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Ship History: "The Stately PRESIDENT Liners: American Passenger Liners of the Interwar Years - Part 1, The '502's" by Mark Goldberg, Volume 5 of the American Merchant Marine History Series, printed 1996, softbound w/ 650 pages.Goldberg was a passionate chronicler of ship history. Immediately after WW1 the United States Shipping Board built seven troopship/passenger liners that were 502 feet long. They were named after American presidents and eventually sold to Dollar Steamship Lines for their around-the-world service. The 502s were sturdy, not beautiful, and put in yeoman's duty during the 1920s and 30s. When Dollar went bankrupt in 1938, the U.S. Maritime Commission formed the aptly named American President Lines to take over the aging fleet.
Perhaps the most famous 502 was the PRESIDENT HARRISON, the largest American passenger liner captured by the enemy during WW2. The day after Pearl Harbor her captain tried to foil Japanese pursers by ramming her onto an island. Alas, the PRESIDENT HARRISON was too well built and the Japanese eventually refloated and rebuilt the 502. An American sub finally sank her in 1944.Mint condition from author's private stock.
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