NMHS: A CAUSE IN MOTION Maritime Heritage Community Gathers Together in the Big Easy, February 2018 The N ational Maritime H istorical Society is holding its 201 8 annual meeting early this yea r- in February, instead of May-to give yo u an opportunity to meet and participate with maritime heritage scholars, museum and organization leaders, and captai ns and professional crew of tod ay's tall ship fleet. The National Maritime Historical Society's SS'h Annual Meeting will be held in conjunction with the ll'h Maritime Heritage Conference and the 4S'h Annual Conference on Sail Training and Tall Ships in historic and one-of-a-kind N ew Orleans, next 14-17 February. This, my friends, is a Valentine's gift to us all. The sessions at the triennial M aritime H eritage C onference are always though t-provoking and impressive, no matter where the conference is held, but the venue at the New Orleans Marriott-French Quarter is truly incredible in its own right, and we have negotiated a terrific rate at $164+ per night that yo u will wa nt to take advantage of while it las ts (see foo tnote below fo r reservation info rmation). The previous M aritime H eri tage Confe rence had nearly 400 participants fro m dozens of maritime organizations and institutions, as well as many independent researchers and interes ted individuals, representing the broad range of the field. Presenters cover a wide range of topics in p apers given in concurrent sess ions over the course of four days. Yo u won't want to miss this year's keynote speaker, award-winning author N athaniel Philbrick, whose new book, Valiant Ambition, looks at the relationsh ip betwee n George Was hington and Benedict A rnold. O f course, he is best k now n fo r his New York Times bestseller In the H eart of the Sea, which won the N ational Book Award for non-fiction, and was later made into a blockbuster movie of the same title. H e continues to write bestselling books chronicling the fasc inating and important stories in American history, including Sea of Glory about the US Exploring Expedition, M ayflower, and even a recent venture into children's books, with the 2017 release of Ben's Revolution. Space d ictates we cannot list the many awa rds and accolades he h as so deservedly received, but NMHS m embers will be pleased to note that one of the fi rs t was our own Robert G . Albion/James Monroe Awa rd fo r maritime historiography in 2003. In addition to the insightful speakers we' ll hear from during the conference sessions, we will visit the National World War II M useum in the historic Wa rehouse District. Nathaniel Philbrick Visitors to the museum experience the sto ry of the wa r from the perspective of the H ome Front, and follow in the foo tsteps of the citizen soldier in 360-degree displays of key settings in Wo rld War II . I have yet to meet anyone who wasn't gratified to have attended one of the M aritime Heritage Confe rences, the event that brings together scholars and professionals from all the disciplines of the maritime heri tage field, where we broaden our perspective and discover Landing Craft Vehicle, Personnel (LCVP) greater projects collectively. The sessions and presentations are not just info rmative and interesting, they stimulate and engage. They create new ventures, inspire new research, on display at the National WWII Museum. and connect old colleagues and introduce new friends. William Roka, historian and public programs manager at South Street Seaport Museum, exemplifies this: "The 2014 Ma ritime H eritage Conference in No rfolk, Virginia, h as remai ned one of the most fr uitful of the many co nferences I h ave attended . The opportunity to meet and learn fro m fellow scholars and enthusiasts involved in a broad range of maritime subj ects, from history to oceanography, is an absolute highli ght of this gathering. A ttending the conference inspi red me to stick with and delve deeper into my own passion for maritime history, especially that of ocea n liners on the North A tlantic. I absolutely look fo rwa rd to the 11'" M aritime H eritage Co nference in February 201 8, with the Big Easy playing host, and am excited to have a another chance to sh are and discuss all things maritime." W hile summer winds down and February might seem far in the future, I suggest you do more now than just "save the date," but that you register for the conference soon and book your room , and check back with www.seahistory.o rg fo r updates as the date gets closer. We'll see you in N ew Orleans in February... and all that jazz. -Burchenal Green, President Reserve your room online using the conference passkey at https://aws.passkey.com/go/Maritime2018. The d iscounted conference rate does not apply fo r rooms before February 13th but is accepted for lim ited numbers in the days fo llowing the con ference. The online registration link fo r the con fe rence and fo r hotel reservations are online on the websites for the National Maritime H istorical Society (www.seahistory.org) and fo r Tall Ships A merica (www.sailtraining.org). 8
SEA HISTORY 160, AUT UNrN 201 7