Named after the American University of Washington DC this Victory-class transport had a long and illustrious career serving American troops in all 20th-century wars fought by the US in East Asia. In the final weeks of WWII, she engaged in the dangerous job of transporting munitions. Post-WWII, she was chartered by the American Export Lines to help with reconstruction efforts in Europe under the Marshall Plan as well as transport supplies to the Soviet Union. During one of these trips, she was used as an ice breaker by Capt. A. D. Cushman, which serves as a testament to the quality of her construction. She returned to the Pacific at the outbreak of the Korean War and later between 1966 and 1969 for Vietnam. Deactivated in October of that year, she was placed on the James River, where she remained until 1985 when she enjoyed a $2.5 million renovation as part of a study to determine the costs of rehabilitating Victory ships. This was very fortunate, as most of the asbestos used in her construction would have been removed so that the many tourists who will visit her after being turned into a museum in 1999 won’t be exposed to the same risk of contamination as her crew.
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