On May 22 we announced that the 1715 Fleet Society acquired the complete library of Fleet Historian, Ernie Richards. This was accomplished through a donation by Richard Beleson (member # 51) which made the purchase of the library possible. On Friday, June 16, Society Librarian and Advisory Board member Dave Crooks (member #7) drove from his home in West Palm Beach to Jupiter, Florida where Ernie Richards now resides. Dave took possession of the library and transported it back to West Palm Beach where he is in the process of organizing and cataloging the collection. Dave is also going to arrange for the delivery of the library to Fleet Society Headquarters in Washington, Pennsylvania where the books will be housed on a temporary basis until a permanent location for our headquarters is secured in Florida.
The Society would like to thank Dave Crooks for his assistance in taking delivery of the books and transporting them to his home for further cataloging. Also, our thanks to Richard Beleson for his generous donation.