User:Mliu92/sandbox/Pacific Far East Lines
 | |
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| NYSE: MATX DJTA Component S&P 600 Component | |
| Industry | Shipping, Navigation |
| Founded | July 19, 1946 |
| Headquarters | Honolulu, Hawaii, USA |
Area served | United States |
Key people | John Alioto (President, 1974–78) |
Number of employees | ~2,000 (2017) |
| Website | www |
Pacific Far East Line, Inc. (PFEL) was a U.S. owned and operated transportation services company founded in 1946 which declared bankruptcy and ceased operations in 1978. PFEL was one of the primary adopters of lighter aboard ship cargo handling.
History[edit]
The Pacific Far East Line, Inc. was organized in 1946 with William T. Sexton as president and Kenneth Dawson as chairman of the board. Both Sexton and Dawson had previously held executive positions for United States Lines. Their first announced voyage would be departing San Francisco on September 14 for Japan, China, and the Philippines using the SS Luxembourg Victory, followed by SS Iran Victory on the same general route.[1]
John Alioto, the son of San Francisco Mayor Joseph Alioto, bought a controlling interest in PFEL in 1974. Mayor Alioto guaranteed part of the loans that John Alioto had taken out, leading to conflict-of-interest allegations, since Mayor Alioto had authority over the Port of San Francisco, which was leasing space to PFEL.[2]
Operations[edit]
Passenger Ships[edit]
PFEL operated the passenger ship Leilani (ex-USS General W. P. Richardson) in the 1950s for its owner Hawaiian-Textron. Textron had assumed ownership after the Hawaiian Steamship Company went bankrupt. Leilani competed with the long-standing Matson Lines marine service to Hawaii.
Eventually, PFEL took over passenger service in the Pacific from Matson, purchasing Mariposa and Monterey[a] in 1970.[3] PFEL legally took over both ships on January 20, 1971; physically, Monterey was handed over on January 21, and Mariposa followed on February 15.
In 1977, the operating subsidies for the two liners expired,[4]
Gallery[edit]
See also[edit]
Notes[edit]
- ^ The Mariposa (IMO: 5225370) and Monterey (IMO: 5240904) sold to PFEL in 1971 both were converted from C4 Mariner-class cargo ships in the 1950s and should not be confused with the older "White Fleet" passenger ships Mariposa and Monterey. The "White Fleet" was a class of four passenger ships designed by William Francis Gibbs for Matson and built in the 1930s. The converted ships were smaller and had a single funnel, while the older "White Fleet" ships had dual funnels.
References[edit]
- ^ "New Orient Line to Start Service". San Pedro News Pilot. AP. August 31, 1946. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
- ^ "Conflict Suit May Topple Alioto". Green Bay Press-Gazette. AP. October 2, 1974. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
- ^ Lund, Kay (August 15, 1970). "Says Monterey's Skipper: 'Everyone Was a Little Stunned'". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
- ^ Swem, Gregg (August 28, 1977). "Last oceangoing U.S. passenger ships soon may sail on their final voyages". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
Further reading[edit]
External links[edit]
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