Conservancy Mourns the Loss of Irene Pollin

The SS United States Conservancy was saddened to learn of the recent passing of Irene Pollin, mother of Conservancy advocate and steadfast supporter Jim Pollin. Conservancy President Susan Gibbs reflected on Mrs. Pollin’s life and support for America’s Flagship, stating:

“Irene Pollin was a pioneering figure who had an impact on countless lives. Whether it was her work as a psychotherapist, her passionate support (together with her late husband Abe) for the City of Washington and its people, her impact on professional sports, or her life-long commitment to women’s health, Irene lived life ‘full speed ahead.’

The Board of Directors of the SS United States Conservancy extends its sincere condolences to Irene's family, especially Conservancy National Flagship Champion Jim Pollin, whose long and generous commitment to saving the ship has been indispensable over the last decade.

Irene’s support for Jim’s efforts on behalf of the SS United States gives her a place among the other pioneering women who have had a profound impact on the history of America’s Flagship.

The Conservancy will be forever grateful for the Pollin family's generosity and genuine passion for our cause. We remain deeply inspired by Irene’s strength and example as we continue our work to ensure that the SS United States remains an inspiration for generations to come.”

Support America's Flagship in Style

The story of the SS United States is our story.

It is a story of our nation’s triumphant emergence after the trauma of World War II. A story of people, from small towns to big cities, setting out on life-changing journeys to distant shores; Of immigrants crossing the Atlantic in order to build a new life. A living icon of the American dream, the SS United States, continues to represent the power of freedom, hard work, common purpose, and innovation.

Debuted in 1952, the SS United States quickly became the most powerful and fastest ocean liner in the world, smashing the transatlantic speed record on her maiden voyage. Entirely Made in America by over 3,000 pairs of tireless hands, and with products and components from every state in the nation, the SS United States was a global ambassador and the pinnacle of mid-century maritime design. Behind her graceful lines and patriotic flair, she was a national security asset, capable of being transformed into a state-of-the-art, top-secret military vessel.

Help us continue to tell the story of the SS United States by ordering a limited-edition T-shirt or tank top, featuring the sleek mid-century modern-inspired design by Greg Shutters. The 100% Cotton, Hanes Tagless T-shirts provide you with the utmost comfort while remaining durable through each wear and wash. The Hanes X-Temp Tank Top, with a tearaway label, offers special moisture-wicking fabric, perfect for enjoying the summer heat. Each and every sale of these limited-edition shirts helps to keep the SS United States afloat, supporting the ship’s basic expenses as our redevelopment plans advance into their next phase. Each and every sale helps to keep the SS United States afloat, supporting the ship’s basic expenses as our redevelopment plans advance into their next phase.

ORDER YOUR SHIRT OR TANK TOP TODAY

The SS United States Conservancy, a national non-profit organization, is committed to saving America’s Flagship, the SS United States. The Conservancy raises public awareness and financial resources for the maintenance, restoration, and ultimate reuse of this iconic vessel and works to ensure that the fastest ocean liner ever to cross the Atlantic will remain an inspiration for generations to come.

With over 500,000 square feet of unique space, the SS is ready for conversion into a spectacular historic, waterfront destination. The Conservancy is also hard at work building an extraordinary collection of art, artifacts, and historical documents from America’s Flagship to be displayed in our future ship-board museum. Your support will enable us to continue building and curating our collections, while also developing exciting new digital exhibitions.

For more information about the extraordinary SS United States, visit www.ssusc.org or www.wearetheunitedstates.org. You can also find the Conservancy on Facebook and Twitter.

Thank You for Helping Us Celebrate the Big U's 68th Anniversary!

As July draws to a close, we would like to express our gratitude to all who helped make our recent virtual events such a success. Between our Gala 68 Online Auction and our star-studded virtual gala (stream it for free HERE), we were able to raise significant interest, awareness, and funds for the Big U.

Our auction, in particular, was a rousing success — raising more than $13,000 to support our efforts to save the SS United States! We hope to hold more virtual events in the future, including the fourth (and final) round of our Online Auction.

The Conservancy would like to thank the hosts of our Virtual Gala, Mark Perry and David Perry (co-chairs of the Conservancy’s West Coast Chapter) for putting the event together, and the wonderfully talented team at Beyond Pix for producing the event. We were incredibly grateful for the participation of all the celebrities, performers, and other supporters of America’s Flagship who took part in the event, including: Dolly Parton, Mercedes Ellington, Kate Burton, Nancy Sullivan, Bill Miller, Joe Rota, Klea Blackhurst, Nita Whitaker, Skye LaFontaine, Liisi LaFontaine, Akira Sky, Glenn Farrington, Ron Abel, Nick Fryman, and Michael Tekulsky.

We would all like to thank everyone who took part in our Gala 68 Online Auction, including all of the generous individuals and organizations who donated items, experiences, or their services to the cause: David Macaulay, Robert G. Lloyd, Mark Perry, Peter Knego, Bill Miller, Manny Kirchheimer, Kyle Ober, The Steamship Historical Society, and The Pollin Group.

Finally, we would like to extend a warm “thank you” to our supporters. Whether you placed a bid in the auction, watched the Virtual Gala, or simply helped us spread the word on social media, your participation in our July virtual events is deeply appreciated. Stay tuned for more exciting events in the months ahead!