Honoring Titanic and her legacy through factual documented history.
Meet Our Team!
George Behe- Founder
Historical Advisor
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Grand Rapids, Michigan
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When I was a small boy I found a copy of the old 1912 Titanic book by Logan Marshall on my grandmother’s bookshelf, and I used to thumb through that book looking at the illustrations and text in an attempt to learn what happened to the ship. One illustration in particular horrified me – the one showing a lifeboat full of passengers that was rowing right past a dying swimmer who was holding his arm out in a hopeless appeal for help.
My grandmother had already told me there weren’t enough lifeboats on the ship to accommodate all the men, and I couldn’t help but wonder how I would have felt if my mother, brother and I were in that lifeboat and the dying man in the water was my father. The Titanic really caught my imagination, and – because I had no other sources of information about the ship – I read and re-read my grandmother’s book in an attempt to satisfy my curiosity on the subject. However, while reading the book I soon realized that the information contained in one chapter sometimes contradicted information contained in another part of the book, and I felt a keen desire to learn which version of the Titanic story was correct. My desire to learn the truth stayed with me through the years until I was finally old enough to start doing my own original research by interviewing Titanic survivors, acquiring books about the sinking, searching for survivor interviews in old 1912 newspapers, and uncovering new sources of information about the sinking. (I even learned that I’m distantly related to victim Arthur Ryerson and crew survivor William Edwy Ryerson.) At any rate, the desire to uncover the true story of the Titanic has never left me, and I plan to continue conducting my research until I’m physically no longer able to do so.
-George Behe
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I've always been interested in history even from an early age. When I was 5 I remember seeing Raise the Titanic and I have been fascinated ever since. I think it was all the might have been seeing this once beautiful ship laid low by a hunk of ice. But, then I became more interested in the ship and and the people aboard her. My interest in her branched out to other liners and naval history in particular with the occasional side jaunt to steam locomotives.
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I earned my BA in History from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and used it for a while to work at museums such as the Paul Revere House in Boston to the USS Pampanito museum in San Francisco. After that I started work at the Omaha Zoo Railroad running a 1890 Austrian 0-6-2T tank engine for 5 years before I settled into something a little closer to home, I become a professional Optician. This has given me more free to for personal pursuits, such as spending 10 months correcting the Lego Titanic kit. As well as becoming a living historian. I have been a Civil War reenactor for 10 years and rose from the ranks from Pvt to Colonel of a Battalion. I've done battles from Shiloh to Gettysburg, there really is no way to going back in time. But reenacting can get you pretty close.
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When Jill asked me if I would like to help out the book club I jumped in with both feet. I love to people learn history and lecture as well its all for the greater good in spreading the Titanic's story. History does change, the details. But the overall image stays the same we just have to keep looking at our subjects with fresh eyes.
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-Joshua Andersen-Raymer
Joshua Andersen-Raymer
Social Coordinator for the Titanic Social Club
Lincoln, Nebraska
Jill Carlier- Founder
Newsletter Editor in Chief
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Leadville, Colorado
I wouldn't go see James Cameron's Titanic until I read about Titanics history. I'm an avid reader and will almost always read the book or history before seeing a film (if it was based on a book, or a historical event). Titanic pulled me in with the stories of the passengers, particularly the survivors. I imagined having just sold everything I owned to board Titanic with my family, to sail to a new life in a new land, I imaged arriving without what little possessions I had left, without any money, my husband, and maybe even my children. I imagined what it would have been like if I couldn't speak English. How on earth did these people get through this? (if they did).
Who were the helpers in the story? This I wanted to know! I have been through my own struggles, and I know I would never have made it without the help of others. The stories of people like Margaret Brown, Harold Lowe, Thomas Andrews and other heroes just fascinated me.
George and I talked about the misinformation that can be out there and we wanted to help remedy that by helping people decide which books to choose, if they were looking for facts. Although, separating fact from fiction is not always an easy task. We can try our best.
This is why we need to keep reading, to keep researching. There's so much left to learn!
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In addition to running the Titanic book club, I am also secretary of Pb Swims in Leadville, on the board for the Child Care Coalition, I help at the local foodbank and am a proud member of the Red Hat Society. I hold a BA in psychology and teaching from the State University in New York, College at Brockport.
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We can always use help with the club, so email us if you're interested!
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-Jill Carlier
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Titanic Museum Attraction
Doug Marshall
Larry Sullivan
Melinda Ratchford
Joshua Andersen
Austin Cookson
Bruce Caplan
Charlotte Zureick
George Behe
Dorothy Haga Daniel
Tom Lynskey of HFX Studios
Brian MacNutt
Austin Dalton