The second ship to be so named by the Navy, Wheeling was laid down on 10 April 1945 as Seton Hall Victory by the Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation under a U.S. Maritime Commission contract (MCV hull 686); launched on 22 May 1945; sponsored by Mrs. Ross Mclntyre; and delivered to the Maritime Commission on 21 June 1945.

From July 1945 to September 1957, Seton Hall Victory was operated for the U.S. Maritime Commission by a succession of civilian contractors, beginning with the Olympic Steamship Line and ending with Pope & Talbot, Inc.

In September 1957, she was placed out of service and was berthed in Virginia's James River with the National Defense Reserve Fleet.

During the summers of 1972 and 1973, Wheeling spent about three months each year in the South Pacific conducting research and surveillance operations in the vicinity of the French nuclear test site at Mururoa Atoll.

The operations were conducted under the control of the Defense Nuclear Agency, with the primary contractor being the Stanford Research Institute[1] Wheeling remained in service until (date unknown) and was struck from the Navy List on 31 October 1990.