Although this blog series, Worker Wednesday, was conceived with the Higgins Industries employee publications (Eureka News Bulletin and The Higgins Worker) in mind, today we’ll look to the Northeast. On 22 May 1943, the SS Frederick Douglass was launched in Baltimore. The abolitionist Douglass had, himself, worked as a ship caulker in Baltimore before his escape from slavery. Frederick Douglass III, grandson of the ship’s namesake was among the guests at the ship’s launch.
Office of War Information photographer Roger Smith documented the construction at Bethlehem-Fairhope shipyards, which employed over 6,000 African American workers at the time. The entire series can be viewed at the Library of Congress. The SS Frederick Douglass would be sunk just four months later by the German submarine, U-238. The British recue ship Rathlin rescued all seventy aboard (forty merchant seamen, twenty-nine Armed Guard, and one female stowaway!).
Seventy years ago, on 27 March 1943, Delta Shipbuilding Co. in New Orleans launched the SS Samuel Dexter. In this photo you can see the unfinished gun mounts indicating the wartime workflow. Her service was short-lived because the Liberty ship sunk on 21 January 1944 in the North Atlantic. The likely cause was hull failure, when welded hulls simply split or cracked. No lives were lost aboard the Samuel Dexter. It is estimated that 127 of the 4,694 Liberty ships and T2 tankers suffered from major hull fatigue or failure. Potential causes cited have been the high sulfuric content of wartime steel in cold temperatures, poor ship design, and workmanship.
The March 1943 issue of The Eureka News Bulletin featured this note to the editor, an advertisement from the enterprising L. Kent Morrison. I wonder if there was a snooze option?
Seventy years ago today on 18 July 1942, the Higgins contact was canceled. As can be expected, the citizens of New Orleans and Higgins workers were outraged. Higgins called for a Congressional investigation into the cancellation and spent the week of 21-28 January 1943 in Washington trying to make the case for the Liberty ships.
The Eureka News Bulletin featured this cartoon (from the New Orleans Item) about the cancellation.
Come hear Worker Wednesday: Live and In-Person as part of the Lunchbox Lecture Series at noon today!
Seventy years ago today, on 15 July 1942, the SS George Gale was launched by Delta Shipbuilding Co. in New Orleans. The SS George Gale was the seventh vessel launched by Delta; they would build a total of 132 Liberty ships during the war.
The June issue of the Higgins Industries periodical, the Eureka News Bulletin, featured a reader interactive; the last page was intended to be cut out and returned to the administration, after which the worker would receive an official certificate of cooperation. Such pledges or patriotic declarations were common on the home front, signifying a workforce united behind their Armed Forces. The images below show the blank pledge and also a certificate received by worker, Max William Sofer on 13 July 1942―most likely Sofer filled out the pledge from the June issue.
Gift of Walter Brunken, 2000.026.013
Gift of Edith Sofer, 2002.464
Gift of Walter Brunken, 2000.026.013
Post by Curator/Content Specialist Kimberly Guise.
Remember when Higgins was awarded the contract for 200 Liberty ships?
