[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 65 (Wednesday, April 19, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E335]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     RECOGNIZING THE 175TH ANNIVERSARY OF AMERICAN PRESIDENT LINES

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. JENNIFER A. KIGGANS

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 19, 2023

  Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate 
American President Lines on its 175th Anniversary. Founded on April 18, 
1848 as the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, the company began with 
three ships and ran the first shipping line between Panama and 
California. Authorized by Congress under the Mail Steamer Bill in 1847, 
Pacific Mail operated under a U.S. contract to carry mail from Panama 
City to the west coast.
  In 1867, the Pacific Mail Steamship Company's SS Colorado was the 
first steamship to start regular service across the Pacific sailing 
from San Francisco to Yokohama and Hong Kong. In the 1880's and 1890's 
Pacific Mail modernized its ships again replacing iron-hulled ships 
with steel and installing electric lighting on the SS Columbia, the 
first ship in the world to have electric power.
  In 1921, the company renamed ships after presidents, with the first 
five named as the President Cleveland, President Lincoln, President 
Pierce, President Taft, and President Wilson. These ships were sold to 
Dollar Steamship Lines in 1925, where they continued in the 
TransPacific service and expanded the line with seven additional ships 
named after presidents Adams, Garfield, Harrison, Hayes, Monroe, Polk, 
and Van Buren.
  Under new management in 1938, the name was changed to American 
President Lines with an eagle as a mascot. American President Lines 
played a critical role in World War II by managing ships for the newly 
created War Shipping Administration and transporting troops and 
materiel in support of the war effort. Through World War II, APL lost 
nine vessels due to enemy attack or stranding in war zones.
  As the world's post-war economy grew, American President Lines 
provided around-the-world cargo and passenger services and was a leader 
in Transpacific transportation between the U.S. west coast and Asia. 
Ever since, American President Lines has led industry innovation by 
pioneering containerized transport, developing the concept of seamless 
integrated intermodal service, implementing stacked containers on rail 
cars to improve operations and efficiency, deploying the use of RFID 
tags to track shipments, and, as a partner with the United States 
government, supporting critical sealift capabilities and U.S. military 
operations and personnel around the world.
  We are proud to have American President Lines headquartered in 
Virginia, and I want to again congratulate American President Lines, 
their employees, and the U.S. merchant mariners who crew the ships, on 
their 175 year heritage and remarkable legacy.

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