Brian Harrison
Port of Los Angeles Centennial Oral History Project
The Port of Los Angeles celebrated its Centennial on December 9, 2007. As part of the Port of Los Angeles Centennial Oral History Project, these interviews feature various members of the Los Angeles Harbor Area community who were interviewed in 2007 to document different eras in Port history.
National Capital Contracting
Brian Harrison was interviewed for the Port of Los Angeles Centennial Oral History Project. Born in 1927 in Port Talbot, South Wales, United Kingdom, Harrison began a seafaring career in 1943 as a cadet. The interview covers Harrison's experiences in the maritime industry, including his first voyage to the Port of Los Angeles in 1951. Harrison discusses his early impressions of the port, his career progression from a ship’s cadet to a qualified ship captain, and his eventual transition to life ashore in Los Angeles. Harrison reflects on a pivotal moment in his life when he met his future wife in 1953, during a voyage aboard the Durango, a Royal Mail Line ship. This relationship influenced his decision to leave the sea and settle in Los Angeles. The interview also explores Harrison's struggles to find work ashore, his brief tenure at the Bank of America, and his return to the maritime industry as an assistant port captain in Los Angeles. Harrison describes his responsibilities in this role, including overseeing the needs of ships entering and leaving the port. He provides insight into the significant changes in the maritime industry, particularly the shift toward containerization, and the impact of these changes on traditional stevedore companies. Harrison recounts his career progression within the Metropolitan Stevedore Company, where he eventually rose to the position of CEO.
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