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 was named in honor of George Washington Carver , and was the second Liberty ship named for an African American . The ship was initially assigned by the War Shipping Administration ( WSA ) to the American South African Line ( Farrell Lines ) , Inc . for merchant service . In November 1943 the ship was allocated to the United States Army by the WSA and was converted to hospital ship USAHS " Dogwood " . 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 . In January 1946 , the ship was converted to carry a combination of troops and military dependents as USAT " George Washington Carver " . The ship was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet in 1947 and was sold for scrapping in 1964 . History . Construction . SS " George Washington Carver " ( MC Hull No . 542 ) was laid down on 12 April 1943 on shipway 7 at Yard No . 1 by Permanente Metals Corp . of Richmond , California , as a standard Liberty ship . The ship was launched on 7 May 1943 and sponsored by Lena Horne , and delivered 24 May 1943 , taking 42 days from start to delivery . During the ship ’ s construction , photographer E . F . Joseph , on behalf of the Office of War Information , took a series of photographs showing predominately African American men and women working on the " George Washington Carver " . Launching ceremony . A crowd of 1 , 500 gathered to watch the launching of SS " George Washington Carver " on 7 May 1943 . The ceremonies were organized by the United Negro Labor Committee , and that organization ’ s president , C . L . Dellums , spoke to crowd . 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 . 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 . The " Carver " was the second Liberty ship — out of a then - planned series of three — named for an African American and the 90th ship launched at the No . 1 yard in Richmond . Merchant service . The ship was assigned by the WSA to the American South African Line ( Farrell Lines ) for merchant operation in the Mediterranean . The ship made convoy runs from Alexandria to Malta in September 1943 , and from Alexandria to Bizerte the following month . From Bizerte the ship headed to Hampton Roads , Virginia , arriving there on 6 November 1943 . On 23 November 1943 , after its brief civilian career , the WSA transferred the ship to the War Department for U . S . Army use as a hospital ship . U . S . Army service . From November 1943 to July 1944 the ship underwent conversion to a Hague Convention hospital ship at the Atlantic Basin Iron Works yard in New York . During this time the ship was assigned the name USAHS " Dogwood " by recommendation of the Surgeon General . " Dogwood " embarked on its first trip as a hospital ship in late July 1944 and returned to its new homeport of Charleston in August . The ship made six transatlantic round trips , usually calling at Avonmouth , Liverpool , and the Mersey , before being ordered to the Pacific . In May 1945 , " Dogwood " transited the Panama Canal and sailed directly to the Philippines , arriving at Leyte and Manila there in late June . She steamed on to Biak , Hollandia , and back to Manila . In August the ship made another circuit to Biak , Hollandia , and Finschhafen before heading to Los Angeles . Departing there for Manila again in November , the hospital ship returned stateside , putting in at San Francisco in January 1946 . The ship was no longer needed as a hospital ship at that time and put into the Marine Repair Shop at the San Francisco Port of Embarkation for conversion to carry a combination of troops and military dependents . During this interval , the ship reverted to its original name as USAT " George Washington Carver " . After the work was completed , the ship departed for its new homeport of Seattle . The ship was assigned to duty between Seattle and ports in Alaska . The " Carver " ’ s first voyage in this role took it to Dutch Harbor , Shemya , Attu , Adak , Whittier , with a return to Seattle . A second voyage , in late March 1946 , had the ship visit Anchorage , Seward , Dutch Harbor , Adak , Amchitka , Shemya , Adak a second time , eventually returning to Seattle . The ship continued on similar runs into 1947 . On 21 March 1947 , " George Washington Carver " entered the National Defense Reserve Fleet at Suisun Bay , California . On 9 January 1964 the ship was withdrawn by First Steel & Ship Corp . for scrapping .