NMHS: A CAUSE IN MOTION
Passage Making OUR CASE STATEMENT IN SUMMARY
In 1963 a small group of maritime preservationists in the U nited States, led by the Cape Horn sailor Karl Kortum, came together to save the American-built square rigger Kaiulani. The group formed the National Maritime Histo rical Society and tried to raise public awareness and funding, bur their efforts ended in fai lure. The founders resolved to build NMHS as a national organization, one that would save future Kaiulanis and gain public support for preserving the nation's seafaring heritage. The National Maritime Historical Society grew from this effort, and in 1970, Peter Stanford, who had been the founding presi dent of the South Street Seaport Museum and a leader in the Kaiulani effort, was named the Society's president. Under his leadership , the Society moved forward as a membership organization that works to advance the seafaring heritage. NMHS members are a diverse group of individuals interested in the sea and maritime history: merchant mariners, ship builders, naval architects, recreational sailors, historians, educators, conservationists, preservationists, leaders of the maritime industry, military members of the sea services, and people from all walks of life interested in history. Now numbering some 13,000 , they share a common bond in their love of the sea, a fascination with th e challenge of seafaring, and a commitment to the preservation of our maritim e heritage in the broadest sense. Led by its current chairman, prominent maritime lawyer G uy E. C. Maitland, the Board ofT rustees of the Society, sustained by NMHS members and other supporters, have created, in the words of The New York Times, "a ri ch and varied record of achievement. " Following are highlights of that achievement.
COMMUNICATION: PUBLIC AND PROFESSIONAL Publishing: The Society began publishing Sea History as an annual in 1972 and as a quarterly from 1976 on. With a current circulation of25 ,000, Sea H istory is the mainstay in the Society's publishing effort and is widely recognized as the preeminent journal of advocacy and education in the maritime heritage fi eld. In Karl Kortum 's wo rds: "Sea History is how we all stay in touch. " In 1987, the Society established the bi-monthly Sea History Gazette, which reports up-to-date news of historic ships, maritime museums, maritime art, sail training and the maritime industry. Sea History Press publishes reference wo rks on maritime museums and historic ships, including Sea History's Guide to American and Canadian Maritime Museums and the International Register ofHistoric Ships (co-published with the World Ship Trust headquartered in London), together with several classics: Irving Johnson's The Peking Battles Cape Horn, Capt. Gordon McGowan's The Skipper and the Eagle and Peter Stanford's The Ships that Brought Us So Far. The NMHS also co llaborated in two films bringing maritime histo ry to new audiences. As part of its education program in reacher training, the NMHS is publishing two important guides to maritime sites and programs, one for the New York region, and a second for the Boston H arbor area. More will follow for other seaports . New Media: In 1999, the NMHS began a collaboration with C inegram M edia to create learning-adventure CD-ROMs about
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sailing, sea histo ry and historic ships, a series of "Interactive Seagoing CD-ROMs" for use in schools. Institution-Building: T he Society has been guided by the principle "A rising ride floats all boats." Ir led in fostering cooperative action, collaboration and increased funding for the entire field . Ir played a leadership role in establishing the Co un cil of American Maritime Museums ( 1972), the American Society of Marine Artists (1977), the American Ship T rust (1978), the Wo rld Ship Trust (1979), the Hudson River Maritime Museum (1979) and the National Maritime Alliance (1987). In 1979, the NMHS initiated and secured adoption of the Maritime H eritage Act of 1979 which provided $5 million for histori c ships, monuments and programs. Leadership Recognition: T h e Society uses its unique position to focus international artenrion and recognition on innovative programs and effective leaders in the maritime history field through its awards program. We sponsor the NMHS Walter C ronkite Award for Excellence in Mari rime Education for individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to fostering greater awareness of our maritime heritage. The Society also offers the Karl Kortum American Ship T rust Award for outstanding service to historic ships; the RobertG . Albion/ James Monroe Award for Excellence in Maritime Historiography; and the Distinguished Service Award to leaders in the field. In a special effort on behalf of the merchant seamen who fought in Wo rld War II, the Society led a successful Seaman's Recognition Program to help secure veteran's status for these veterans.
THE MARITIME EDUCATION INITIATIVE The dean of American newsmen, Walter Cronkite, serves as C hai rman of the Society's Maritime Education Initiative. The Initiative h as fostered the development of adult and yo uth education programs, from sponsoring scholarly conferences in the field of maritim e history, to training institutes for teachers in secondary schools, to sail training and history cruises for students aboard tall ships. Building on its experience in New York and the interest generated by OpSail 2000, the Society expanded the Teachers Institute program to the Miami -Dade County Public School program, which serves as a prototype for future expansion to other communities. Young America Sails: The NMHS is co mmitted to provide maritime histo ry and sail-trai ning learning experiences for yo ung people aboard rhe tall ships of the historic and replica vessel fleer. By providing opportunities to explore and discover the sea and its traditions we afford young people the opportunity of a truly lifechanging experience that enco urages character development in such core values as teamwork, self reliance and self confidence. Peter Stanford captured the essence of the sea as a builder of character and co mpetence when he wrote:
The sea doesn 't let you get away with much; it's a medium in which no artful dodging will make up for failure to do the job right. The tall ships, having opened up the world to humankind, have a second great service to do, and that is to bring to life for cominggenerations just how they did what they did-and what it took to do it. SEA HISTORY 96, SPRING 200 l