To Launch “Dubuque” On Tuesday
Launching of the USS Victory Ship Julien Dubuque, named in honor of Iowa’s first permanent white settler, which was scheduled for Monday morning, has been postponed until Tuesday morning at 10:30 o’clock, Charles H. Day, assistant manager of the Richmond Shipbuilding Yards, Richmond, Calif., informed Mayor Albert H. Wharton in a telegram received Monday afternoon.
The Julien Dubuque – a 10,500-ton cargo vessel – is to be christened by Miss Gertrude L. Niessen, radio and screen star, and Phil Riley, native Dubuquer who is now manager of the Leamington Hotel, Oakland, Calif., will be Dubuque’s official representative at the launching.
Information that the USS Julien Dubuque was to be launched Monday was not received by Mayor Wharton until Saturday afternoon. A telegram from the shipyard assistant manager containing this information also asked that the city given the French-Canadian explorer’s name have an official representative at the christening. Mayor Wharton called Mr. Riley by long distance telephone, asked him to represent the city, and Mr. Riley gladly consented to do so.
In his telegram Monday, Mr. Day told Mayor Wharton that he had contacted Mr. Riley to inform him of the change in the time for the christening and that the former Dubuquer had assured him that he would be present. The telegram also conveyed to Mr. Wharton an appreciation of his “interest and co-operation.”
Source: The Dubuque Telegraph-Herald, Dubuque, Iowa, Thursday, February 16, 1943
