By Susan Gibbs, President, SS United States Conservancy

During Women’s History Month, we celebrate the SS United States and all the formidable women associated with America’s Flagship.  First, there is the ship herself, which commonly – at least in the English language – is assigned she/her pronouns. Back in 1963, the company newsletter of the ship’s design firm, Gibbs & Cox, published various answers to the crucial question, “Why ships are called ‘she’?”. Among the responses: “Because coming into port, the first thing she does is go to the ‘buoys.’” Another theory: “First, there is always a gang of men around her; second it takes a lot of paint to keep her good looking…” And one more: “In older times, when sea voyages could take many years, the ship was the woman the seaman saw as his home, he found in her his protection…”

This last respondent was on to something. The SS United States provided protection not only to the seamen who manned her. As a top-secret convertible troop ship, she played a key role in national defense. Her fire safety and subdivision specifications were legendary. These safety requirements challenged the team of women designers – led by Dorothy Marckwald and Anne Urquhart – who created the ship’s celebrated mid-century modern interiors using only fireproof materials.  They commissioned works from female artists, such as Gwen Lux’s “Expressions of Freedom,” Hildreth Meiere’s “The Mississippi: Father of Waters,” and Mira Jebwadnik van Doren’s vitreous enameled tabletops and plaques of North American birds. 

Her record-breaking speed was another reason she was lauded as the safest ship afloat.  The firm that designed her - Gibbs & Cox - welcomed many women within its ranks, including Elaine Kaplan, who played a pivotal role in designing the SS United States’ vaunted propellers.  

The ship’s passenger lists from her 17-year service career are full of prominent women, including stars of stage and screen – Marilyn Monroe, Rita Hayworth, Katherine Hepburn and Greta Garbo, to political leaders – from Eleanor Roosevelt, Princess Grace and Jackie Bouvier Kennedy – to artists and musicians, such as Sylvia Plath and Mahalia Jackson. 

The SS United States’ designer, William Francis Gibbs, once said, “The strange thing about ships and women is that, so far as I know, you will agree with me that they are both necessary."  It’s unfortunate that he’s not still with us so we could ask him for clarification. But we can conclude without question that his beloved SS United States continues to endure and inspire. As we celebrate Women’s History Month, let’s not forget America’s Flagship and all of the women who contributed to making her so extraordinary and all the women whose lives she touched.