Pacific University

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Pacific University
Location: Japan
Opened: 1968-07-03[1][2][3][4][5]
Closed: 1968-09-13[6]
A drawing of the Greek flag passenger liner Margarita as the Pacific University, originally published in the July 13, 1969[7] issue of the Japanese newspaper The Tokyo Observer

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The Pacific University[8][9] (太平洋大学, Taiheiyo Daigaku), was a vessel converted from the Greek flag passenger liner "Margarita"[10][11] into a "floating college" by the Omori Research Institute of International Relations of Tokyo[12] (大森国際研究所, Omori Kokusai Kenkyujo) a.k.a. Omori Research Institute of International Affairs (大森国際問題研究所, Omori Kokusai Mondai Kenkyujo) in 1968[13][3][14], equipped with lecture rooms and, for recreation, a complete Sega amusement arcade containing a variety of equipment manufactured both by Sega Enterprises and the major American firms that the company represented in Japan at the time such as Rock-Ola, Williams, Bally, Midway, Chicago Coin, etc.

Born as "La Grande Victory"[15][16][17][18] (Official number[19]: 247247[18][20], MC Hull: 161[18], MARAD Type: VC2-S-AP3[18], operated by the Shepard Steamship Company[21][22][23] of Boston, Massachusetts) and built at the Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation[24] in 1945[25][26][27][28][29][15] for the United States Merchant Marine as a World War II troopship[30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37] (one of several ships used in Allied convoys during World War II, more precisely convoy CU 65 on April 8, 1945[38] and convoy UC 65B on April 27, 1945[39], and also one of over 700 navy ships used by the United States in Operation Magic Carpet[40]), it was acquired in 1947[41][18][42][43][44][45][46] by the Dutch government as troop transport and renamed "Waterman"[47][48][49][50][51] (meaning "Aquarius"), it was converted in 1952 into a migrant ship as part of the Holland America Line cruise line's fleet[52][53] and ultimately sold in 1963 to the Greek finance and shipping magnate Yiannis Latsis, a.k.a. John Spyridon Latsis[54] owner and founder of the Latsis Group[42], where it received the name "Margarita"[10][11] (Greek: ΜΑΡΓΑΡΙΤΑ, Μαργαρίτα, Μάργαρετ).

Initiated by Japan's longtime journalist Minoru Omori[55][56][57][58][59][60][61] (大森実, Omori Minoru), president and founder of the Omori Research Institute of International Relations of Tokyo, and mainly financed by his close friend Japanese journalist Soichi Oya (大宅 壮一, Oya Soichi), the Pacific University consisted of a series of ocean seminars on chartered ships (the Greek liner "Margarita", the Russian liner "Ilitch"[62][63][64][65], etc.), held five times between 1968[1][2][66][3] and 1969[7][59] which gave over three thousand young Japanese students a chance to visit the United States, Europe and Asian countries in the late 1960s[67][8][59][68][69].

On July 3, 1968, departing from Tokyo’s Harumi Pier, Sega Enterprises and seven hundred and fifty Japanese college students and business trainees, together with fifty instructors, embarked on the first of a series of five week study visits to the United States. During the trip Japanese college students could study languages, sociology, political science and international relations while at sea and meet with American university students during port calls at San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Honolulu.

The ship was laid up and docked at the Japanese port of Shimotsu (currently Kainan) on February 17, 1969[70][71][72], after her return from the first two Pacific University cruises[73] organized by the Omori Research Institute of International Relations of Tokyo, the first from Japan to Los Angeles and Honolulu (July 3 to August 8, 1968)[6][1][74][75] and the second from Japan to Honolulu and San Francisco (August 10 to September 13, 1968)[6][76][77], and then sold for scrap in the winter of 1970 to Japanese company Mitsui & Co., being delivered in Hiroshima on February 18, 1970[78][72] and ultimately scrapped at Onomichi by ship breakers[73] Koshin Sangyo Co. Ltd[79] (興進産業株式会社, Koshin Sangyo Kabushiki Gaisha), where scrapping began in March 1970[70][72] and was completed three months later in June of the same year[78][72].

Sega games aboard

This list is incomplete. Please help expand it.

Magazine articles

Main article: Pacific University/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

WeeklySankei JP 1968-05-06, Pages 32-33.jpg
An article about the Pacific University published in the May 6, 1968[80] issue of the Japanese magazine Weekly Sankei
WeeklySankei JP 1968-05-06, Pages 32-33.jpg
WeeklySankei JP 1968-05-06.jpg
Weekly Sankei; May 6, 1968[80] issue
WeeklySankei JP 1968-05-06.jpg
WeeklyPlayboy JP 1968-05-28, Pages 100-101.jpg
Print advert for the 1st Pacific University seminar featured in the May 28, 1968[81][82] issue of the Japanese magazine Weekly Playboy
WeeklyPlayboy JP 1968-05-28, Pages 100-101.jpg
WeeklyPlayboy JP 1968-05-28.jpg
Weekly Playboy; May 28, 1968[81][82] issue
WeeklyPlayboy JP 1968-05-28.jpg
Logo-pdf.svg
Print advert announcing the then upcoming 4th Pacific University seminar in The Tokyo Observer (JP) #122: "June 8, 1969" (1969-06-08)
also published in:
Logo-pdf.svg

Photo gallery

External links

References

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  2. 2.0 2.1 The Tokyo Observer, "July 14, 1968" (JP; 1968-07-14), page 1
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Cash Box, "August 10, 1968" (US; 1968-08-10), page 67
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  5. https://imagelink.kyodonews.jp/detail?id=2839814 (archive.today)
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 https://www.google.pt/books/edition/朝日ジャーナル/vfVMT_Pmu10C?hl=pt-PT&gbpv=1&bsq=太平洋大学,%20マルガリータ%201968&printsec=frontcover (archive.today)
  7. 7.0 7.1 The Tokyo Observer, "July 13, 1969" (JP; 1969-07-13), page 5
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  11. 11.0 11.1 https://i.ibb.co/K0MZVTn/SS-Margarita-Latsis-Lines-GR-Postcard.jpg (archive.today)
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  44. File:ZierikzeescheNieuwsbode NL 1947-06-20, Page 2.png
  45. File:RotterdamschParoolDeSchiedammer NL 1948-01-24, Page 1.png
  46. File:EilandenNieuws NL 1998-11-20, Page 5.png
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