As our Curatorial & Outreach Associate, Kaila plays an important role in supporting the Conservancy’s mission by assisting with cataloguing and preserving of our curatorial collection, developing new digital exhibitions and assisting with the planning for our future shipboard museum.

As our Administrative & Program Associate, David plays an important role in supporting the Conservancy’s mission by engaging with supporters, managing the Conservancy’s Philadelphia office and assisting with fundraising efforts. David comes to the Conservancy having recently graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he was a digital media assistant and also worked as a gallery assistant for a community arts center.

Fair winds and following seas to Conservancy Founding Board member Joe Rota. During his nearly seven year career aboard the SS United States, Joe Rota did and saw it all - memories he was always happy to pass along to anyone with a willing ear.

The Conservancy is heartbroken to learn that Joe Rota, 89, passed away peacefully on Monday, Sept. 5, 2022, at his home with his loving family by his side. A founding board member and former crew member, Joe was one of the biggest champions for the cause of saving his beloved SS United States. From his ferocious passion to his epic storytelling about his shipboard adventures, he infused our effort with so much heart, strategic guidance, and humor.

The Conservancy's second Maritime Legacy Cruise, organized and supported by The Pollin Group, was a great success. An enthusiastic group from around the country - hailing from 16 different states - enjoyed traveling aboard the Norwegian Cruise Line’s Breakaway to Portland and Bar Harbor Maine, along with St John, New Brunswick and Halifax, Nova Scotia in Canada.

Veteran cruise industry executive Jim Pollin donated $200,000 to the national nonprofit organization working to save and repurpose America’s retired SS United States, according to a press release.

Veteran cruise industry executive Jim Pollin joined Conservancy President Susan Gibbs and dozens of the ship’s supporters for a special ceremony in front of the SS United States’ propeller at Pier 76 on Saturday. During the event, Pollin announced a donation of $200,000 to the national nonprofit organization working to save and repurpose the fastest ocean liner to ever cross the Atlantic.

Periodically, Conservancy members will reach out to us, mentioning that they have made a donation in the past but cannot remember when their membership is up for renewal. One simple way to handle this is to convert your annual membership donation to an automatic monthly giving amount.

Alfred H Bluhm, was the Chief Printer aboard the SS United States from the day of her "Maiden Voyage" until 1964.

As for her hopes for the future of the SS United States, Jackie says, “the future SS United States that I see, is one where ‘Unity’ does what she does best, helping people. I see the SS United States acting as a cultural arts center, in her mighty engines rooms there can be a museum dedicated to her history and engineering triumph, and from D Deck to the A Deck, I can see wonderful spaces, hopefully some restored with her mid-century flair.”