Ninth Maritime Heritage Conference 15-19 September 2010, Baltimore, Maryland ometimes referred to as the gathering of the maritime clans, Maritime H eritage Conferences serve as an outstanding forum for individuals and institutions to share their passion for our seagoing heritage. Clearly this will be the case with the 9th Maritime Heritage Conference, to be held this yea r in Baltimore, from the 15th through the 19th of September. The organizers of this conference have worked overtime to set up immersion experiences that will faci litate discussions about how we all can succeed in our respective missions to brin g to life our fascinating maritime past for the general pub lic. With a kickoff underway reception slated for the SS john W Brown, attendees can imagine heading out from port to join a World War II transAdanticconvoy with a constant fear of the U- boat peril. The next evening, attendees will be transported back a century as they walk the decks of the sloop-of-war USS Constellation, her appearance today reminiscent of the time she served on anti-slavery patrols off Africa. This gala reception is sponsored by Historic Ships in Baltimore and the National Maritime Historical Society. On Friday, attendees will visit the maritime archival resources and museum exhibits in the nation's capital. That evening, the Maryland Historical Society and Johns Hopkins University Press will host a reception to launch their latest title, Maritime M aryland: A History by Dr. W illiam S. Dudley. On Saturday, there will be a tour of a one-of-a-kind nuclear-powered cargo ship, NS Savannah, and on Sunday tours are planned for Fort McHenry (as
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partofanArmystaffride) and the remodeled US Naval Academy Museum in Annapolis. But the real stars of the conference will be the attendees themselves, many ofwhom will be arriving with presentations in hand. The conference anticipates attendees from a majority of the fifty states and Canada, and from oversees locations such as England, France, Norway, South Africa, China, Japan, and Australia. With a theme of enhancing our ability to conduct outreach, the 9th Maritime Heritage Conference features an opening plenary with three individuals who have proven success in this area: David Rockefeller Jr., president of Sailors for the Sea, will discuss
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past explorations as context for the recent successful ''Around the Am ericas" expedition that drew attention to the cause of ocean conservation; Jose Fuentes, OpSai l C hariman , will discuss the history of OpSail; and Admiral John C. Harvey of the US Navy's Fleet Forces Command will discuss the Navy's ~ partnership with OpSail and plans for tall ship events in conjunction with the bicentennial of the Warof 1812. Later at lunch, author Cl ive C ussler will be recognized for his support of maritime heritage activities and will have an opportuni ty to discuss recent initiatives. The Historic Naval Ships Association (HNSA) will be hold ing their annual gathering in conjunction with this conference, so attendees will have an opportunity to sit in on sessions that have application well beyond the historic ships community. The.American Lighthouse Coordinating Comr mittee has also put together a strong slate of panels to discuss similar themes dealing with public access, restoration, and connecting with local communities. The American Sail Tra iningAssociation has also organized a series of sail heritage sessions. Other organizations that have submitted panels include the Museum Small Craft Association, the Naval Order of the United States, the US Marine Corps History Office, the US Coast G uard History Office, the National Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration, and the Maryland Historical Society. Scholars from many of the world's top academic institutions involved in maritime fields and other independent researchers have responded to the broad-based call for papers enabling the organizers to field strong panels dealing with history and education. Interest in the forthcoming major anniversaries of the War of 18 12 and the Civil War attracted enough proposals to field six panels. Piracy, culture, heritage trails, conservation, and underwater archaeology are central themes in a dozen more panels. A complete listing of the sessions and presenters is now online at the National Maritime Historical Society's website, www.seahistory.org-the official webs ite for the maritime heritage -David F Winkler, PhD, conference. See yo u in Baltimore! 9th Maritime Heritage Conference Program Chair
(left-right) Libery Ship SS John W Brown, Fort M cH enry, and author Clive Cussler
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