NMGL announces 40th Anniversary SS Edmund Fitzgerald plans

Daily Dose  |  10/19/2015 2:00 pm

The National Museum of the Great Lakes is proud to announce its plans for the commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, which was lost in Lake Superior on November 10, 1975 with all hands.

NMGL will premier its documentary entitled A Good Ship and Crew Well Seasoned: The Fitzgerald and Her Legacy at a commemoration event at 6PM on Tuesday, November 10, 2015. “Our documentary is unique in that it focuses on stories about the Fitzgerald that have been pushed from the limelight by researchers and investigators attempting to solve the unsolvable.” Christopher Gillcrist, Executive Director of the museum stated, “The boat traveled over 1,000,000 miles on the Great Lakes in seventeen years carrying over 20,000,000 tons of iron ore. There are fascinating stories on her history before the loss and the impact of her loss on friends and family. Those stories have not been covered.”   The documentary will feature rare interviews, never before seen photographs and surprising revelations about the boat and her crew’s history.

The commemoration event will take place in the Lobby and Auditorium at One Seagate. Beer, wine and light hors d’oeuvres will be provided at the reception from 6-7pm and then guests will move into the auditorium for the commemoration and the documentary. Copies of the documentary will be available for sale at the NMGL gift store beginning November 11.

Tickets to attend the commemoration event are $45 for NMGL members and $60 for non-members. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 419.214.5000.

Other commemoration plans also include the presentation of 29 speaking engagements throughout the region by NMGL staff focused on the Fitzgerald, her life and her loss. Each of these 29 engagements are in honor of one of the lost crew. Captain Ernest McSorely, an Ottawa Hills resident, was at the helm the night of November 10, 1975. On Tuesday, October 20, Ottawa Hills High School will be the setting of one of our largest open to the public engagements and will be in honor of Captain McSorely. Gillcrist will be presenting “The Toledo Express: The Life of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald 1957-1975” which will include sharing stories of the Fitzgerald’s life and her crew, while opening the floor to anyone that may want to share stories of their own about Captain McSorely, other crew members, or their connections or memories of the Fitzgerald.

There is no cost to attend the speaking engagement at Ottawa Hills High School, but reservations are required. Please call 419.214.5000 to RSVP, or visit www.ticketracker.com (Ottawa Hills HS, Athletic Events) to reserve your seat. A full list of speaking engagements can be found at www.inlandseas.org.

The National Museum of the Great Lakes is owned and operated by the Great Lakes Historical Society. Founded in 1944, the Great Lakes Historical Society has been preserving our shared cultural history by publishing a quarterly journal Inland Seas since 1945; by operating a maritime museum and research library since 1952; by offering educational programs to the general public since 1956; and by conducting underwater archaeological research across the Great Lakes since 2001. The opening of the National Museum of the Great Lakes enables the Great Lakes Historical Society to continue its mission to preserve and make known the important history of the Great Lakes. For more information, call Anna M. Kolin at 419.204.8947.

WHAT:                   Fitzgerald Speaking Engagement – Captain Ernest McSorely
WHEN:                  Tuesday, October 20, 2015, 7:00pm
WHERE:                Ottawa Hills High School, 2532 Evergreen Rd., Ottawa Hills, OH 43606
COST:                    FREE - Tickets are required – visit www.ticketracker.com to get them.

WHAT:                   Remembering the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald, premier of Documentary
WHEN:                  Tuesday, November 10, 6:00pm
WHERE:                One Seagate, 550 N. Summit St., Toledo, OH 43605
COST:                    $45 NMGL Members/$60 Non-Members