Category Archives: Africa

Peter Reid in Tanzania

Place of Service: Mwanza (Bwiru Boys Secondary School)

Service Type: Education

Dates in Service: 1964-1966

Keywords: Education, Youth,

Accession Date: April 13, 2023

Access: No restrictions

Collection Size: 5 linear feet

Document Types

  • Correspondence
  • Photographs
  • Reports
  • Publications

Related Items in Other Repositories:

Nunn Center Oral History Interview

Finding Aid:

Note: Peter Reid is also the author of Every Hill a Burial Place: The Peace Corps Murder Trial in East Africa. Most of these documents are from Reid’s research and writing process for the book.

  1. Box 1: 1960s Documents
    1. Tanganyika Independence Act, 1961
    2. Training Directory, 1964
    3. Tanganyika Directory, December 1965
    4. State Department file scans on trial; 1966, 2012; Part 1
    5. State Department file scans on trial; 1966, 2012; Part 2
  2. Box 2: Note Cards
    1. Note Cards with research for Every Hill a Burial Place
  3. Box 3: Every Hill a Burial Place Writing, Drafts and Publishing Logistics
    1. Reviews and Descriptions
    2. Table of Contents
    3. Every Hill a Burial Place draft, c. 2018
    4. FOIA Requests, 2012
    5. Every Hill a Burial Place Annotated Outline, 2019
    6. Responses to Every Hill a Burial Place draft, c. 2018-2019
    7. Dollar-Pound Calculations, 2017
    8. Opinion Polls and Folder Notes, c. 2018
    9. Every Hill a Burial Place draft comments, 2014-2017
    10. 1966 Timeline
    11. Abstract and Keywords
    12. Blurbs
    13. Book Cover
    14. Dramatis Personae
    15. Acknowledgements/Dedication
    16. Manuscript Submission 7/22/19
    17. Every Hill… Final Galley Prints
    18. Every Hill a Burial Place Index Drafts, c. 2020
    19. Kentucky Schedule
    20. Kentucky-Marketing
    21. UK Copy Edition-Annie Barva
    22. Manuscript cleanup
    23. Kentucky Readers Comments
    24. Map
    25. Every Hill
    26. Getty Images
    27. Peace Corps World Wide postings
    28. Tanzania PC Timeline
    29. Bibliography
    30. Kosmski [sic]
    31. Green/Hoover Library
    32. Clemmer permission
    33. Duncan Whitfield permission
    34. Ellison permission
    35. Essaye permission
    36. Georgiadis permission
    37. Hawes permission
    38. JFK permission
    39. McHay permission
    40. McPhee permission
    41. The Daily Nation photos
    42. Peppy Wedding Photo
    43. Every Hill a Burial Place draft photos, c. 2015-2019
    44. Michigan State
    45. Ohio U. Press
    46. Rutgers
    47. Stanford University Correspondence, 2019
    48. Brill Publishers
    49. PC Files I: March-April [1966]
    50. PC Files II: May-August [1966]
    51. PC Files III: 8/66-1/67
    52. PC Files PHR
    53. Manuscript 11/18
    54. End Notes
    55. Printed Academic Reviews
  4. Box 4: Every Hill a Burial Place Research (donor alphabetized by topic)
    1. A
      1. Assessors
      2. Autopsies-copies
      3. Anatomy/pathology
    2. B
      1. Book Locker
      2. Bagley, Gail
      3. Carroll Brewster
      4. Body disposition
      5. Bail
      6. Batimba Prison
      7. Brooke-Edwards
    3. C
      1. Clemmer, Betty
      2. Coyne online 2010
      3. Conclusion/epilogue materials
      4. Coyne, John
      5. Ceremony in Lone Tree
      6. Counsel [sic]
      7. Communication-Tanzania
    4. D
      1. Dower
      2. Daniels, Trish
      3. DAR, Maswa, Mwanza
      4. Dunne, Marianne
      5. Dockeray, G.C. Dr.
    5. E
      1. Ellison Letters
      2. Essaye, Terry
      3. Ellison, Phil and Ann
      4. Engle Ellison, Pam
      5. US Embassy/PC Roster, 1966-1967
      6. Erokwu, Judge
      7. Effiwat, Edenden
    6. F
      1. Ferenbach, Vicky Simons
      2. Fallen PCVs
      3. Fry, Donn
      4. National Archives, FOIA Request
    7. G-H-I
      1. Hawes, Charlotte
      2. Georgiadis-Notes from Talk
      3. Georgiadis, Byron (Nick)
      4. Harvard [?] Convictions, U.S.
      5. Hamilton, Donna
      6. Peace Corps Handbook
    8. J-K
      1. Kinsey, Bill
      2. Kinsey, Peverly
      3. Kennedy Library
      4. King, Barrington
      5. Kennedy Presidency
      6. Kifunta, Martin C.D. Inspector [?]
      7. Josephson, Bill
      8. Journal of Africa Law
      9. Kopjes, Geology
      10. Kajina, Timothy
    9. L
      1. Libel/Privacy
      2. Ledbetter, Delores
      3. Llamarada- Mt. Holyoke
      4. Father Robert Lepbure
    10. M
      1. Nancy Neaher Mass
      2. McHugh Documents
      3. Mganga, Philip AMO [?]
      4. Lawrence Mbogoni
      5. McPhee, Jack
      6. Gene Mihaly
      7. McHugh Sections
      8. Tom McHugh
      9. Mugobi, Fred
      10. Maps
      11. Mbeya
      12. Meisler, Stanley
      13. Mwanza
    11. N-O
      1. Nyerere, Julius
      2. Oliver, John
    12. P-Q
      1. Platt, Judge Harold
      2. Preliminary Hearing, 5 May 1966
      3. Platt Decision
      4. Post-trial Communication and Press
      5. Preliminary May Procedure in US and [?]
      6. Peace Corps Books
      7. Peace Corps L[?]
      8. Archives/Peace Corps
      9. Peace Corps History
      10. Peace Corps Online
    13. R
      1. Richter, Richard and Joan
      2. Ratigan, Barbara
      3. Ruth Reynolds, Sunday News NY[?]
      4. Read, Jamey
      5. [?], Stuart
      6. J. Read of Tanzania law[?] change, 1968
    14. Box 5: S
      1. Sullivan, Kathleen
      2. Sack, Paul
      3. OJ Simpson
      4. Site-Description
      5. Singh, Gurbachan
      6. Sayusayu
      7. Stevens, Robert
    15. T
      1. Time Magazine 9/16/66
      2. Tanzania VII COS Report
      3. Tarini [?], Charles Father
      4. Vilindo, M[?]-Witness [empty]
      5. Word/Pages in a book-estimates
      6. Teachers for East Africa
      7. Tanganyika 1923 Law of Property and Conveying Ordinance
      8. Tanganyika Order in Council, Prisoners[?]
      9. Tanzania Interim Constitution 1965
    16. W
      1. Women and the Peace Corps
      2. Tanzania Report on Party, 1965
      3. Website Links
  5. Publications
    1. Every Hill a Burial Place: The Peace Corps Murder Trial in East Africa, 2020, 2022
  6. Newspapers (in Oversize Collections)
    1. Newspapers, 1964-1965; 2009
    2. Newspapers, 1966, 1989

Returned Peace Corps Volunteers and the Third Goal

The Peace Corps has always operated with a three-point goal in mind: serve host countries, introduce host countries to Americans, and to help Americans better understand non-Americans. [1] Peace Corps Volunteers do not stop fulfilling this third goal when they finish their service. One of the ways that Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) have accomplished this goal is by establishing organizations that work to help their country of service.

The American University Archives features materials from these organizations, whether donated by a Volunteer or the organization itself. Returned Peace Corps Volunteers often founded these associations in the final decades of the twentieth century. Many have the title “Friends of [Country of Service].” These groups provide a way for members who served together or in the same country to keep in touch. However, they also have a central focus on providing resources to and keeping American attention on their country of service. As such, they continue to fulfill the third goal of the Peace Corps.

This flyer shows how the Friends of Costa Rica Organization clearly thought of themselves as fulfilling the Peace Corps’ third goal and wanted other RPCVs to do the same. Friends of Costa Rica, “Third Goal Forum!” 1996, American University Archives, Washington, D.C.

The Peace Corps Community Archive has materials from organizations for RPCVS from five countries: Colombia, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and the Dominican Republic. A former fellow has written an amazing post about materials from the Friends of Nigeria, but the other four groups’ collections are also fascinating. Of especial note is the Friends of Colombia, which has been donating material since before the Peace Corps Community Archive began. The archive now has several decades of the organization’s materials, as well as the collections of dozens of Colombia RPCVs. These boxes are filled with stories, such as the organization’s founding, Colombian RPCV reunions, and donations and events that the group facilitated to help Colombians. However, Friends of Colombia has also worked to make a wider circle of Americans become more familiar with Colombians, such as through their participation in President Clinton’s 1992 inaugural parade. [2]

The founders of the Friends of Colombia in the living room where they started the organization. Photo undated, circa 2000. American University, Washington D.C.

While the archives does not have as much material from the Friends of the Dominican Republic, Ghana, or Kenya, these collections are still incredibly interesting. The Friends of Ghana organization has donated materials including meeting notes, newsletters, and the donation information. Members of the Friends of the Dominican Republic donated materials from their time assisting the organization (a list of members and related blog posts can be found here). Robert Scully donated materials from the Friends of Kenya. These groups also helped to facilitate connections between RCPVs, the country in which they served, and other Americans. For example, Robert Scully’s collection features Friends of Kenya materials from the 1990s and early 2000s, when he served on the organization’s board. During his tenure, the group donated to causes such as fighting polio in Kenya. Similar to Friends of Colombia, the group also interacted with Kenyans at the highest levels of government. This included the Kenyan ambassador to the United States, as seen below.

This is Robert Scully’s invitation to the thirty-third anniversary celebration of Kenya’s independence, courtesy of the Kenyan ambassador to the United States. American University Archives, Washington, D.C.

All of these organizations have also continued to carry out the Peace Corps’ third goal. The Peace Corps Community Archive has information on dozens of charitable projects that these five organizations alone have assisted. As shown above, these groups frequently have a great deal of influence due to their ties to the Peace Corps and former country of service. Meetings with ambassadors or other high-ranking officials from their countries of service, such as Scully’s, are not uncommon. Such work has made it more likely that other Americans will learn about their countries of service. These groups have all helped Americans, whether or not they are RPCVs, better understand non-Americans, therefore fulfilling a key Peace Corps purpose.

 

 

 

 

[1]”2020 Fact Sheet,” Peace Corps, December 2019, https://files.peacecorps.gov/multimedia/pdf/about/pc_facts.pdf.

[2] “Friends of Colombia (FOC) Activities,” c. 1996. American University Archives, Washington, D.C.

Leo Shelley in Liberia

Place of Service: Gbarnga (Cuttington University)

Service Type: Education, Libraries

Dates in Service: 1964-1967

Keywords: Education, Libraries, Youth

Accession Date: July 27, 2023

Access: No restrictions

Collection Size: 0.01 linear feet (located in small collections)

Document Types

  • Publications

Finding Aid:

  • Two articles about Shelley’s service; 1967, 1986
  • Liberia IV training materials, 1964

Robert T. K. Scully in Kenya

Place of Service: Bungoma (St. Mary’s Kibabii Secondary School)

Service Type: Education

Dates in Service: 1964-1966

Keywords: Education, Youth

Accession Date: March 23, 2023

Access: No restrictions

Collection Size: 3 linear feet

Document Types

  • Correspondence
  • Photographs
  • Reports
  • Publications
  • Film/Video
  • Sound

Related Items in Other Repositories:

Oral History Interview [Kennedy Presidential Library]

Finding Aid:

  1. Box 1: Peace Corps Experience and Connections, c. 1964-2001
    1. Correspondence
      1. Peace Corps Correspondence, 1964
      2. Peace Corps Correspondence, 1965
      3. Peace Corps/Kenya/Kibabii Correspondence, 1966 undated, January-June 1966
      4. Peace Corps/Kenya/Kibabii Correspondence, July-December 1966
      5. Kenya/Kibabii Correspondence, 1967-1968
      6. Kenya/Kibabii Correspondence, 1970
      7. Kenya/Kibabii Correspondence, c. 1971-1972
      8. Kenya/Kibabii Correspondence, c. 1973-1979
      9. Kenya/Kibabii Correspondence, 1980-1987
      10. Kenya/Kibabii Correspondence, c. 1994-2001
    2. Peace Corps Journal, 1964-1966
    3. Training Materials and Information
      1. Peace Corps Training Papers, 1964
      2. Peace Corps Training Notebooks, 1964
      3. Peace Corps Kenya Information, 1964
    4. Mary’s Kibabii Secondary School Materials
      1. Kibabii Student Essays, 1965 (1 of 2)
      2. Kibabii Student Essays, 1965 (2 of 2)
      3. Kibabii Student Essays, 1966
      4. Kibabii School Student Papers on Local History, 1966
      5. Kibabii Chronicle, 1966
      6. Drama Society Script Drafts, c. 1966
      7. Kibabii Student Reunion, 1995
    5. Publications
      1. Scully’s Kenya-Related Publications, 1969-1979
      2. Scully’s Thesis, “The Elgon Bantu Before the Coming of the Europeans,” 1970
      3. Box 2: Scully and Kibabii Publications, 1970-1995
    6. Miscellaneous
      1. Congregation of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Utrecht Yearbook, 1966-1967 [in Dutch]
      2. Ticket Books, 1966-1968
  2. Later Trips to Kenya with Students, c. 1970-1993
    1. Fort Sites
      1. Bukusu- South Mateka Fort Sites [Lumboka], 1970
      2. Bukusu- Seritanga Area Fort Site, 1970
      3. Bukusu- Chwele Area Maps and Fort Sites, 1970,
      4. Bukusu- Sangalo Maps and Fort Sites, 1970
      5. Chetambe Hill Project, Bukusu, Kenya, c. 1970
    2. Notebooks
      1. Numbered Field Report Books,1970-1971
      2. Unnumbered Field Notebooks, 1970-1971
      3. Scully’s Kenya Student Trip Reports, 1974 (1 of 2)
      4. Scully’s Kenya Student Trip Reports, 1974 (2 of 2)
    3. Publications and Assignments
      1. Scully’s Kenya Student Trip Reports: Related Correspondence and Publications, c. 1974-1993
      2. Dean Cowen 1974 Student Trip Report, “The History of Kibabii,” 1974
      3. Bukusu Clan Papers and Related History, c. 1970
      4. Scully Bukusu Fort publication, 1975
    4. Maps
      1. Bukusu Maps, c. 1970 (1 of 2)
      2. Bukusu Maps, c. 1970 (2 of 2)
  3. Friends of Kenya and National Peace Corps Association Materials, c. 1989-2011
    1. Documents
      1. Friends of Kenya Board Notes and Emails, c. 1996-1997
      2. Box 3: Friends of Kenya Peace Corps Correspondence, c. 1995-2011
      3. Friends of Kenya Newsletters including “Moto Moto,” c. 1994-2002
      4. Friends of Kenya Notes/Meetings; undated, 1989-2000
      5. Friends of Kenya Correspondence and Miscellaneous; undated, 1992-2003 (1 of 2)
      6. Friends of Kenya Correspondence and Miscellaneous; undated, 1992-2003 (2 of 2)
      7. Friends of Kenya Correspondence and Miscellaneous; undated, 1995-2002 (centered around 2000) (1 of 2)
      8. Friends of Kenya Correspondence and Miscellaneous; undated, 1995-2002 (centered around 2000) (2 of 2)
      9. Kibabii-St. Mary’s School Meetings and President Daniel Arap Moi Meeting, c. 1995-1998
      10. Friends of Kenya Correspondence and Related Publications; undated, c. 2000-2003 (1 of 2)
      11. Friends of Kenya Correspondence and Related Publications; undated, c. 2000-2003 (2 of 2)
      12. Peace Corps/Teachers for East Africa Alumni Meeting/ The Carter Presidential Library, c. 1998-2009
      13. Miscellaneous Correspondence, Friends of Kenya, Kibabii, Kenya Programs and Contacts; undated, 1993-1999
      14. National Peace Corps Association (NPCA) Board Notes; undated, 1997-2003 (1 of 2)
      15. National Peace Corps Association (NPCA) Board Notes; undated, 1997-2003 (2 of 2)
      16. Peace Garden Program, 1999
      17. Friends of Kenya-Polio Kenya Program, undated, 1996-1999
      18. Friends of Kenya Miscellaneous Correspondence; undated, 1997-1998, 2000-2002 (1 of 2)
      19. Friends of Kenya Miscellaneous Correspondence; undated, 1997-1998, 2000-2002 (2 of 2)
      20. Friends of Kenya Directory, 1994
    2. Other
      1. Friends of Kenya- Marafiki Tee Shirt, undated
      2. Box 4: Friends of Kenya and Friends of Malawi Miscellaneous Tapes, 1994-1995
  4. Photos, c. 1964-2000
    1. Peace Corps Kenya Photos, c. 1964-1969 (1 of 3)
    2. Peace Corps Kenya Photos, c. 1964-1969 (2 of 3)
    3. Peace Corps Kenya Photos, c. 1964-1969 (3 of 3)
    4. Chetambe Hill Project Photos, Bukusu, Kenya, c. 1970
    5. Miscellaneous Photos of Circumcision Ceremony, August 1966 (Content Warning)
    6. Miscellaneous Photos, c. 1964-2000
    7. Miscellaneous Negatives, c. 1964-2000

The Case of the Peace Corps Fellow and the Mysterious Napkin

Hi! My name is Emily Messner, and I have spent the past school year as the Peace Corps Community Archive Fellow, cataloging new collections and writing blog posts. As the year ends, I want to share the most unexpectedly remarkable story I encountered in my work. Therefore, this post is a little different because it involves an archival collection and my work to solve a very unique mystery. In the process, I’d also like to give you all a little “peek behind the curtain” to see what it’s like to be a student-archivist. Enjoy!

Chapter 1: Arnold Zeitlin

Of course, this story starts long before me. It begins with a donor-Arnold Zeitlin. In 1961, Arnold Zeitlin was a journalist living in Pittsburgh. He was paying attention to the newly-elected President Kennedy’s policies, especially his implementation of the Peace Corps. Zeitlin then followed in the footsteps of his hero, famed journalist Edward R. Murrow, to work for the government. Additionally, the idea of trading television reviews for service appealed to him. [1] The Peace Corps accepted Zeitlin, and in the summer of 1961, he was on his way to California to take part in a training and selection process.

After a false start, Ghana accepted Arnold Zeitlin as part of the very first Peace Corps group to start their service-Ghana I. He served as an English teacher in Ghana’s capital city, Accra. During his time as a Volunteer, Zeitlin continued writing newspaper articles about his experiences, primarily for Pittsburgh newspapers. Zeitlin’s Peace Corps experience also featured love: he met his wife, got married, and ultimately divorced some years later. After completing his service, Zeitlin resumed his career in journalism, although he also continued to write and think about the Peace Corps. This included one of the first memoirs about Peace Corps Service, To The Peace Corps With Love, which he published in 1965. Recently, Zeitlin donated a great deal of his Peace Corps materials to the Peace Corps Community Archive at American University.

Arnold Zeitlin in Accra with his students, c. 1961-1963. American University Archives, Washington, D.C.

Chapter 2: An Archival Puzzle

In November 2022, I had three months under my belt at my fellowship, and I was ready to start processing another collection. I grabbed the box with Arnold Zeitlin’s donations and opened it up to see a great deal of fascinating material. The donation included everything from newspapers, to photos, to correspondence, and much more. I prefer to start working on new collections by processing any correspondence. Letters written before or during a Volunteer’s service usually give me valuable information about the Volunteer and their experiences. This context makes it easier to understand the significance of the rest of their donation. Archivists do their best to preserve the original organization of donations. Sometimes, such as in the case of Zeitlin’s correspondence, the donor only organizes some of their letters. I therefore put the rest of his letters into chronological order.

As I was doing this, I found an object that was not a letter at all: this napkin, which had no clear connection to any of the letters I sorted. It had a very strange collection of phrases on it in Zeitlin’s handwriting, such as, “I do not like to see women smoke,” “I wish I could be as happy as others seem to be,” and “I am more sensitive than most.” [2]

What was the story behind this napkin? A full transcript of the letter’s phrases is at the end of the post. Arnold Zeitlin, napkin with list of phrases, 1961, American University Archives, Washington, D.C.

Finds such as this napkin are fairly unusual. In my three years of experience, I have never seen anything quite like this. More delicate paper products such as napkins, especially a completely unfolded one, are not the easiest to write on. Nor are they easy to preserve for several decades. And then there were all the odd phrases, which made no sense and slightly concerned me. As I continued processing the collection, I became more and more confused: What was this object, and what did it mean? Since my position is only a few hours a week, it took me quite a while to process Zeitlin’s collection, and the mystery grew deeper and deeper in my mind.

Chapter 3: Mystery Solved!

The very last set of items that I had to process in Arnold Zeitlin’s collection were a few dozen newspaper articles about Ghana I’s service. Zeitlin wrote about half of them. I began the delicate process of sorting and scanning them- newspaper ages poorly and easily tears. As I started to scan the newspaper articles that Zeitlin wrote during Ghana I’s California training, a few bolded words suddenly leapt out at me. These were the phrases from the napkin!

Mystery solved! Arnold Zeitlin’s newspaper article that included information from the napkin. Arnold Zeitlin, “Peace Corps Quiz Probes Aspirant,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, date unknown. American University Archives, Washington, D.C.

After a little more reading, I realized that Zeitlin was writing a humorous, slightly frustrated article about the battery of psychological tests he and fellow hopeful Volunteers had to take. Words on the napkin were quotes from what he considered the most ridiculous true/false psychological questions on a test. [3] In To the Peace Corps With Love, which I would read later, Zeitlin discussed enduring the wide range of psychological tests and interviews, alongside his equally humored and incredulous peers. His conclusion was that the Peace Corps was bending over backwards to make sure that this first group of Volunteers would carry out their work as smoothly as possible. [4] He also noted that one of the psychologists, Brewster Smith, had not taken kindly to his critical article on the matter. Even as he hurried to join the rest of Ghana I after their arrival, his send-off included a good-natured, exasperated warning to write no further articles about psychiatrists. [5]

To confirm my findings, I contacted Arnold Zeitlin himself, who graciously answered my list of questions about a small occurrence that had happened more than sixty years before. To supplement the memoir, Zeitlin noted that he thought that the Peace Corps’ reliance on all of the odd tests to predict Volunteers’ performance was “absurd.” [6] He found the situation so ridiculous that he had to write an article. Zeitlin enjoyed the opportunity to share his experiences-whether fascinating or ridiculous- with his readers back in Pittsburgh. [7] Finally, Zeitlin wrote that he had been able to become friends with Brewster Smith years later over a lunch in Hong Kong, where Zeitlin was living at the time. [8] With all of this information, the ends of my napkin mystery tied themselves in a surprisingly neat bow. You can see the results in the finding aid for Zeitlin’s collection, which includes an entry just for the napkin. Zeitlin recently passed away, after a long, rich life. I am very grateful for the time he took to tell me about his experiences.

Arnold Zeitlin with his wife, celebrating his ninetieth birthday. Photo from Arnold Zeitlin.

Epilogue: The Mysteries Continue

This is not the only mystery that I have focused on this year. For example, one of my first blog posts was on a mystery novel inspired by the author’s lived experiences in the Peace Corps. And while this “case” was a more involved puzzle than most of my work entails, mini-mysteries are not uncommon while working in archives. If part of a donation comes without enough context through the materials surrounding it, it becomes a little mystery of its own. That is fine by me! Figuring out more information about these items is one of my favorite parts of this wonderful job. On that note, I am very excited to say that I will be back again as the fellow for the 2023-2024 school year. So be on the lookout for more Peace Corps mysteries and intrigues that I uncover in my work, starting in August!

Transcription of the napkin’s phrases:

  • I like to flirt 
  • I believe my sins are unpardonable 
  • I like to talk about sex 
  • I am more sensitive than most 
  • Often I cross the street in order not to meet someone I know 
  • Some people are so bossy that I feel like doing the opposite of what they request, even though I know they are right 
  • I certainly feel useless at times 
  • I have diarrhea once a month or more 
  • When I am with people, I am bothered by hearing very queer things 
  • Everything is turning out just like the prophets of the Bible said it would 
  • I wish I could be as happy as others seem to be  
  • I do not like to see women smoke  
  • I would certainly enjoy besting a [crude?] at his own game 
  • At times I think I am no good at all 
  • I am attracted by members of the opp[osite] sex 
  • Christ performed miracles such as changing water into wine 
  • WX or Lincoln 

[1] Arnold Zeitlin, email message to author, February 7, 2023; Arnold Zeitlin, To the Peace Corps With Love (Garden City: Doubleday & Company, 1965), 19.  

[2] Arnold Zeitlin, napkin with list of phrases, 1961, American University Archives, Washington, D.C. 

[3] Arnold Zeitlin, “Peace Corps Quiz Probes Aspirant,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, date unknown. American University Archives, Washington, D.C. 

[4] Arnold Zeitlin, email message to author, February 7, 2023; Arnold Zeitlin, email message to author, February 7, 2023. 

[5] Zeitlin, To the Peace Corps With Love, 48. 

[6] Arnold Zeitlin, email message to author, February 7, 2023. 

[7] Arnold Zeitlin, email message to author, February 7, 2023; Arnold Zeitlin, email message to author, February 7, 2023. 

[8] Arnold Zeitlin, email message to author, February 10, 2023. 

“To The New Volunteer:” Helpful Letters in a New Place

Starting Peace Corps service has often been a time of unknowns for volunteers. They are living in different countries, often speaking languages that are new to them, and adjusting to cultures that they are unfamiliar with. Such was the case for Jessica Vapnek, who served from 1985-1987 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (then Zaire). She taught high school English, music, and girls’ health classes in Kirumba, a remote small town in the northeast of the country. [1] While her living conditions were well-off compared to her neighbors, her small house had no electricity, and Vapnek was the only Volunteer in Kirumba. However, she did have one unexpected guide.

Guidance From Previous Volunteers

Within her first few days of living in Kirumba, Jessica Vapnek found two lengthy letters in an envelope titled “To The New Volunteer in Kasando” (a name of a tiny town near Kirumba).[2] Two authors wrote these letters: Sheila Kemper, who served in the town from 1979-1981, and Carol Buffum, a Peace Corps Volunteer that likely served between 1981-1983. They were probably left by the volunteer who had served in Kirumba before Vapnek, from 1983-1985. The letters contained key information that an incoming Volunteer to Kirumba would have been unlikely to know. Kemper’s letter was typed (with some handwritten notes from Buffum) and contained information about the Volunteer’s house, buying food, communicating with the Peace Corps, medical care, and more.[3] Buffum’s pages of handwritten notes contained updates and advice about getting along with other teachers, students, and townspeople.[4] Such information would have been a lifeline for any Volunteers who read the letters, since they were in the process of adjusting to a town and a routine of living that they were incredibly unfamiliar with.

The envelope of the letter packet that Jessica Vapnek found. American University Archives, Washington, D.C.

After her service, Vapnek took the letters home with her because the Peace Corps closed her volunteer post when she left. She planned to send them to the next volunteer in Kasando if the post reopened.[5] However, the Peace Corps closed its Zaire programs entirely in 1991, so Vapnek held on to the letters until she donated them to the archive.[6] Jessica Vapnek also received an additional private letter from another Kasando Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, and the two wrote letters during part of Vapnek’s service.[7]

The first page of Sheila Kemper’s letter to future Volunteers. American University Archives, Washington, D.C.

Volunteers Helping Each Other

This series of letters greatly assisted Jessica Vapnek and the Volunteers who served before her. It also demonstrates the kindness and solidarity of the Peace Corps Volunteers who served in Kirumba over the course of nearly a decade. While none of them met, they made each other’s lives less stressful in new situations by adding or preserving key information for a new Peace Corps Volunteer. Vapnek thought the idea was fantastic and found the packet and her correspondence to be incredibly helpful.[1] As such, the letters are a very inspiring read. They lead me to the question: What are ways that you and I can help people in new environments?

 

 

[1] Bruce J. Cohen. “Description of Peace Corps Volunteer Service.” July 23, 1987. American University Archives, Washington, D.C.

[2] Jessica Vapnek in discussion with the author, February 14, 2023.

[3] Sheila Kemper memo to new volunteer, 1981. American University Archives, Washington, D.C.

[4] Carol Buffum to new volunteer, c. 1983. American University Archives, Washington, D.C.

[5] Jessica Vapnek in discussion with the author, February 14, 2023.

[6] “Countries,” Peace Corps, 2023, https://www.peacecorps.gov/countries/.

[7] Jessica Vapnek in discussion with the author, February 14, 2023.

[8] Jessica Vapnek in discussion with the author, February 14, 2023.

[1] Jessica Vapnek in discussion with the author, February 14, 2023.

Evelyn Higa in Senegal

Service Type: Education

Dates in Service: 1979-1981

Keywords: Education

Accession Date: August 4, 2022

Access: No restrictions on research. No deed of gift as donation through third party.

Collection Size: 0.5 linear feet

Document Types

  • Photographs
  • Publications

Related Items in Other Repositories: Christine Pearson Musa’s oral history with the JFK Library mentions Higa.

Finding Aid:

  • PCV Booklets, 1979-1980
  • Teaching Materials, 1973, 1978
  • Photos, c. 1978-1981
  • Large Photos, c. 1978-1981
  • Tamba Kaimondo campaign poster [in Oversize Collections]

Rosemary (Morris) Yaco in Togo

Country of Service: Togo

Place of Service: Dapaong and Sokodé

Service Type: Education

Dates in Service: 1983-1986

Keywords: Education

Accession Date: July 19, 2022

Access: No restrictions

Collection Size: 1 linear foot

Document Types

  • Correspondence
  • Photographs
  • Publications
  • Sound

See Also: Rosemary Yaco’s four mystery novels, which were inspired by her time in Africa.  The Peace Corps Community Archives website also features a blog post about the first novel, Murder in the Peace Corps.

Finding Aid:

Box 1

  1. Papers
    1. Correspondence
      1. Specific Correspondence, dated, 1983-1986
        1. Specific Correspondence, 1983
        2. Specific Correspondence, 1984 undated, January-May 1984
        3. Specific Correspondence, 1985
        4. Specific Correspondence, January-June 1986
      2. Specific Correspondence, undated
        1. Specific Correspondence, undated, c. 1983-1986 (1 of 3)
        2. Specific Correspondence, undated, c. 1983-1986, 1984-1985 (2 of 3)
        3. Specific Correspondence, undated, c. 1983-1986, 1986 (3 of 3)
      3. Specific Correspondence, undated, unsure if Peace Corps-related
        1. Specific Correspondence, undated, unsure if Peace Corps-related (1 of 3)
        2. Specific Correspondence, undated, unsure if Peace Corps-related (2 of 3)
        3. Specific Correspondence, undated, unsure if Peace Corps-related (3 of 3)
      4. General Correspondence, c. 1983-1986
      5. Postcards
        1. Postcards, dated, 1983-1986
        2. Postcards, undated, c. 1983-1986
      6. Correspondence to Rosemary Yaco, undated, 1983-1986
      7. Letters to Sonia Yaco, 1984-1985
    2. Other Papers
      1. Educational Materials
        1. Created or Utilized Educational Materials, c. 1966-1986
        2. Georgetown University Class Materials, Summer 1985
        3. Originally labeled, “R. Yaco Writing Course, W F Class” [Educational publications and papers, c. 1984-1985]
        4. Submitted Assignments by Teachers, c. 1983-1986
      2. Creative Writing
        1. Hopwood Award-Winning Poetry, c. 1951
        2. Creative Writing, 1984, undated
      3. Other Papers
        1. Fulbright Application [includes description of Peace Corps Work], c. 1985
        2. General Papers, c. 1983-1985
        3. Newspaper and Journal Clippings, c. 1983-1986 (also digitized)
  2. Photos and Audiovisual Materials
    1. Dated Negatives and Photos, 1983-1986
    2. Photo Slides, c. 1984-1985
    3. Photos, undated
    4. Large Photos, undated
    5. Labeled and Unlabeled Negatives, Undated
    6. Photos and Negatives from Unlabeled Packet 1, undated
    7. Photos and Negatives from Unlabeled Packet 2, undated
    8. Photos and Negatives from Unlabeled Packet 3, undated
    9. Photos and Negatives from Unlabeled Packet 4, undated
    10. Miscellaneous Tapes, undated
    11. Photo Albums (Box 2)

Gretchen Fetterly in Nigeria

Country of Service: Nigeria

Place of Service: Ifuho

Service Type: Education

Dates in Service: 1961-1963

Keywords: Community Development, Education, Health, Libraries, Sports, Youth

Accession Date: November 4, 2022

Access: No restrictions

Collection Size: 0.25 linear feet

Document Types

  • Correspondence
  • Photographs
  • Publications

Finding Aid:

Box 1

  1. Outgoing Letters, 1961-1963, Nigeria
  2. Newspaper, Nigeria
  3. Photographs, 1961-1963, Nigeria
  4. Outgoing Letters, 1964, Washington, D.C.
  5. Photographs, 1965-1967
  6. Outgoing Letters, 1967-1968-arranged chronologically
  7. Letters and Photographs, 1968, Washington, D.C.
  8. Peace Corps Documents, n.d.

Processed by Caroline Shanley

Arnold and Marian Zeitlin in Ghana

Country of Service: Ghana

Place of Service: Accra

Service Type: Education

Dates in Service: September 1961-July 1963

Keywords:  Education, Youth

Accession Date: April 15, 2022

Access: No restrictions

Collection Size: 1 linear foot

See Also: American University Library has copies of Zeitlin’s book, To the Peace Corps With LoveZeitlin’s donation also features in the blog post “The Case of the Peace Corps Fellow and the Mysterious Napkin.”

Document Types

  • Correspondence
  • Photographs
  • Scrapbooks
  • Reports
  • Publications
  • Film/Video

Finding Aid:

  1. Papers
    1. Correspondence
      1. Correspondence, July-September 1961
      2. Correspondence, October-December 1961
      3. Correspondence, 1961 undated
      4. Correspondence, January-May 1962
      5. Correspondence, June-September 1962
      6. Correspondence, October-December 1962, 1962 undated
      7. Correspondence, January-March 1963
      8. Correspondence, April-June 1963
      9. Correspondence, July 1963-December 1965, 1963 undated
      10. Correspondence-Politics, Grouped together, undated
      11. Correspondence on Peace Corps Writings, 1964-1981
      12. Peace Corps Papers
        1. Ghana Training Materials, c. 196
    2. Peace Corps Papers (Start of Box 2)
      1. Other Peace Corps Papers, c. 1961-1963
    3. Reunions
      1. Ghana I, Reunions and Contacts, 1970-2011 (includes 1 DVD)
  2. Publications
    1. Newspaper and Magazine Articles
      1. Ghana Article Drafts, c. 1961-1963
      2. Newspaper Articles by Arnold and Marian Zeitlin, 1961-1986
      3. Newspaper Articles by other Authors, 1961-1991
    2. Peace Corps Studies and Pamphlets, 1963-1984
      1. Peace Corps Studies and Pamphlets (1 of 2)
      2. Peace Corps Studies and Pamphlets (2 of 2)
    3. Other Publications
      1. The O’Reilly Journal, Vol. 1 No. 3, 1964
  3. Other Materials
    1. Fabric
      1. Cloth Ghana I anniversary materials, 1986-2011
    2. Photos and Miscellaneous
      1. Photos, c. 1961-1996, undated
    3. Larger materials (Start of Box 3)
      1. Napkin with psychological test phrases, c. July 1961
      2. Saturday Evening Post issue, January 1, 1966 (The Zeitlins wrote an article in this issue)
      3. Letters From the Peace Corps, ed. Iris Lee (features some of the Zeitlins’ letters)
      4. Photo Album, c. 1961-1963