SS George Washington Carver

SS George Washington Carver was a Liberty ship built for the United States Maritime Commission during World War II.

The ship made multiple trips to ports in England from its homeport of Charleston, South Carolina, before sailing for duty in the Philippines in 1945.

[1] In January 1946, the ship was converted to carry a combination of troops and military dependents as USAT George Washington Carver.

Lena Horne, on a break from filming Stormy Weather, was the sponsor, and welder Beatrice Turner, the first African American female hired at the Richmond Shipyards, was the matron of honor.

[5][6] Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Horne's Stormy Weather co-star, and actresses Dorothy Dandridge and Etta Moten were all scheduled to be in attendance at the event.

[1] In May 1945, Dogwood transited the Panama Canal and sailed directly to the Philippines, arriving at Leyte and Manila there in late June.

George Washington Carver's first voyage in this role took her to Dutch Harbor, Shemya, Attu, Adak, Whittier, with a return to Seattle.

[2] On 21 March 1947, George Washington Carver entered the National Defense Reserve Fleet at Suisun Bay, California.

Botanist George Washington Carver
Anna Bland is shown at work on George Washington Carver in April 1943. This photo was one of a series taken on behalf of the Office of War Information documenting the work of African Americans for the war effort . (photo by E. F. Joseph )
Lena Horne , sponsor of George Washington Carver , prepares to swing the champagne bottle at the launching of the Liberty ship , 7 May 1943. The woman at Horne's left may be Beatrice Turner, the matron-of-honor of the launching, and the first African American female welder hired by the Richmond Shipyards [ 5 ]
USAHS Dogwood under way in San Francisco Bay , c. January 1946
USAT George Washington Carver in 1946