JFK and Shriver

Joanne Roll (Colombia 1963-65) who blogs on our site, and who knows more than all of us about the agency, sent me the following note and interesting links at the JFK’s library in Boston. Joanne writes:

“The JFK Presidential Library works hard to protect the history and legacy of the Kennedy administration. The Peace Corps is an important part of that history.  Here is an example of how important preserving and protecting that history can be.

“Since the beginning, Peace Corps Volunteers have long fought the myth that somehow Volunteers were intelligence agents in disguise. A telephone conversation between President Kennedy and Sargent Shriver on April 2, 1963 documents that Kennedy and Shriver were strongly determined to protect the Peace Corps from the CIA.

“This telephone conversation was recorded in the White House and the JFK Library has now digitized the recording and is making them available on its website. Conversations were recorded on the old Dictaphone belts.  This conversation about the Peace Corps is recorded on two belts. So, there will be an abrupt end in mid sentence in the first recording.  The conversation is concluded on the second belt. To hear the President and Shriver speak and/or to read the transcript of the conversation, use these links: Thank you, Joanne, for sending this along to us.

http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKPOF-TPH-17A-4.aspx#.UQv6-uRVuFE.email

conclusion link

http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKPOF-TPH-17B-1.aspx#.UQv7QedgLhE.email