The RMS Olympic was the largest ocean liner in the world from 1910-1913, except for a brief period in 1912 when her slightly larger sister ship, the Titanic, was afloat. The Olympic, nicknamed "Old Reliable," was in service for 24 years before she was sold for scrapping in 1935. What happened to her parts? Derek Smith '24 has a piece of the Olympic in his room.
"I love antiquing. That's how I can explore history in my own way. My biggest passion is ocean liners. They're not just ships. From the design aspect, to the craftsmanship, they're magnificent."
Derek's plate from the Olympic is one of hundreds of pieces of memorabilia he has on rotating display in his home. In addition to ocean liner antiques and coins, Derek collects pieces of his hometown's history. Utica's rich past first captured his imagination during conversations with his grandmother. She talked about what their town used to be like, and Derek was desperate to learn more. He found his oasis at the Oneida County History Center.
"I went there out of curiosity, and I was fascinated by what I found. History has become my life. I want to preserve my town's history the best I can."
Derek would also like to make history, and its preservation, his career. He's taking a giant step this spring through an internship with the New York State Museum.
Through Derek's involvement with the History Center, he met Jennifer Lemak, chief curator of history at the NYS Museum. Derek slipped her business card into his wallet, and he kept it there... for two years.
"I knew that card would be valuable at some point. This past summer, as I started to think about the experiences I wanted to have as a senior, I pulled out that card and sent her an email. She immediately connected me with someone, and that's how I secured the internship. When I met with Jennifer once I started, I told her 'You're the reason I'm here.'"
Derek's had the chance to visit the museum's Rotterdam warehouse and observe, up close, how larger artifacts are catalogued and stored. He has also been assigned a cataloging project that requires the careful analysis and record keeping of dozens of prints by the artist John Gould that are in the museum's possession.
"Museum is the river I'm going down in terms of my career path. Which stream will I choose? Curator? Collections manager? I'm not sure yet."
Derek plans to take a gap year before pursing his master's in museum studies at SUNY Oneonta (their graduate program is closely aligned with the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown). The dream job, someday, would be to work at the British Museum or one of the royal palaces. As for the dream artifact for his personal collection?
"It's a bucket list to own a definitive piece of the Titanic."
"The Siena professors really encouraged me to grow. They're not just professors, but they care about the students and their lives. Faculty like Fr. Dan and Dr. Sonnelitter, Siena is lucky to have them. This College is just a very kind place."
Derek Smith '24
