Wolverine State was a steam passenger-cargo ship built in 1919–1920 by New York Shipbuilding Company of Camden, New Jersey for the United States Shipping Board (USSB) as part of the wartime shipbuilding program of the Emergency Fleet Corporation (EFC) to restore the nation's Merchant Marine. The ship was initially employed on the United States to India route until its cancellation in Spring 1922. After remodeling, the vessel was briefly used by the Los Angeles Steamship Company on a run between Los Angeles and Honolulu as an emergency replacement for one of their burned out steamers. In April 1922 the steamer was renamed President Harrison. In 1923 she conducted several trips between California and the east coast of South America, before being sold together with several other ships of her class to the Dollar Steamship Company. The vessel was captured in 1941 by the Japanese after she was deliberately run aground to avoid the capture. After repairs, the ship was renamed Kachidoki Maru (勝鬨丸), put under control of NYK Line and entered the Japan to Taiwan route, but soon after was requisitioned by the Imperial Japanese Army. Under IJA control the ship sailed between Japan, Singapore and the Philippines carrying troops and military supplies. She was torpedoed and sunk on 12 September 1944 on one of her regular trips, while carrying 950 Allied prisoners of war of which 431 were killed.

After the United States entry into World War I, a large shipbuilding program was undertaken to restore and enhance shipping capabilities both of the United States and their Allies. As part of this program, EFC placed orders with nation's shipyards for a large number of vessels of standard designs. Design 1095 ship was originally conceived as a fast troop transport, subsequently modified into passenger and cargo vessel of approximately 13,000 deadweight tonnage after the end of hostilities.

Wolverine State was part of initial order for seven vessels placed by the USSB on 1 July 1918 with the New York Shipbuilding Corp. The ship was laid down at the shipbuilder's yard on 13 May 1919 (yard number 248) and launched on 16 September 1920, with Mrs. Edith W. Tweedale, wife of Alonzo Tweedale, controller for the USSB, being the sponsor. While the vessel was primarily designed for cargo transportation, she also possessed first-class accommodations for 78 passengers. Wolverine State had three decks and also had weather decks constructed on top amidships. A dining hall, a smoking room and a social hall were built and made available for passenger entertainment. The vessel was built on the transverse system of framing and had her hull subdivided into fourteen watertight compartments. She also possessed all the modern machinery for quick loading and unloading of cargo from nine main hatches, including thirty two 6-ton and one 30-ton booms and twenty steam winches. She also had two of her storage chambers totaling approximately 1,300 tons equipped with refrigerating machinery for transportation of perishable goods such as meat, fruits and vegetables. The ship had electric lights in cabins and along the decks, had submarine signal system installed and was equipped with wireless apparatus.

As built, the ship was 502.1 feet (153.0 m) long (between perpendiculars) and 62.2 feet (19.0 m) abeam, and had a depth of 28.3 feet (8.6 m). Wolverine State was originally assessed at 10,533 GRT and 6,195 NRT and had deadweight tonnage of approximately 13,000. The vessel had a steel hull with double bottom throughout, and two sets of four-cylinder vertical inverted triple expansion steam engines, with cylinders of 24-inch (61 cm), 40+1⁄2-inch (103 cm), 54-inch (140 cm) and 54-inch (140 cm) diameter with a 45-inch (110 cm) stroke, that drove two screw propellers and moved the ship at up to 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph). The steam for the engines was supplied by six single-ended Scotch marine boilers fitted for oil fuel.

The sea trials were held on 5 January 1921 in the Delaware Bay, off Cape Henlopen. The ship was able to achieve an average speed of 15 knots (28 km/h) over the measured mile, and top speed of 16.5 knots, exceeding her contract requirements. After successful completion of sea trials, the ship was turned over to the Shipping Board representatives the next day.

Upon delivery to her owners, Wolverine State was immediately allocated to the Pacific Mail Steamship Company to operate on their route between the West Coast of the United States and East Asia. The vessel then proceeded to Baltimore where she took on board a token load of general cargo and 71 passengers before sailing out on 22 January 1921 bound for San Francisco. The ship passed through the Panama Canal on January 31 and arrived at Los Angeles on February 11 after largely an uneventful journey, successfully completing her maiden voyage. She then continued to San Francisco and after loading about 920 tons of freight and embarking ten passengers departed for Honolulu on February 25. After encountering stormy weather on her way to Hawaii, Wolverine State reached her destination on March 4. She sailed out on the same day bound for Calcutta and reached it on April 3 via Manila and Saigon. The vessel departed Calcutta three weeks later with over 7,000 tons of oriental goods as well as exotic birds and monkeys, and reached San Francisco on May 28, successfully concluding her first trip in the Pacific. She immediately sailed out on her second voyage. During the first night out from San Francisco, flames were observed coming out of the funnel. The steamer had to stop and after an investigation it was discovered that large number of 2x4 planks were left in the air space separating the inner and out linings of the funnel. It took approximately five to six hours to clear out the chimney, but the ship suffered no damage and was able to proceed on her journey. While the vessel was still on her trip, rumors started appearing that the Shipping Board was going to discontinue the service to India as unprofitable. Wolverine State returned home from her second trip in early September via Hawaii where she loaded part cargo of pineapples, hides and tallow. Upon arrival, several members of her crew were arrested for an attempted smuggling of 48 quart bottles of whiskey. Regardless of the rumors, Wolverine State departed for her third trip to India in mid-October, carrying among other cargo approximately 100,000 feet of cedar lumber, ordered by Japanese to make pencils, but believed by many to be used in production of airplanes. On her return trip, one of the cylinders on her engines cracked and exploded, forcing the ship to reduce her speed significantly. After an 18-hour long struggle to repair the blown cylinder in super-heated environment, the crew managed to fix the problem Wolverine State managed to catch up on her lost time and reached her destination only three hours behind her scheduled arrival time on January 10, 1922. After Wolverine State departed for her last voyage to India, the Shipping Board officially announced the removal of all three vessels from the route, although the Pacific Mail managed to retain two of the withdrawn steamers for a shorter route to Honolulu and the Philippines. The Shipping Board also agreed to recondition and rebuilt both vessels to increase the number of steerage passengers to approximately 220. The steamer arrived home from her last trip to India in mid-April with a cargo of consisting mostly of jute and gunny sacks in addition to 1,000 tons of rubber, and was subsequently put into drydock of Moore Shipbuilding Company for reconditioning. At the same time USSB also decided to rename all of the big liners in honor of the United States presidents, with Wolverine State becoming President Harrison.

The rebuilding work was finalized by June and President Harrison was scheduled to depart for Manila and Hong Kong, when USSB abruptly cancelled the route again citing lack of profitability. The steamer was berthed in San Francisco and remained laid up until mid-October, when the Los Angeles Steamship Co. made an emergency request to the Shipping Board to provide them with a temporary replacement for the burned steamer City of Honolulu in order to maintain the schedule. The ship left Los Angeles on the first trip on her new route on October 23 and reached Hawaii about a week later. In the meantime, USSB assigned President Harrison to Swayne & Hoyt to operate between the West Coast of the United States and ports on the east coast of South America. The transfer was delayed for several months to give Los Angeles Steamship Co. a chance to find and refit a suitable replacement steamer. President Harrison departed Honolulu on November 4 with passengers and cargo consisting of typical Hawaiian exports, such as bananas and pineapples. The Shipping Board then extended her lease with the Los Angeles Steamship Co. for four trips, and then for one extra trip in January 1923, before finally allocating the steamer to Swayne & Hoyt in early February.

President Harrison was immediately put into service as part of the Pacific Argentine Brazil Line, and departed from Seattle and other Puget Sound ports laden with lumber, apples and other general merchandise on 25 February 1923 bound for South America. She took aboard more passengers and cargo at San Francisco and San Pedro and safely reached Rio de Janeiro on April 7 after a 41 day long passage. In early June 1923, President Harding set out on a journey to cross the country, visit Alaska Territory, travel south along the West Coast, then go by ship from San Diego through the Panama Canal to Puerto Rico. President Harrison was selected initially to serve as a vessel by which the President would undertake such travel. The ship's accommodations were to be refurbished and rebuilt in anticipation of important passenger, and all passenger reservations were preemptively cancelled to ensure the President would not be disturbed on his voyage. The company even went as far as switch the captains at sea to ensure the most experienced master was navigating the vessel. However, about a month later this arrangement was cancelled and President Harrison instead went back to her usual duties, leaving on her second trip to South America in early August.