Events Calendar

February Luncheon – “Building the First ‘Steamship’ in History” by John Laurence Busch

John Laurence Busch is an independent historian who specializes in the first generation of steam-powered vessels, and their revolutionary role in the creation of the modern world. His book on the first crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by a steamship, entitled “STEAM COFFIN: Captain Moses Rogers and The Steamship Savannah Break the Barrier,” has received positive reviews from over two dozen periodicals in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia.

John is currently on a speaking tour for this history and will be joining us for our February Chapter meeting to present his program "Project Management Presentation: Building the First 'Steamship' in History" -- created specifically for PMI chapters (1.0 PDU). In addition to his presentation, John will bring with him a few historical artifacts and will provide book signings for those interested in purchasing a copy of his book.

This Project Management Presentation will be of interest for a host of reasons:

• Steamboats represent the first technology that used an artificial power -- the steam engine -- to alter time and space to practical effect. This ability makes steam-powered vessels the first high technology in history.
• The Savannah truly was the first "steamship" in history; it is no exaggeration to state that every artificially-powered, ocean-going vessel in the world today is a descendant of the steamship Savannah.
• Moses Rogers knew that this construction project needed to be managed very carefully. This presentation will show how he did so, by skillfully organizing and managing a team of capable contractors to complete this revolutionary vessel.
• Furthermore, this story has international significance. The crossing of the Atlantic by Captain Rogers and the Savannah represented an epochal shift in history: The Savannah's ability to overcome Nature to practical effect meant that steam-powered vessels were not just a provincial innovation, but the beginning of a global revolution that continues right up to the present-day internet.

Please take a look at John’s official website, at www.steamcoffin.com, to gain a sense of the depth and breadth of interest in this history. John has made over 400 presentations before a wide variety of professional organizations, including over twenty PMI chapters, and the response of attendees has been overwhelmingly positive.