The SS William & Mary, was a Victory ship built during World War II by Bethlehem Steel, Fairfield Shipyard, Inc. in Baltimore, Maryland.
Service life
William & Mary Victory was part of the series of Victory ships named after educational institutions, in this case the College of William & Mary. Her design type was VC2-S-AP2/WSAT. Her Maritime Commission (MCV) hull number was 652 and her shipyard number was 1597.
The William & Mary Victory was launched and christened on April 20, 1945. Her sponsor was Miss Eleanor Harvey, the retiring president of the Women Students' Cooperative Government Association at William & Mary and a member of the class of 1945. Naval Air Corps Lieutenant Robert Eastman, an alumnus of the University, pushed the button that released the ship into the water. Edie Harwood, incoming president of the Women Students' Cooperative Government Association, was Miss Harvey's maid of honor.
Artifacts
The christening bottle for the SS William & Mary Victory and a commemorative scrapbook, both gifts of Eleanor Harvey Rennie '45, are in the Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) in Swem Library at William & Mary. An American flag that was flown on the ship is also available in the Special Collections Research Center. The flag was a gift of Captain James Hassell on May 2, 1946.
References
- "Harvey Christens W-M Victory Ship" The Flat Hat, 25 April 1945, Volume XXXIV, No. 22, p. 2.