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NMHS: A CAUSE IN MOTION
38th Annual Meeting Is a Time of Transitions The 2001 Annual Meeting of the National Maritime Historical Society, held at the USS Constitution Museum in Boston on 19 May 2001, marked a time of transition for the Society, as President Peter Stanford stepped down from the position he held for 3 1 years. His vision and boundless knowledge and dedication to the world's maritime heritage have given the Society its mission and definition for more than three decades. As trustees and friends noted in their tributes to his leadership ofNMHS, he has been, and will continue to be, a viral force in making Americans aware of what we owe to the men and ships that have traveled the oceans, coasts and inland waterways. What was also clear in the comments made by the assembled is that Peter Stanford is expected to contribute as much to the heritage as an independent scholar and writer and editor at large for Sea History magazine as he ever has as president. The members have also elected a broad slate of new trustees; ten have joined the Board in 2001 , bringing the total to 31. Howard Slotnick, long-rime trustee and
Annual Awards Dinner Friday, 19 October 2001 Honoring CLIVE CUSSLER
National Underwater and Marine Agency at the
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: Reception at 5:30PM; dinner at 7PM : • $275 per person •
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For reservations and information contact:
NMHS PO Box 68 Peekskill NY 10566 phone: 914 737-7878, xO Seating is limited to 200, so please reserve your space immediately.
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lent introduction to the institution and led a tour of the Museum and the newly opened library later in the afternoon. A buffet lunch in Building 5 of the Navy Yard, formerly the officers' piano bar, overlooking USS Constitution, followed by tours of the Navy Yard, the Museum, USS Constitution, USS Cassin Young and the Commandant's House, rounded out what everyone agreed was an enjoyable, informative and memorable Annual Meeting. -JUSTINE AHLSTROM
Incoming chairman Howard Slotnick presents outgoing president Peter Stanford with a collection of tributes and reminiscences from members and friends. -----~
A TRIBUTE TO PETER PRINCIPLES Ir is a unique experience in my career to its current state, I returned to Peekskill and
NATIONAL MARITIME HISTORICAL SOCIETY
New York Yacht Club 37 West 44th Street New York, New York
chairman ofOpSail Miami, became chairman as Guy E. C. Mai rland stepped down. David B. Vietor of The Acorn Foundatio n is raking up the job of treasurer, as Willian H. White steps down. Ronald Oswald will rake over the position of Program Chair from Captain Jean Wort. In addition, Patrick]. Garvey, who has served NMHS as executive director and executive vice president since January 2000, was elected president by the Board, and Burchenal Green, NMHS' s chief ofstaff, joins Nor ma Stanford as vice president. The formal business of the Society done, we welcomed the leaders of a variety of maritime heritage projects to speak to the members who attended the meeting. We heard from Gregg Swanzey of the Schooner Ernestina Commission about the second Ships to Save the Waters Conference, to be held in Massachusetts in June, and abo ut the restoration of rwo vessels, the tugboat Luna and the steamship Nobska, which was in drydock at the Charlestown Navy Yard, just outside the museum. Margherita Desy, curator of the museum, provided an excel-
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contemplate succeeding a living legend. When you reflect on what Peter has accomplished berween the South Street Seaport Museum and NMHS, you get a real sense of what an exceptional creative force he has been for the maritime history field and that he, probably earlier than anyone in the business, recognized that all history is maritime history, and he set about to act on that conviction. Peter Stanford has never operated under any conven rional operating principle that any of us have been able to find. Peter is a card-carrying member of Tom Brokaw' s "Greatest Generation," those who fought and won World War II and came home ready to rake on any challenge-and that's the way Peter has always operated. I recently visited South Street with Rodney Houghton, one of our trustees, to meet with the museum's chairman, Lawrence Huntington, and president, Peter Neill. After standing at the helm of the Wavertree and contemplating the Herculean efforts it rook for Peter with Karl Kortum, Jakob Isbrandtsen, and untold others to bring that ship to New York and
told Peter if he had done nothing else but save the Wavertree, he would deserve immortality. But more than that, I am convinced that, because of his foresight, South Street Seaport Museum in the wake of the departure of the Fulton Fish Market and the power of the New York C ity economy, will emerge as an even more extraordinary maritime institution than he or anyone could have imagined. At the trustees' tribute to him prior to our Annual Meeting in Boston, Dr. Karen Markoe observed that Peter's preeminent character trait, after tenacity, is his generosity ofspirit. For Peter, "a rising ride floats all boats," and he always looks to people and institutions to create coalitions and to share the credit for what is accomplished. As Peter Stanford shifts his flag from the quarterdeck to the flag officer's sea cabin, we are confident that we will see a revitalized outpouring of his special brand of creativity that will keep your Society and the maritime history field stirred up. PATRI CK ]. GARVEY
President
SEA HISTORY 97, SUMMER 2001