The SS Julius Rosenwald was a Liberty ship built at J.A. Jones Construction, Panama City, Florida, during World War II. The cargo ship was named after Julius Rosenwald, an American businessman, and philanthropist. The SS Julius Rosenwald was laid down on 7 July 1943, under a Maritime Commission and launched on 13 September 1943. The amount of asbestos contained in Navy ships is astounding. Liberty ships built during the war likewise contained tons of asbestos within insulating products located in engine rooms and boiler rooms. Asbestos-containing products such as millboard, cardboards, and gaskets were used in particular for heat insulation and as fire protection in electrical appliances. Anyone who served on board the SS Julius Rosenwald or participated in her repair was put at risk of developing asbestos-related illnesses like asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma. On 29 September 1943, the SS Julius Rosenwald was allocated to Blidberg & Rothchild Co. Inc. Three years later, she was transferred to the Italian Government, which in turn sold her to Adriatica Societe Anon di Navigazione, and scrapped in 1963.
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