Meet Descendants of Titanic Passengers at State Museum of Pennsylvania

HARRISBURG, Pa., April 3, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The State Museum of Pennsylvania will host a panel discussion at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 22, presenting the stories of Pennsylvania residents who were aboard the RMS Titanic when it sank on its maiden voyage 100 years ago this month.

"The Titanic and Its Pennsylvania Passengers" will be moderated by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commissioner William V. Lewis Jr., and will feature two descendants of Titanic passengers and a journalist who has profiled the state's connections to the ocean liner's ill-fated journey.

Dr. Lewis, a historian who recently wrote an extensive pamphlet, "Stories of the Wilkes-Barre Titanic Passengers" for the Luzerne County Historical Society, will be joined by Wilkes-Barre area residents Mae Thomas and Dolores Borek Elias, both of whom have close family ties to the disaster. Thomas is the daughter, sister, and niece of three Titanic passengers, and Elias is the granddaughter, great niece and niece of four different passengers. 

David DeCosmo, the fourth panelist at The State Museum event, is a broadcast journalist who helped link Thomas's family with the surviving Titanic passenger who rescued her infant brother. He then produced a television documentary on the Titanic's northeastern Pennsylvania passengers with the assistance of Lewis, Thomas and Elias.

"These family members bear unique witness to the Titanic's heart-wrenching voyage," said State Museum Director David Dunn. "This is an exceptional opportunity to experience their captivating stories along with Dr. Lewis's historical narrative."

The presentation will be followed by a signing of Dr. Lewis' pamphlet by the panelists and a reception hosted by the Pennsylvania Heritage Society. The event is included with museum general admission.

RMS Titanic was the world's largest ship when it entered service. It sank after striking an iceberg on April 15, 1912. More than 1,500 passengers and crew died.

The State Museum of Pennsylvania, adjacent to the State Capitol in Harrisburg, is one of 25 historic sites and museums administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission as part of the Pennsylvania Trails of History®. The State Museum offers expansive collections interpreting Pennsylvania's fascinating heritage. With exhibits examining the dawn of geologic time, the Native American experience, the colonial and revolutionary era, a pivotal Civil War battle, and the Commonwealth's vast industrial age, The State Museum demonstrates that Pennsylvania's story is America's story.

For more information about the museum, visit www.statemuseumpa.org.

Media contact:  Howard Pollman, 717-705-8639.

SOURCE Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission

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