SS President Coolidge Newport News, Virginia built the two ships, completing "President Hoover" in 1930. The keel for "President Coolidge" was laid 22 April 1930 and the ship was delivered 1 October 1931. They were the largest merchant ships built in the United States up to that time. Each ship had turbo-electric transmission, with a pair of steam turbo generators generating current that powered propulsion motors on the propeller shafts. Westinghouse built the turbo generators and propulsion motors for "President Coolidge" but General Electric built the turbo generators and propulsion motors for "President Hoover". In the "President Coolidge" twelve Babcock & Wilcox superheater
SS President Coolidge between Japan and Britain deteriorated in 1940, "President Coolidge" helped to evacuate US citizens from Hong Kong. As Japanese aggression expanded, "President Coolidge" took part in evacuations from other parts of east Asia. In 1941 the threat of war increased and the US War Department began to use "President Coolidge" for occasional voyages to Honolulu and Manila. In June 1941 "President Coolidge" became a troopship, reinforcing garrisons in the Pacific. On December 7, 1941 Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and on December 19 "President Coolidge" evacuated 125 critically injured naval patients from Hawaii, cared for by three hastily assigned Navy nurses