Archive - November 17, 2016

On the Edge: An Odyssey Stephen E. Murphy (Regional Director, Inter-Americas Region, 2002-2003) Odyssey Chapters (via CreateSpace), Seattle, WA September 23, 2016 188 pages $15.95 paperback, $5.99 Kindle https://www.amazon.com/Edge-Odyssey-Stephen-Murphy/dp/1536851876 Reviewed by Bob Arias (Colombia 1964-66) Harvard missed an opportunity to welcome young Steve from Seattle, and work on his MBA with Boston’s finest…their loss, our gain! On the Edge, An Odyssey takes you from the Northwest to Boston to Rio and South America. Full of surprises and adventure, as well as serving in the administrations of Bush 1 and Bush 2. I found his book both exciting and a joy to explore funny moments as Steve becomes an adult in Brazil. But before he can continue, Vietnam calls and he becomes a US Navy Lieutenant junior grade, and finds himself as a participant in the war. Steve, or as the Brazilians call him…Estive, never allows grass to grow under his . . .

Speaking up at the Senior Staff Conference Table on the 5th floor in the Maiatico Building, surrounded by the Mad Men & Mad Women, Bob Gale told Shriver and the others that Sam Babbitt’s ‘gentleman’ approach to recruiting wasn’t working. In a way (to use today’s terminology), the Peace Corps wasn’t a ‘brand’; it had not established its value with college students where most of the recruits for the new Peace Corps were to be found. “Off the top of my head,” recalled Gale, “I said, I’d get the college administrators and the faculty fully on our side, get them involved. I’d alert the campus newspaper and the campus radio station. I’d co-opt office space in the Student Union–that’s where a lot of the action is at a big university. I’d send out from Washington senior staff and famous names….” Shriver stopped him. He pounded the table with his fist, startling Gale who wasn’t familiar with Sarge’s ways. Then came, Shriver’s famous hoot: “T’rffic!” he yelled, . . .