FUNDRAISING

Over the course of the year, our number of members grew by 146 percent and individual donations exceeded last year's tally by $115,000. Members now hail from all 50 states and 25 countries, and every contribution brings us one step closer to saving our ship. We also introduced an exciting corporate sponsorship program.

COVER PHOTOS (clockwise from top): SS United States lighting display atop Philadelphia's Cira Centre, June 18, 2013; CBS Sunday Morning broadcast of "Trying to Save an American Icon," February 17, 2013; Maritime Historian John Maxtone-Graham with Conservancy Executive Director Susan Gibbs; Poster for April 19, 2013, Herald Square rally in New York City, courtesy of Paul Stipkovich, Chair of NY/Northern NJ Chapter; Poster image, courtesy of Greg Shutters, SS United States Conservancy; SS United States: Made In America documentary; Conservancy announcement of Billie Jean King's appointment to Advisory Council, May 27, 2013; Dan McSweeney, Managing Director of the SS United States Redevelopment Project, with Steve Doocy on Fox News; 11-year-old Ravi Giberson at Philadelphia rally, June 18, 2013.

DAVID MACAULAY’S JOURNEY ABOARD THE SS UNITED STATES

This year renowned author and illustrator David Macaulay joined the Conservancy's campaign to save the United States. Mr. Macaulay, who immigrated to this country aboard the ship when he was 10 years old, is advising the Conservancy on the development of the SS United States Center for Design and Discovery and is working on a new book that explores the importance of the SS United States within a broader history of technology and innovation. Macaulay has been sharing sketches and reflections in his blog, David Macaulay’s Journey Aboard the SS United States, hosted on the Conservancy's website. Macaulay's books have sold millions of copies in the US alone, and his works have been translated into a dozen languages. Macaulay's book about the SS United States will be released in the fall of 2014 by David Macaulay Studio, an imprint of Roaring BrookPress.

Executive Director Susan Gibbs and author David Macaulay, by Kyle Ober

SAVETHEUNITEDSTATES.ORG

The Conservancy’s innovative crowdfunding campaign at SavetheUnitedStates.org continues to gain steam. The campaign’s unique website allows visitors to purchase and personalize their own sections of a “virtual” SS United States starting at $1 per square inch. This interactive feature will become a permanent display in the SS United States Center for Design and Discovery and continue to serve as a rich and living tapestry of the many lives touched by the SS United States.

SS United States cutaway illustration, by David Macaulay

The Conservancy's interactive web site at SaveTheUnitedStates.org

2013 HIGHLIGHTS

SSUSC.org • SaveTheUnitedStates.org

This year we witnessed the 61st anniversary of the record-breaking maiden voyage of “the most famous ship that didn’t sink.” With the growth of our Advisory Council, regional chapters, and worldwide membership, the Conservancy continues to build steam toward our goal of restoring the SS United States as a mixed-use development and museum complex. Your generous support has helped us keep this historic treasure from being lost, and we hope to earn your continued support. In the words of Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, concerned citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.”

FULL STEAM AHEAD

The Conservancy's local chapters gained members and momentum. These chapters, which provide local area support to the Conservancy and raise public awareness of the SS United States, now include: New York/Northern New Jersey; Philadelphia; Washington, DC; Hampton Roads, VA; Florida; New England; and SUNY Maritime College at Fort Schuyler.

S.O.S. CAMPAIGN HIGHLIGHTS

Faced with the ship's mounting carrying costs, the Conservancy launched an urgent S.O.S. Campaign in March. This full-court press involved rallies, social media outreach, a major membership drive, a national media campaign, and outreach to elected officials. As a result of this all-hands-on-deck effort, the Conservancy managed to keep the ship afloat for another year while museum and redevelopment plans continue to advance.

Rendering of proposed museum space aboard the SS United States

OUTREACHOur efforts to save and restore America’s Flagship attracted national and international media attention in outlets including CBS Sunday Morning, NBC News, Voice of America, Fox News, CNN, Time magazine, Philadelphia Inquirer, the Philadelphia Daily News, The Associated Press, and Crain’s New York Business, among others. Some of the stories featured included: the launch of our S.O.S. Campaign; our rallies in Philadelphia’s LOVE Park & Manhattan’s Herald Square; SS United States lighting displays atop two iconic Philadelphia skyscrapers; and the release of our new five-part documentary, SS United States: Made In America.

The SS United States was featured in several art exhibits in New York City, Spain, Philadelphia, and New Jersey. Advisory Council member Larry Driscoll's The Last Great Race: the SS United States and the Blue Riband was released to wide acclaim, and Advisory Council member Steven Ujifusa's book, A Man and His Ship, named one of the top ten books of 2012 by the Wall Street Journal, came out in paperback.

The Conservancy's social media efforts lit up the Internet over the course of the year. With over 9,600 Facebook fans, 800 Twitter followers, and an active YouTube channel, the Conservancy's online presence continues to grow. We’ve expanded and re-launched the Conservancy web site, ssusc.org: our shop area features new merchandise, and our new "Junior Shipsters" page gives children a special area to learn about the SS United States and highlights some of the youth efforts that have focused on the ship.

REDEVELOPMENT

The Conservancy continues to pursue a permanent site for the vessel as a stationary mixed-use museum and development complex as well as attract investors and partners to the project. We’ve begun preparing the ship for redevelopment by conducting selective reclamation of obsolete materials aboard the vessel, a program that is also generating revenues in support of the ship’s core carrying costs.

Creative redevelopment strategies are being advanced, including incorporating a natural gas generator aboard the ship for combined heat and power generation, live theater and event space, and a range of retail, hospitality, education/research and office offerings.

SS UNITED STATES CENTER FOR DESIGN & DISCOVERY

The Conservancy continues to advance plans for the SS United States Center for Design and Discovery. The future museum and educational center will showcase the history of “America’s Flagship” as well as explore broader themes of technological innovation, mid-century modern art and design, and American post-war and maritime history. A sneak peak of some of the Center’s future themes will be on display at the Conservancy’s forthcoming exhibit at Philadelphia’s Independence Seaport Museum to open in early March 2014.

Courtesy of Charles Anderson

Main Street Cruisers, courtesy of Elena Popina