Early Director to Philippines, Dr. Lawrence Fuchs, Dies at 86

[I received this email from Marcia Kauffman Krasnow saying that Lawrence Fuchs, the first Peace Corps Director in the Philippines, has died. Fuchs in 1961-62 had one third of all the Volunteers in the world. It was the largest Peace Corps country. Philippines, in fact, was the test-case for Warren Wiggins paper, The Towering Task, the original document that Shriver used to create the agency. Following is Ms. Krasnow’s email to me, and the death notice about Professor Fuchs.]

Dear John Coyne,

I enjoyed meeting you at the 50th Anniversary events in Washington, D. C.  I am the daughter of the late Dr. Joseph F. Kauffman who was the first Chief of the Peace Corps Division of Training at the Peace Corps Headquarters in Washington, D.C. (1961-63)

Both Prof. Fuchs and my father (Dean of Students) were at Brandeis University (outside of Boston) prior to serving in leadership positions in the Peace Corps.  Senator Kennedy (JFK) often visited the Brandeis campus during the late 1950’s.

It is with great sadness to inform you (or you may already know) that Professor Fuchs passed away earlier this month.  During the past year I had the pleasure of having several wonderful phone conversations with him as well as a personal visit to which I brought several items from the 50th anniversary events.  He was so pleased to talk about the Peace Corps and see the program from the Staff Reunion.

He touched the lives of so many and will be greatly missed.  I recently found a copy of one of his many published books, Those Peculiar Americans; The Peace  Corps and the American National Character, Meredith Press, NY 1967. I highly recommend it although copies are somewhat difficult to locate.

I hope to attend his Memorial Service at Brandeis later this month.
Please see the March 24 death notice from the Boston Globe below:
Please feel free to contact me.
My deepest sympathy to so many in the Peace Corps community whose lives were touched by “Larry” Fuchs….

Sincerely,
Marcia Kauffman Krasnow

Fuchs, Lawrence H. “Larry” FuchsThe Meyer and Walter Jaffe Professor of American Civilization and Politics at Brandeis University, died on March 17, 2013 at the age of 86 at his home in Canton, MA. He was a longtime resident of Weston, MA. Fuchs was born to Frances Scheiber and Alfred Fuchs in New York City, on January 29, 1927. He served in WWII as a Navy medic. During his 50 years at Brandeis University, he established himself as a renowned authority in the emerging field of American studies. He was a beloved teacher, mentor and dean of the faculty who chaired the American studies department for over 25 years. Fuchs was deeply committed to his family, teaching, scholarship and public service. He was the first Peace Corps director in the Philippines and Executive Director of the Select Commission on Immigration and Refugee Policy. Fuchs worked tirelessly to advance civil liberties, racial equality and human rights. He authored 10 books encompassing American political behavior, ethnicity and acculturation. Larry’s wife of 42 years, Betty Corcoran Hooven Fuchs, died in October 2012. He leaves his brother, Victor; four daughters, Janet Fuchs, Frances Fuchs, Naomi Fuchs and Carol Hooven Byrne; three sons, Michael Hooven, Fred Hooven and John Hooven; nine grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Donations in his honor may be sent to: Jewish Family and Children’s Services, 1430 Main Street, Waltham, MA 02451www.jfcsboston.org; The Human Rights Campaign, 1640 Rhode Island Ave. NW, Washington, DC, 20036 http://www.hrc.org/the-hrc-story/about-us; the Larry Fuchs Fund to support American studies at Brandeis, Brandeis University, 415 South St., Mailstop 122, Waltham, MA 02453 (https://alumni.brandeis.edu/makingyourgift/tribute); Facing History and Ourselves, 16 Hurd Rd, Brookline, MA 02445, USA, http://www.facing.org/ A public memorial service will be held at Brandeis University’s Sherman-Hassenfeld Auditorium on April 21, 2013 at 10:30 AM.Published in The Boston Globe on March 24, 2013