SS Constitution Passenger Lists (1950-1954): Postwar Diplomats, Elites & Migrants on the Mediterranean Route
🧭 Review & Summary: SS Constitution Passenger Lists (1950-1954)
🌍 Why this page matters
This page assembles digitized, fully searchable passenger lists for the SS Constitution spanning 1950-1954, a sweet spot between WWII’s aftermath and the jet age. These rosters are primary sources that capture postwar migration, Cold War–era diplomacy, cultural exchange, and the last golden years of prestige ocean travel. For teachers, students, genealogists, historians, and maritime enthusiasts, the documents here are both evidence and story—names, routes, and roles tied to the wider social world of the 1950s. 📚🧑🏫🧬
🗂️ The most engaging content on this page (now including 1951)
10 Sep 1951 – Genoa → Cannes → Naples → Gibraltar → New York (Cabin Class, Capt. Bernt A. Jacobsen)
A quintessential postwar crossing with academics, clergy, émigrés, and U.S.–Europe cultural figures. Notables include:
Pietro Belluschi — Italian-American architect; newly appointed Dean of Architecture at MIT (1951), a major design voice of the era 🏛️.
Alfred Kazin — influential American literary critic and essayist; emblematic of the period’s transatlantic intellectual exchange ✍️.
Joseph H. Choate, Jr. — New York attorney and civic reform leader (noted for anti-Prohibition work and federal alcohol administration oversight) ⚖️.
Kent R. Greenfield (Gibraltar embarkation) — U.S. Army’s chief historian during/after WWII; key architect of the Army’s official histories 📖🪖.
Together, they frame this sailing as a bridge between European recovery and American cultural life.
1 Mar 1952 – Naples → New York (First Class)
Densely “official” manifest: Admiral Charles L. Andrews, Jr. (U.S. Navy), General John S. Wood (U.S. Army), diplomats, jurists, and scholars. Ideal for Cold War and diplomatic history lesson plans.
21 Aug 1953 – New York → Naples (First Class)
Military brass, a noted rabbi, and medical innovators—perfect for exploring elite networks and faith communities at sea.
5 Nov 1954 – New York → Naples (First Class) & 7 Dec 1954 – Naples → New York (First Class)
U.S. Congressmen, film industry figures, senior military, and European aristocrats—prime civics, media history, and international relations material.
🔎 Tip for students: cross-reference names here with newspapers, city directories, and yearbooks to build mini-biographies or microhistories that bring essays to life.
Explore digitized SS Constitution passenger lists (1950-1954) from American Export Lines—featuring diplomats, military leaders, scholars, clergy, and emigrants. Essential primary sources for genealogists, historians, teachers, and students of postwar transatlantic history.
🚢 Ship Summary: SS Constitution
- Launched: 1950
- Operator: American Export Lines (AEL)
- Sister ship: SS Independence
- Typical route: New York ↔ Mediterranean (Genoa, Naples, Cannes, Gibraltar), with cabin/first-class service that blended American hospitality with European style
- Reputation: A postwar symbol of modern American luxury and a favored platform for diplomats, academics, clergy, business elites, and cultural figures
The SS Constitution stood at the crossroads of migration and elite travel, carrying both families making new lives and the policymakers shaping the Atlantic world. 🌊
1951-09-10 SS Constitution Passenger List
Steamship Line: American Export Lines (AEL)
Class of Passengers: Cabin Class
Date of Departure: 10 September 1951
Route: Genoa to New York via Cannes, Naples, and Gibraltar
Commander: Captain Bernt A. Jacobsen
1952-03-01 SS Constitution Passenger List
- Steamship Line: American Export Lines
- Class of Passengers: First Class
- Date of Departure: 1 March 1952
- Route: Naples to New York via Genoa, Cannes, and Gibraltar
- Commander: Captain Bernt A. Jacobsen
1953-08-21 SS Constitution Passenger List
- Steamship Line: American Export Lines
- Class of Passengers: First Class
- Date of Departure: 21 August 1953
- Route: New York to Naples via Gibraltar, Cannes, and Genoa
- Commander: Captain Ernest H. Nelson
1954-11-05 SS Constitution Passenger List
- Steamship Line: American Export Lines
- Class of Passengers: First Class
- Date of Departure: 5 November 1954
- Route: New York to Naples via Cannes and Genoa
- Commander: Captain Bernt A. Jacobsen
1954-12-07 SS Constitution Passenger List
- Steamship Line: American Export Lines
- Class of Passengers: First Class
- Date of Departure: 7 December 1954
- Route: Naples to New York via Genoa, Cannes, and Gibraltar
- Commander: Captain Bernt A. Jacobsen
🧑🏫 How these voyages help researchers
Teachers & Students
Assign these lists as primary sources to analyze migration flows, Cold War travel, or social stratification (compare First vs. Cabin/Tourist classes).
Use a single voyage (e.g., 10 Sep 1951) to build a case study: identify professions, infer reasons for travel, and connect to postwar reconstruction.
Genealogists & Family Historians
Confirm residence abroad, return dates, family groups, and alternate name spellings.
Spot clergy, military ranks, academic titles, and aristocratic honorifics—clues that unlock church, military, and university archives. 🧬
Historians & Archivists
Track statecraft and soft power: congressmen, diplomats, and generals at sea.
Map transnational intellectual life: critics, architects (e.g., Belluschi/MIT), physicians, and scholars in motion.
Document Mediterranean–New York cultural and commercial circuits.
🔗 Related Links
SS Constitution – 10 Sep 1951 Passenger List (Genoa → New York)
American Export Lines – Company History & Fleet
💡 A note to students (use as a callout box)
Writing a history essay? Cite the GG Archives passenger lists as primary sources. Build your argument with:
- Full voyage details (date, route, commander)
- Named passengers (professions, ranks, affiliations)
- Context from class readings/newspapers (Cold War, migration, culture)
This turns a roster of names into a compelling evidence-based narrative. ✍️🎓
⚓ Final Thoughts – Why this collection matters
Updated to 1950-1954, this page now captures the full early career of the SS Constitution in rich detail. The manifests reveal who moved—and why: rebuilding Europe, negotiating policy, pursuing scholarship, practicing faith, and crafting culture. For every famous name, there are hundreds of family stories—a vivid, democratic record of people in motion. 🌍💙
Passenger Lists contained in the GG Archives collection represent the souvenir list provided to the passengers of each cabin class (and other classes). Many of these souvenir passenger lists have disappeared over the years. Our collection features a selection of items originally produced and printed by the steamship lines.
⚠️ About Accuracy in Historical Records Research Tip
Context. The GG Archives presents passenger lists as faithfully as possible to the original documents. While OCR is generally accurate, portions of these collections—especially image captions and some transcriptions—are typed by hand and may include typographical or spelling variations. The original manifests themselves also contained clerical inconsistencies (names recorded phonetically, mid-voyage corrections, etc.).
What this means for your research:
- Search variant spellings of names (e.g., “Schmidt/Schmitt/Smith,” “Giuseppe/Joseph”).
- Cross-reference with immigration cards, passport applications, naturalization files, city directories, and newspapers.
- Treat manifests as primary sources with historical quirks—use them alongside corroborating records.
- For place names, consider historical borders and language variants (e.g., Danzig/Gdańsk, Trieste/Trst).
How to cite. When quoting a name from a manifest, consider adding [sic] for obvious misspellings and include a note such as “spelling as printed in original passenger list.”
Need help? If you spot a likely transcription error in captions, feel free to contact us with the page URL and a brief note—we love community input. 🙏
Curator’s Note
For over 25 years, I've been dedicated to a unique mission: tracking down, curating, preserving, scanning, and transcribing historical materials. These materials, carefully researched, organized, and enriched with context, live on here at the GG Archives. Each passenger list isn't just posted — it's a testament to our commitment to helping you see the people and stories behind the names.
It hasn't always been easy. In the early years, I wasn't sure the site would survive, and I often paid the hosting bills out of my own pocket. But I never built this site for the money — I built it because I love history and believe it's worth preserving. It's a labor of love that I've dedicated myself to, and I'm committed to keeping it going.
If you've found something here that helped your research, sparked a family story, or just made you smile, I'd love to hear about it. Your experiences and stories are the real reward for me. And if you'd like to help keep this labor of love going, there's a "Contribute to the Website" link tucked away on our About page.
📜 History is worth keeping. Thanks for visiting and keeping it alive with me.
