo Group, a long-time friend of the organization. We are grateful to both Carl and Les for their ongoing support.

I recently discussed latest developments at the World Ship Society Port of New York Branch meeting.  The upshot is that we are gaining momentum, attracting influential supporters, and looking into more detailed possibilities for the ship.  New York remains our primary proposed site for redevelopment.

In the next several weeks, we'll be making several significant announcements about the way ahead.  I think you'll find the news both positive and realistic.

As always, thank you for your interest and support.  If you have any questions about the business/investment side of "Saving Our Ship," please don't hesitate to contact me.

Best regards,

Dan McSweeney
dmcsweeney@logatl.com

Thomas Basile — Founder and Principal of Empire Solutions, a New York-based strategic communications and public relations firm; Managing Director of Middleberg Communications; adjunct professor at the Fordham University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Previous positions included Press Secretary to Senator Trent Lott and the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, communications strategist for the U.S. Department of Defense, and Director of the Office of Communications for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. He received his Juris Doctor attending Fordham and Georgetown University Law Schools.

Mark Behan — Founder of Behan Communications in 1988. He has managed media relations for GE, Finch Paper, Bulova, Eli Lilly and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, among others and his firm has won more than 120 marketing and communications awards. He has provided strategic media, community and government relations services on one of the largest PCB remediation projects in U.S. history and has assisted the owners of 89 former General Motors properties in 14 states with environmental, economic development and community relations issues. His firm has also designed and implemented marketing plans for the New York Independence Trail, which links historic sites from Manhattan to the Canadian border.

Leonard Lauder — Chairman of The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. Founded in 1946 by Estée and Joseph Lauder, The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. is one of the world's leading manufacturers and marketers of quality skin care, makeup and fragrance products. Its brands are sold in more than 100 markets under well recognized brand names: Estée Lauder, Aramis, Clinique, Prescriptives, Origins, M.A.C., Bobbi Brown essentials, Tommy Hilfiger, Jane, Donna Karan Cosmetics, Aveda, Stila, Jo Malone and Kate Spade. He is a member of the board of trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, Chairman of the Board at the Whitney Museum of American Art, trustee of The Aspen Institute, and a member of the President's Council of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, studied at the Columbia University Graduate School of Business and served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy.

Joseph Lombardi — Founder of Ocean Technical Services, LLC, a marine surveying and maritime consultancy business established in 1984. His specialty is the inspection and surveying of large vintage iron and steel vessels (both welded and riveted), dead-ship towing of large vessels from point-to-point, and preparation of Shipyard Specification Packages and Project Management within a shipyard environment. Before entering the marine surveying business, he served within the wheelhouse as tug captain for ship docking, offshore towing of oil barges and coastwise oil tankers. He holds a US Coast Guard License and is a First Class Pilot of Unlimited Tons. He served as a Quartermaster in the US Navy. He has been active in the historic ship movement and serves as Chairman of Ship Preservation for the Historic Naval Ships Association.

Mark Lupke — Founder and managing partner of Trident Occidental, LLC, an investment holding company for partnerships with private investors and a provider of early stage advisory services for information technology and telecommunications companies. Previously he served as partner and managing director of USWeb Corporation, partner and co-founder of IPI Corporation, an internet consultancy, founder of Trident Water Inc., and a mergers and acquisitions analyst for Alex, Brown & Sons. He graduated cum laude from Harvard University.

Rosalyn McPherson — President and Founder of The ROZ Group, Inc., she has provided business development, strategic planning, product and program development, marketing, and sales services for a range of clients in the publishing, education, science, entertainment, and cultural arts sectors. Her company recently completed the installation of a commemorative site, the President's House, adjacent to the Liberty Bell Pavilion at Philadelphia's Independence National Historical Park. She previously served as Senior Vice President of Time Life Education, where she chaired Time Warner's Education Task Force. She helped lead the Philadelphia's Franklin Institute Science Museum's $60 million capital campaign and helped create a new business development plan that featured television documentaries and planetarium show production.

William Myhre — Partner at K & L Gates, LLP, a law firm with 38 offices on three continents. His practice focused on a range of federal legislative and regulatory matters involving domestic and international transportation among other sectors. He has represented industry coalitions as well as individual companies in complex legislative initiatives and their subsequent implementation and judicial defense. His clients have included the passenger/cruise shipping industry, commercial fishing industries, as well as documentation issues involving citizenship limitations on investment in U.S. industries. He is the author of several leading articles on foreign investment in the domestic transportation industry. He received his J.D. degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and his bachelor's degree with distinction from Stanford University.

Mike Novak — Principal, Novak Marine Consulting LLC. His firm provides ship and shipyard-operations consulting services, including new ship building, project management, finance development, design supervision, planning, conversions and major refits. Previous positions included Vice President, Marine Operations, Holland America Line Inc.; President and CEO of American Ship Building Company/Tampa Shipyards, Inc.; President and Founder of Royal Hawaiian Cruise Line Inc.; President, Rader Railcar Inc.; and Senior Vice President of Fleet Operations at Cunard Line Ltd. He received a BS degree from the United States Naval Academy and an MS in Ocean Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Robert Radler — Film and television producer. Credits include the award-winning documentary, SS United States: Lady in Waiting produced by Big Ship Films in collaboration with the Conservancy. He also produced Turn It Up!, a feature-length documentary about the electric guitar. After attending New York University's Graduate Institute of Film and Television, he began his professional career in New York at Equinox Films where he produced commercials and short films for a range of institutions. He went on to direct promotional films for Polaroid, The Los Angeles Times, McGraw-Hill, ITEK-Litton, New World Pictures, the City of Baltimore, the National Football League, the National Hockey League, Dodge, Chrysler, Car and Driver Magazine, and others. He directed Jerry Bruckheimer's first TV pilot and series, Soldier of Fortune. Additional credits include Pam Anderson's V.I.P., Silk Stalkings, Hercules, Police Academy: The Series, Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, and many others. He also directed three HBO World Premiere movies: T.N.T. and The Substitute 3 & 4 with Treat Williams.

Dan McSweeney has resigned from his role as the Conservancy's executive director and assumed the position of managing director of the SS United States Redevelopment Project at Atlantic Logistics, the Philadelphia-based ship managers of the SS United States since 2003.

Susan L. Gibbs has been appointed the Conservancy's new executive director. She will oversee a major capital campaign as well as spearhead an expansion of the organization's curatorial, preservation and educational initiatives. The granddaughter of the SS United States' designer, William Francis Gibbs, Susan has served as the president of the Conservancy's board since the organization's founding in 2004.

Charles B. Anderson, the Conservancy's vice president and son of the ship's longest-serving master, will assume the role of interim board president, and the Conservancy will conduct a national search for a prominent leader to assume this role over the long term.

"This transition has been in the works for some time," said Gibbs. "Our board of directors concluded that we needed a more focused and energetic effort to establish a public-private partnership to redevelop the ship. This restructuring allows us to do that seamlessly, without losing any continuity in our operations. I look forward to assuming more of hands-on role in ensuring that the Conservancy steps up its efforts to achieve its mission. The SS United States has been issued only a temporary stay of execution, and we are in a real race against time."

"It is a real honor to join the Atlantic Logistics team," said McSweeney. "I have the utmost respect for the company, which has played such a key role in the Conservancy's successes to date. I am looking forward to waging an all-out effort to set the right conditions and find the best partners to insure that our great ship of state will be successfully redeveloped."

"The movement is very fortunate to be gaining Dan McSweeney as its leader in the business development arena," added Gibbs. "As the organization's founding executive director, Dan played a key role in helping the Conservancy secure title to the SS United States. This restructuring will allow him to apply his considerable talents in a much more focused manner."

"The Conservancy is taking a great step forward," said Anderson. "I'm confident that this talented team, with help from all of our supporters and partners, will enable us save this irreplaceable American icon."

The SS United States Conservancy is pleased to announce it has received a generous donation, the nonprofit version of the Salesforce cloud-based CRM (customer relationship management) program from the Salesforce Foundation. This powerful program will allow the Conservancy to manage its fundraising campaigns and membership much more efficiently than it has in the past.  

The Salesforce Foundation provides an initial 10-license donation and steep discounts on all future licenses and products to qualified nonprofits.   To date, Salesforce has donated the use of its CRM program to over 11,000 nonprofit organizations, and its employees have volunteered over 265,000 hours of their time to worthy causes.

In recognition of their contribution, Salesforce Foundation has become the newest member of the Conservancy’s “Corporate Flagship Council.”

Companies learning more about the Corporate Flagship Council should contact Steven Ujifusa (sujifusa@ssusc.org).

I hope you enjoyed the Labor Day holiday.  From my perspective, the summer has flown by too quickly.  I can't believe it's already September!

At the Conservancy, it's been a very busy summer and we have made some good strides that we'll be unveiling in the next several weeks.  Please stay tuned for some exciting announcements.

We are continuously inspired by the messages we receive on a daily basis, not only from across the country, but from a growing base of international support.  To be sure, the effort to "Save Our Ship" gets more complex as we continue on the path of redevelopment and, as I'm sure you will agree, the stakes are getting higher.  Regardless, we remain committed to succeeding in our efforts.

Messages of encouragement, questions about how things are going (and why we are pursuing objectives in particular ways), and ideas for new approaches confirm our view that we are on the right track.

The clock is ticking loudly in the race to strike a redevelopment deal and museum/curatorial plan, as Susan Gibbs has reminded our board of directors, staff, and consultants repeatedly.  This reinforces our desire to keep our eyes on the prize and redouble our efforts.  This is the time to hit it hard and I'm looking forward to seeing our initiatives reach a new level in the next several months. 

It's going to be a great fall season for the ship!  I would like to request your help in keeping up the effort in a spirit of unity.  It's all about saving and successfully redeveloping this irreplaceable American icon.  We cannot and will not fail.

Thanks for your ongoing interest in our work and, again, please stay tuned for more specific announcements.

Best regards and respectfully,

Dan McSweeney
Executive Director
SS United States Conservancy
Online: www.ssusc.org 
Telephone: 202-486-1522

The game starts at 7:00 PM at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, NY. By ordering tickets for this game through the Conservancy, supporters can enjoy greatly reduced ticket prices, plus proceeds from ticket sales will go directly toward our efforts to save our ship.

To purchase tickets online, visit our secure page on the Islanders' website.

The discounted SSUSC ticket prices for the game are as follows:
$75 Lower VIP Endzone Attack 100's (normally $88)
$70 Lower VIP Endzone Defend 100's (normally $84)
$70 Lower VIP Endzone Attack 200's (normally $84)
$35 End Mezz Attack (normally $40)
$35 End Mezz Defend (Rows A-D) (normally $40)
$30 End Mezz Defend (Rows E-O) (normally $40)

The Conservancy will also be holding an event on September 17 at 8:00 PM at Madison’s Restaurant and Martini Bar with raffle prizes and fun related to both the SS United States and our parnership with the Islanders. Madison's is located at 200 Larkfield Rd., East Northport, NY, just a few blocks south of the Northport LIRR stop. Hope to see you there!

This interactive “micro-investing” project will allow people from all walks of life to “purchase” sections of the ship by the square inch and attach their personal stories and photos to an online 3D model, which will be gradually be “painted” as more square inches are purchased. Our end goal is produce an end product similar to Ellis Island’s “Wall of Honor,” in which ordinary citizens can contribute to the preservation of an American monument in a very personal way.

The Conservancy would appreciate any suggestions our members might have for possible foundations that fund historic preservation/museum organizations. We are also seeking contacts at internet/technology firms that may be able to offer guidance as we develop our "Paint the Ship" online mode. If you would like to help, please contact development associate Steven Ujifusa at sujifusa@ssusc.org.

I hope you are enjoying the summer.

In order to enhance situational awareness and understanding of where we are in the effort to save and redevelop the ship, I'd like to offer this update on our work.

I'd say the SS United States is in a better place now than it has been in many years. The Conservancy's board, staff, volunteers, and supporters have been doing a great job in publicizing the cause, stimulating interest and help for the mission, and marshaling and organizing our limited resources so we can more effectively and efficiently employ them.

That being said, there's a long way to go. Though we've come quite a distance since being founded in 2004, we've got to keep our eyes on the prize, realizing that our recent grant offers only a temporary reprieve for the vessel.

So, what's the current play? After conducting two feasibility studies focused on placing the ship in Philadelphia as a stationary attraction, we have concluded that it's not likely to work there for a variety of reasons. Firstly, there is no capitalized partner interested in the project. Secondly, the market density, hotel occupancy rates, and other key economic and demographic factors don't support an operation on the scale of a redeveloped SS United States. Thirdly, the Philly waterfront master planning process leaves many questions unanswered about if and how the ship could fit into the overall scheme of things. Simply stated, we are not part of the vision.

The silver lining for Philly is the fact that our grant to purchase and temporarily maintain the ship stipulates that a refit of the vessel must occur at the Philly Navy Yard, if its bid is competitive. In this way, a great portion of the budget involved in redeveloping the SS United States would flow into the Philadelphia economy, thanks to the wise planning of Gerry Lenfest. This represents only one way we intend to honor the City of Brotherly Love for its great role in keeping the ship — and the dream of saving her — alive.

What's next? New York is emerging as a top contender to host the redeveloped ship as a stationary attraction and we are discussing this idea with a wide variety of potential stakeholders there. We feel we've got a very good chance of making it happen. A multi-purpose attraction with the ship as its focus would no doubt be an instant hit in New York City, the vessel's original home port, and we're excited about this potential arrangement. Obviously, there will be a lot more to follow on this topic as the situation becomes clearer.

I want to thank those who have been sharing their views on our work. Receiving feedback is an essential component in any major endeavor. Of course, there is always room for improvement and we are aware of some of the areas in which we must do better, but it is good to note the progress we have made and continue to pursue. As the Conservancy continues to grow, there will be increased opportunities to participate, for those who are interested.

The Conservancy exists for one reason — to save and successfully redevelop the ship. All other factors, motivations, and objectives must be secondary to that rather large goal. We are committed to doing right by the ship and her many supporters across America and internationally.

I offer my sincere thanks for your attention and for your continued interest in and support for our shared effort to Save Our Ship. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to e-mail me (dmcsweeney@ssusc.org) or reach me by telephone (202-486-1522).

Respectfully,

Dan McSweeney
Executive Director
SS United States Conservancy

The SS United States Conservancy is extremely proud of our growing family — individuals, families, companies, and institutions joining our effort to save our National Flagship.  At the 2011 Summer Gala “Relive an Evening Aboard the SS United States” we were thrilled to introduce a whole new group of people to our mission.

Individual gala patrons received “Big U Benefactor” membership status in our organization.  Couples received “Captain’s Quarters Supporter” status, and table purchasers received “William Francis Gibbs Benefactor” membership status.  We are also thrilled that about a dozen “Young Friends of the SS United States Conservancy” (under 40) attended the gala.   Special thanks also to those who were sent in generous contributions but were unable to attend.

The Conservancy is grateful for the financial and moral support of our membership. We also ask that you please support our corporate and institutional donors listed below.

Yet this party is only the beginning. Please spread the word among your friends — we have only until August 2012 to come up with a viable museum and development plan for the ship.   Ultimately, this is more than just about a ship — it’s about bringing people together to change history. 

To learn more about supporting the SS United States Conservancy, click here.

Gala Committee

Honorary Gala Co-Chairs
H.F. “Gerry” Lenfest
Richard Albert “Dick” Vermeil

Gala Co-Chairs
Steven B. Ujifusa
Richard L. Walkup Jr.

Andrew Colket

Robert Foley and Mary Payne

Arlene Ingram

Alix Rockwell Jacobs

Jacqueline Lewis

Nicholas Manzi

Barbara Oehrle

John Reynolds

Jonathan and Bobbie Turner

Hon. Thomas and Penelope Watkins

Lead Sponsor

Wilmington Trust

Gala Patrons

Mario Alvarez-Garcillán

Ira and Alicia Brown

Robert and Julie Bryan

Stephan Bürgi

Mark and Katia Byers

Susan Caccavale*

Chris Candela

William Cogar

Scott Cointot

Andrew C. Colket

Doretta DiGioia Clamper

Skip Denenberg

Thomas Fanelle

David and Cathy Fine

Dr. Susan P. Fino

Steven and Marlene Fisher

James and Tina Flood

Beverley Flynn

Siu Fung

Jack and Kathryn Garniewski

Lee Gibson

Colonel David Gray

Christopher Green

Jim and Frieda Green

Thomas S. Greenwood III

Ward Guilday

Jeffrey Henry*

Llewellyn Hunt

Ik-Joong Kang

Leo Kivel

Dorothy Duddy Kolbe

Andy Kravitz

Karl and Sharon Kyris

Bill and Cindy LaFond

Cindy Landreth

Margarette Lee

H.F. “Gerry” Lenfest

Jacqueline Lewis

Jack and Carol Lieberman

Brian and Amanda LoFink

J. Travis Logan

Eric Lorgus

Tony Lunger

Russell Maffei

Bill Magee

Nicholas and Mary Manzi

Joanne Maurer

AJ and Vicky McAllister

William Scott, Jeanne, and Joan McClurg

John McFadden

Heidi, Mikey, and Maria McKenzie

Rosalind McPherson

George McNeely

Carmen McSweeney

Phyllis Meloff

Gregory M. Nickerson

Mr. and Mrs. Samir Patel

Vikram Patel

Luis Perez

Laura Pfiester

Ted Piccone and Susan Gibbs*

Ted Piersol

Larry Pitt

John and Lea Reynolds

A. Scott Richman

Rebecca Richman

Lee and Carol Roberts

Keith and Betty Robertshaw

Diane Robler

Joseph Rota* and Bonnie Davis

Matthew Schulte

Andrea Spahr

Patricia Spera

Denis Spizuoco

John Steele

James and Keith Straw

Jason Summers

Liz Tatum

David and Laura Thayer

Frederick and Mary Tucker

Jonathan and Bobbie Turner

Steven B. Ujifusa

Richard Albert “Dick” Vermeil

Richard and Jean Walkup

Hon. Thomas and Penelope Watkins

Carl Wesch

Charles Weymouth

Julia Wirts

Young and Nan Woo

Guenter and Mary Ziegler

*SS United States Conservancy Board of Directors

Gala Donors

Mr. and Mrs. Peter Boylston Adams

Richard P. Brown Jr.

Betty Holliday-Ramsey

Robert Jones

John C. Keene

Robinson B. Lacy

Robert P. Levy

Thomas O’Reilly

Mr. and Mrs. Leander McCormick-Goodhart

Paul F. Van Nostrand

Douglas Shepardson

Robert B. Tyrell

Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Taddei

Carl Wesch

Special Gala Donors and Partners

Alpha USA

Marica Angelides

The Albert Oehrle Orchestra

Mario Alvarez-Garcillán

ATC Associates

Atlantic Logistics

Applebrook Golf Club

Barrel Oak Winery

Big Ship Films LLC

Brooks Brothers

Mark L. Byers

Christies

Continental Limousine LLC

Corinthian Yacht Club

The Curtis Institute of Music

Charles Dardas

Frank DeGiulio, Esq.

Skip Denenberg

H.M. Hillman Brass and Cooper, Inc.

R. Fanelle’s Sons

Dr. Susan Fino

First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry

James Flood

William A. Fox, P.E.

The Great Frame Up, Wayne

Alida Haslett

John Johnson

Andrew Kravitz

David Lawrence

George McNeely

Ered Matthew

Robert Foley and Mary Payne

The Mariners’ Museum

Narragansett Brewing Company

Palmer Biezup and Henderson

Mark B. Perry

Philadelphia Distilling

The Powel House

Project Liberty Ship

Quaker City Mercantile

Robert and Kitty Radler

Lloyd Reynolds

Berandette Semel

Greg Shutters

Andrea Spahr

Nicholas Manzi

Greg Raschdorf

John Reynolds

The Steamship Historical Society of America

Jonathan and Bobbie Turner

Valley Forge Military Academy

Hon. Thomas and Penelope Watkins

Carl Weber

Carl Wesch

Wilmington Trust Company

ReAnna Wolfe

The article also outlines some of the Conservancy's future plans for the ship. Conservancy president Susan Gibbs is quoted in the article, saying, "We hope to combine the iconic features with something fresh and new — just like the ship did in its day.” Though her original interiors were removed in the 1980s, the Conservancy is committed to restoring many of these grand public rooms to their original configuration for the ship's future use. Please contribute generously to the Conservancy's restoration effort, so that we can bring many of these wonderful rooms back to life.

You can read the full Philadelphia City Paper article here.

Shutters, 24, hopes that his work for the SS United States will get more young people interested in the ship and the efforts to preserve her for the 21st century and beyond.

You can read the full article here.

More details on the event can be found at the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance website.

Also, feel free to join us after the event for Happy Hour at Ulysses' Folk House, 58 Stone Street in Lower Manhattan. Conservancy members will be arriving at 5:45 PM. Hope to see you there!

An additional four propellers from the SS United States are displayed prominently at important sites in New York and Virginia. These sites include the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, the State University of New York Maritime College, near the USS Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum in Midtown Manhattan, and at the Mariners Museum in Newport News, VA. These displays provide important opportunities for many visitors to view and develop a personal understanding of the propellers and the ship.

Sale of the two propellers will provide the Conservancy with funds absolutely critical to plans for the ship’s redevelopment as a stationary attraction.

Any questions about this sale can be directed to Dan McSweeney, SS United States Conservancy executive director, by email at dmcsweeney@ssusc.org or by phone at (202) 486-1522.

In case you missed it on its original air date, you can view the clip here.

In case you miss it, the Conservancy will be posting a link to the video in the upcoming days.