March 1, 2011 – Peace Corps Worldwide

Another RPCV Claims to be First!

Mar 01 2011

Robert Potter with Judy Irola, who did that wonderful Niger ’66 film, recently did a short youtube piece on Jake Feldman who says he’s the first PCV. Jake was a Volunteer in then-called-Tanganyika back in ’61. He might indeed be the first Volunteer, but so many RPCVs claim that honor I’m losing count. Anyway, it is a nice piece, take a look, and for those who missed the background on this issue, here is a short blog (reprinted) I wrote almost a year ago on the whole issue of “who was first.” Check out the youtube item. Jake has a lot of good things to say about being in the Peace Corps, #1 or not. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUpx8MVdOuI&feature=youtube_gdata_player Who Was The First Peace Corps Volunteer? Posted by John Coyne on Sunday, April 18th 2010 Lately there has been endless talk among RPCVs about who was the first PCV. Perhaps I’m partially to blame with my blogging about the early days of the Peace Corps. Or . . .

Robert Textor’s Cultural Frontiers of the Peace Corps available in Digital format

Mar 01 2011

It is fitting that today, March 1, 2011, fifty years from the day when JFK signed the executive order that created the Peace Corps the first study of the agency Cultural Frontiers of the Peace Corps, edited by Robert B. Textor (PC/HQ 1962-63), is available in digital form on the Stanford home page. To get there, google –textor stanford–and the top item will be the home page. Click that. Then click “Publications,” and the third item is “Cultural Frontiers.” Allow about two minutes for downloading. Update: 3.09.18 There is a problem downloading this book. We are working with Stanford to correct it. The fourth item, just below “Cultural Frontiers,” is his historical essay, “In Up Out” on the personnel principle that has governed Peace Corps staff policy since 1963. Allow half a minute for downloading. This study is now in the public domain, thanks to the generosity of the MIT Press, and the cooperation of . . .

Archive - March 1, 2011