Dreams of the Young William francis gibbs fell in love with ships as a young boy. But it’s a rare few who can leave their mark on the sea the way he did. “When my grandfather was a little boy, his family had a summer house on the Jersey shore,” says granddaughter susan gibbs, president of the ss United States Conservancy, an organization dedicated to preserving the ship. “he watched these great european ocean liners head into and out of new York harbor, and he just fell in love.” he pursued that love his whole life, designing thousands of ships, including some 5,000 during World War II alone— about 70 percent of the marine tonnage built during that war. that experience gave gibbs the valuable knowledge and experience he would need for the ss United States, his ultimate achievement. “the ss United States drew upon all of the innovations that were devised during World War II,” gibbs says. “It wasn’t just a luxury cruise liner; it also was a convertible troop ship and Cold War asset.” Indeed, although construction on the ship did not begin until 1950, the cost was largely subsidized by the u.s. government on the condition that it could be quickly converted into a wartime vessel capable of carrying 14,000 troops. gibbs was happy to oblige. When the “Big u” set off on its maiden voyage from new York on July 3, 1952, he was on board. he was still there three days, 10 hours and 40 minutes later when it reached Bishop rock, england—breaking the world record by more than 10 hours at an average speed of 35.59 knots. several days later, the ship left to head back west and set a record for that trip as well. Both records still stand today.
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In her heyday, the SS United States (pictured in Southampton, England, opposite, in 1955) was a ship to the stars. She entertained the likes of celebrities such as hopalong cassidy and his wife (opposite bottom) and Judy Garland (top), among many others. Joe rota (pictured above and below) spent four years as a crew member aboard the SS United States and is now a major part of the movement to see her restored.
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