Read the Press Release
The SS United States courtesy of Robert Hope and The SSUSC Legacy Project
January 17, 2010 – Click here to read the latest e-update from the SS United States Conservancy. And be sure to join our mailing list by clicking here.
Members of the SS United States Conservancy met with the Waterfront and Parks Committee of Community Board 4 in Manhattan on Thursday, January 14th. Conservancy Executive Director Dan McSweeney and Board Member Charlie Anderson were joined by the organization’s real estate consultant, Michael Kramer, to introduce the idea of returning the SS United States to the Hudson as a re-purposed stationary attraction.
“We made a very broad, preliminary presentation,” said McSweeney. “More than anything, we wanted to understand the views of the committee and we were glad to hear a lot of support and good observations from the members in attendance.”
Conservancy Real Estate Consultant Michael Kramer discusses potential siting of SS United States in New York with members of Manhattan's Community Board 4
The Conservancy is investigating a variety of potential locations for a re-purposed ship, including sites in Philadelphia. Recent conversations with the vessel’s current owner indicate a clear desire by NCL to investigate ways of working with the Conservancy.
“We have a long way to go,” said Anderson, son of the the ship’s longest-serving master, John Anderson. “But we’re taking the steps necessary to do this the right way. Wherever we end up bringing the ship will involve a long and complex planning process.”
Coverage of the meeting has appeared in the New York Times, DNAinfo, the Long Beach District Weekly, and the South Florida Business Journal.
“We’re hitting our stride,” said McSweeney. “Stand by for more news in the next weeks.”
January 11, 2010 – The Conservancy’s ongoing efforts to save the SS United States were featured in today’s edition of “City Room” for The New York Times. Be sure to read it here.
January 10, 2010 – Still looking for the perfect SS United States calendar for the new decade? Our exclusive Artists’ Visions of the SS United States Full Color 2010 Calendar, featuring stunning works by noted maritime artists, is NOW ON SALE! Click here to get yours today!
January 9, 2010 – DNAinfo.com, a site featuring local Manhattan news, posted an article about the ship and her plight today. Conservancy Executive Director Dan McSweeney was interviewed for the piece, and images from both the Conservancy Legacy Project and Big Ship Films (producer of SS United States: Lady in Waiting) were used to illustrate the article. Be sure to check it out here.
The SS United States in Philadelphia, April 2007 courtesy of Big Ship Films.
Dear SS United States Conservancy Supporters and Friends:
We hope this finds you well and enjoying the holiday season.
We are writing to seek your support for the SS United States Conservancy’s efforts to assure a dignified future for the SS United States. Tragically, as the year draws to a close, our national flagship is in danger of being sold for scrap.
During the coming year, the SS United States Conservancy plans to ramp up its efforts to raise national awareness of the ship’s historical significance and build support for the ship’s conversion into a viable and vibrant stationary attraction in a major American city. At what may very well be the ship’s final hour, we need your help!
The SS United States was listed for sale earlier this year by her current owners, Norwegian Cruise Line/Star Cruises, because of the harsh economic climate and technical challenges associated with her rehabilitation. Our fight to secure a dignified future for our national flagship was recently bolstered by a $300,000 pledge from philanthropist H.F. (Gerry) Lenfest of Philadelphia that will be put towards the purchase of the ship. While Mr. Lenfest’s generosity has infused new energy in our efforts to “Save Our Ship”, much work lies ahead of us.
With your past support, we have worked tirelessly on the ship’s behalf. This year, we:
We are now turning to you to help us expand on the momentum generated by Gerry’s pledge of $300,000 through a tax-deductible donation. We intend to:
We know many Americans have forgotten about the romance of transatlantic travel, the ship’s peerless engineering and design achievements, and the speed record she maintains to this day. But what really matters is that she is more than an ocean liner – she is a national historic treasure on par with the USS Constitution. She must be saved!
Both of us helped found the SS United States Conservancy because of our close, personal ties to the ship. We are turning to you, as an extended family, to now request your help. We strongly believe your contribution before December 31 will help us save the SS United States. Will you join us with a tax-deductible contribution of $25 or $2,500 – whatever you feel you can afford to give?
Each day is critical. Thank you for helping us Save Our Ship.
If you’d like to donate, please click here to do so via our PayPal account. If you’d prefer to send a check, please click here.
Again, best wishes for a great holiday season and thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely yours,
Susan Gibbs
President, Board of Directors
Dan McSweeney
Executive Director
Holiday gatherings hosted by SS United States Conservancy Working Groups in Philadelphia and New York offered an opportunity to share some holiday cheer and discuss plans for 2010.
Members of the Philadelphia Working Group and Chair Steven Ujifusa gathered at the Chart House on the Philaelphia Waterfront
Fifteen members of the Conservancy’s Philadelphia Working Group met for a holiday dinner at The Chart House on Friday, December 11. Among the attendees were Philly Working Group Chair Steven Ujifusa, board member Jeff Henry and family, Mark Brooks, Judge Thomas Watkins, Arlene Harrison, Steve Perry, and George Claflen. Joining them were a few members of the New York Working Group, including Conservancy Executive Director Dan McSweeney, Susan Caccavale, Walter Frey, and Eddie Carr. Before dinner, some of the group visited the “Splendor in Decay” exhibition at Calumet Photographic, organized by Rita DeVechis. Although the ship remains in grave danger, the group has much to celebrate as the year closes, namely the securing of the $300,000 matching grant from Gerry Lenfest, a letter of support from Congressman Joe Sestak, high profile events at IKEA and the Independence Seaport Museum, and most recently, the adoption by Philadelphia City Council of a resolution recognizing the historical significance of the SS United States and supporting her future use as a floating attraction along a revitalized Delaware River. The dinner ended with William Francis Gibbs’s favorite toast: “To all you ever want. Doubled. Good health. And the Big Ship.”
Members of the Conservancy’s New York Working and their guests gathered at Manhattan’s Soldiers and Sailors Club on Lexington Avenue on December 18. Attendees discussed latest developments in New York, including a highly successful Conservancy annual meeting, major media coverage, and key meetings with the Economic Development Corporation and the Hudson River Park Trust. After a raffle, in which a variety of SS United States items were awarded, a contribution to the Conservancy was presented by representatives of George Sharp, Inc., a leading maritime engineering firm. Finally, talk turned to plans for maximizing impacts in 2010. Under the leadership of Working Group Chair Susan Caccavale, 40 attendees enjoyed the evening.
Some of the 40 guests who gathered at the Soldiers and Sailors Club in Manhattan under the leadership of Working Group Chair Susan Caccavale
“These gatherings demonstrate the momentum we continue to generate in Philadelphia and New York,” said Conservancy Board President Susan Gibbs. “We have much work to do in 2010 and we’ll turn to our working groups to ensure we accomplish our mission of saving the SS United States.”
December 10, 2009 – To read the latest Conservancy Update, please click here.
December 10, 2009 – Below is the full text of Frank DiCicco’s resolution regarding the SS United States:
RESOLUTION
Recognizing and honoring the history of the SS UNITED STATES and its importance to Philadelphia, maritime history and the country as a whole; appreciating the opportunity to use the ship’s redevelopment as a catalyst for development on the banks of the Delaware River; acknowledging the negative impact that the ship’s current condition has on current efforts to redevelop the waterfront; thanking the SS United States Conservancy for its efforts to save the ship; and encouraging the ship’s current owner, Genting Hong Kong Ltd, to correct the current conditions.
WHEREAS, The SS UNITED STATES was constructed at the Newport News Shipyards in Virginia and christened on June 23, 1951. The ship was built not only as a passenger ship to compete with the likes of the QUEEN MARY but also as troop ship under U.S. Navy specifications and was capable of transporting, at speeds upwards of 36 knots, 15,000 troops anywhere in the world; and,
WHEREAS, The SS UNITED STATES was designed by William Francis Gibbs, born and raised in North Philadelphia and Rittenhouse Square, who gained renown as the nation’s foremost civilian and military ship designer during two world wars and the intervening years; and,
WHEREAS, The steel for the SS UNITED STATES was supplied by the Lukens Steel Corporation, Coatesville, Pennsylvania; and,
WHEREAS, The SS UNITED STATES is 990 feet in length, 110 feet longer than the TITANIC; and,
WHEREAS, On her maiden voyage on July 3, 1952, the SS UNITED STATES captured the transatlantic speed record from the QUEEN MARY, averaging almost 36 knots and completing the crossing in 3 days, 10 hours, 40 minutes, a record that still stands today; and,
WHEREAS, Tens of thousands of people immigrating to the United States of America were transported by the SS UNITED STATES; and,
WHEREAS, In addition to these immigrants, the SS UNITED STATES hosted world leaders, presidents, royalty, Hollywood stars and leaders of industry. Princess Grace and her husband Prince Ranier were passengers on their visits to Philadelphia, as well as the Annenbergs and other prominent Philadelphians. After receiving a Rhodes Scholarship, Bill Clinton travelled on the ship on his way to Oxford University in 1968; and,
WHEREAS, After 17 years of service and 2,770,844 nautical miles without a mechanical mishap that caused a schedule delay, the SS UNITED STATES was retired in 1969; and,
WHEREAS, The SS UNITED STATES at the time of her retirement, was universally recognized as the largest, safest and fastest ship on the seas and is still regarded as the fastest passenger ship ever sail the world’s oceans. Many believe that the ship represents the apex of transatlantic travel and of America’s industrial might; and,
WHEREAS, The late Walter Cronkite, a passenger on the SS UNITED STATES, likened her national significance to that of the Statue of Liberty, the Spirit of St. Louis, the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. He stated that it would be a “crime against history” if the ship were lost; and,
WHEREAS, The SS UNITED STATES is included in the Pennsylvania Register of Historic Places and the National Register of Historic Places and has been described by the registries as a place of “compelling national significance;” and,
WHEREAS, Since 1996, the SS UNITED STATES has been docked at Pier 82 in the City of Philadelphia. Although tended by professional caretakers, no restoration work by the current owners has taken place, and its current condition is a blight on the surrounding community and has hampered waterfront development; and,
WHEREAS, Maritime Investments, Inc., a Delaware Corporation and wholly owned subsidiary of Norwegian Cruise Line whose parent corporation is Genting Hong Kong Ltd, a corporation headquartered in Hong Kong and organized under the laws of Malaysia, owns the SS UNITED STATES. The company has offered the SS UNITED STATES for sale to a variety of buyers, include those who have expressed credible interest in scrapping the vessel.
WHEREAS, In order to successfully develop the Central Delaware riverfront, the current condition of the SS UNITED STATES must be addressed by either by rehabilitating the ship or removing the ship from its current berth; and,
WHEREAS, A rehabilitated SS UNITED STATES would be an exciting addition to the Delaware River that could be successful tourist attraction and that already includes the battleship USS NEW JERSEY, the USS OLYMPIA, the submarine BECUNA, the tugboat JUPITER, and the tall ship GAZELA; and,
WHEREAS, A retrofit of the SS UNITED STATES could be accomplished in Philadelphia’s shipyard. The refit would create hundreds of jobs for a number of skilled laborers; and,
WHEREAS, The SS United States Conservancy is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving the vessel and preserving her legacy by working with public-and private-sector partners to raise funds to rehabilitate the ship; now, therefore be it
RESOLVED THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA Recognizes and honors the history of the SS UNITED STATES and its importance to Philadelphia, maritime history and the country as a whole; appreciates the opportunity to use the ship’s redevelopment as a catalyst for development on the banks of the Delaware River; acknowledges the negative impact that the ship’s current condition has on current efforts to redevelop the waterfront; thanks the SS United States Conservancy for its efforts to save the ship; and encourages the ship’s current owner, Genting Hong Kong Ltd, to correct the current conditions.
FURTHER RESOLVED That an engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to the SS United States Conservancy as the sincere sentiments of this body and that a copy of this resolution be provided to Genting Hong Kong Ltd.
December 3, 2009
Frank DiCicco
1st District Councilman
December 4, 2009 – Wall Street Journal writer Jesse Pesta, who wrote the front page article about the SS United States and the Conservancy’s efforts to save her back in August, was recently interviewed on WABC’s The John Batchelor Show. To listen to this interview, please click here.
