Edward Stephen Kamuda (November 10, 1939 – April 13, 2014) was an American

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the st ...

who specialized in the study of the . The Titanic sank on April 15, 1912, after striking an iceberg in the north

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

. Kamuda devoted much of his life to the preservation of the Titanic's legacy as the

founder Founder or Founders may refer to: Places *Founders Park, a stadium in South Carolina, formerly known as Carolina Stadium * Founders Park, a waterside park in Islamorada, Florida Arts, entertainment, and media * Founders (''Star Trek''), the ali ...

and president of the

Titanic Historical Society The ''Titanic'' Historical Society, Inc. (THS) is a non-profit organization founded on whose purpose is the preservation of the history of the famous ocean liner RMS ''Titanic'', which sank in 1912, in one of the greatest maritime disasters i ...

. Much of his research focused on the biographies of the crew and

passengers of the RMS Titanic A total of 2,208 people sailed on the maiden voyage of the RMS ''Titanic'', the second of the White Star Line's ''Olympic''-class ocean liners, from Southampton, England, to New York City. Partway through the voyage, the ship struck an icebe ...

. Kamuda first became interested in the ''Titanic'' disaster as a teenager, when he saw the 1953 film ''Titanic'' at his father's movie theater in Indian Orchard, Springfield, Massachusetts. Later, when the film ''A Night to Remember'' played at the theater in 1958, he obtained the publicity package accompanying the film, which included a contact list of survivors. Using the list, Kamuda began collecting their letters of first-person accounts and other donated memorabilia. On July 7, 1963, he co-founded the

with five other people at his Indian Orchard home. The society was originally called the ''Titanic Enthusiasts of America'', but Kamuda changed its name after a widow of a Titanic passenger questioned their "enthusiasm" for the disaster which killed 1,517 people, including her husband. Kamuda, who served as the president of the Titanic Historical Society, saw the society's membership grow to thousands during his lifetime. Under his leadership, the Titanic Historical Society became one of the world's leading centers for the research of the RMS Titanic, as well as its passengers and

crew A crew is a body or a class of people who work at a common activity, generally in a structured or hierarchical organization. A location in which a crew works is called a crewyard or a workyard. The word has nautical resonances: the tasks involved ...

. Kamuda and other members of the society served as consultants for the 1997 film, ''

Titanic RMS ''Titanic'' was a British passenger liner, operated by the White Star Line, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, Unit ...

'', directed by James Cameron. Kamuda helped Cameron with the historical details of the set and story. In return, Cameron cast Kamuda and his wife, society vice president Karen Kamuda, as extras in the film. Before shooting their scene, James Cameron told the assembled ''Titanic'' cast and crew, "Because of these two people we are here today." The director also introduced Kamuda to several actors, telling them, "Here's the man who made it all possible." Ed and Karen Kamuda can be seen in the background on the ship's promenade while Leonardo DiCaprio (who plays Jack Dawson) teaches Kate Winslet (Rose DeWitt Bukater) how to spit. Edward Kamuda, who was initially reluctant to appear onscreen in the film, later described the experience on set in a 1997

interview An interview is a structured conversation where one participant asks questions, and the other provides answers.Merriam Webster DictionaryInterview Dictionary definition, Retrieved February 16, 2016 In common parlance, the word "interview" ...

with '' The Republican'', "To look at the books for 40 years and then to walk the decks of the ship - it was a dream come true." In 2012, Kamuda, on behalf of the Titanic Historical Society, presented the city of Springfield, Massachusetts, with the Titanic Centennial Memorial, a 10,000 pound,

black granite In the construction industry, black rocks that share the hardness and strength of granitic rocks are known as black granite. In geological terms, black granite might be gabbro, diabase, basalt, diorite, norite, or anorthosite Anorthosite () i ...

monument A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, hist ...

to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the disaster. The Titanic Centennial Memorial, which was dedicated in the Oak Grove Cemetery, includes the names of two Springfield residents who died on the Titanic: Jane Carr, 47, a third class passenger and Milton C. Long, 29, a first class passenger and son of a Springfield mayor and judge. Ed Kamuda died from a long illness at his home on April 13, 2014, at the age of 74. He was survived by his wife, Karen Kamuda. Kamuda is buried at Oak Grove Cemetery in Springfield, Massachusetts.

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kamuda, Edward 1939 births 2014 deaths American maritime historians RMS Titanic Writers from Springfield, Massachusetts Historians from Massachusetts