Joshua A.H. Harris
Country of Service: Mali
Place of Service: Ansongo
Dates in Service: 1996-1998
Keywords: Ansongo, Tuareg
Accession Date: July 15, 2014
Access: No restrictions
Collection Size: 1 item (located in small collections)
Document Types
Finding Aid
Duane H. Hudson
Country of Service: Nigeria
Place of Service: Apapa
Service Type: Science Education
Dates in Service: 1963-1965
Keywords: Nigeria, Apapa, Science Education, United Christian Secondary Commercial School, Tilley Lamp
Accession Date: September 23, 2014
Access: No restrictions
Collection Size: 0.25 linear feet
Document Types
Finding Aid
Tom Hebert served in the Peace Corps from 1962-1964. During his service in Nigeria, he served as a business manager for the University of Ibadan’s School of Drama. In this role, he also worked as the “advance man” for the University of Ibadan’s “Theater on Wheels” cross country tour. His duties including tour logistics, promotion, and coordinating with local civic organizations. In 1964, in commemoration of William Shakespeare’s 400th birthday, the tour group organized a traveling Shakespeare festival. Actors performed selected scenes from plays such as Richard II, Hamlet, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Many West Africans read Shakespeare in school and in many cases throughout the tour, actors performed in front of full capacity audiences. In the city of Calabar, not even a rainstorm shortly after the start of Julius Caesar prevented the audience from enjoying the show. Shown below is a poster advertising the March 6-7, 1964 Shakespeare festival in Ibadan, Nigeria. Tom Hebert donated this item to the Peace Corps Community Archive this past summer. Many of the details in this post are taken from Hebert’s reminiscences of his Peace Corps service.
Ibadan Shakespeare Festival, March 6-7, 1964. American University Peace Corps Community Archive
Anita P. Turner
Country of Service: Kenya
Service Type: Small Towns and Community Development (USAID)
Dates in Service: 1982-1984
Keywords: Business, Community Development
Accession Date: June 23, 2014
Access: No restrictions
Collection Size: 0.5 linear feet
Document Types
Related Items in Other Repositories
Finding Aid
Name: Tom Hebert
Country of Service: Nigeria
Place of Service: Ibadan
Service Project Title: University of Ibadan’s Shakespeare Traveling Theatre (Tour Manager)
Dates in Service: 1962-1964
Keywords: Arts
Accession Date: June 3, 2014
Access: No restrictions
Collection Size: 1 oversize item and 8 linear inches
Document Types
Finding Aid
Below are images of local citizens taken by Peace Corps volunteers. Each photograph captures local culture and customs through the nation’s people — as artisans, students, families, and participants in celebrations.
“Paraguayan artisan making ‘nanduti’ (spider-web lace) in her home shop in Itagua, the center of the nanduti artistry.” Caption written by Robert Meade.
“Students husking–polishing the floor with a coconut husk. At 7:00 AM–before school duties.” Caption written by Joyce Emery Johnston
“Campesino home and family.” Caption written by Robert Meade.
Snake Charmer
Celebration. Captured by Norm and Janet Heise while working for Walt Sangree, professor of anthropology. circa 1963-1965.
Christine Wenk-Harrison
Country of Service: Sierra Leone
Service Type: Education
Dates in Service: 1969-1971
Keywords: Education, Youth
Accession Date: April 1, 2014
Access: No restrictions
Collection Size: 1 linear inch (located in small collections)
Document Types
Finding Aid
The Friends of Nigeria Archive is another resource for learning about Peace Corps in Africa. Founded in 1996, the organization seeks to educate the public about Nigeria and promote continual service to the Nigerian people. As the national network for Nigeria Peace Corps alumni, Friends of Nigeria includes returned volunteers and staff, as well as members of other organizations who served in the country.
In 2010, Friends of Nigeria–an affiliate group of the National Peace Corps Association–established their Archive at American University. Friends of Nigeria Archive includes organizational records consisting of by-laws, annual reports, newsletters, financial records, and membership directories. However, the archive also includes many collections donated by members of group. Items of interest include audio recordings, memoirs, photographs, and correspondence.
Several of the collections included in the Peace Corps Community Archives are from the Friends of Nigeria Archive. Be sure to browse the Catalog for specific collections with materials from volunteers’ training and service in Nigeria.
Sources:
“Welcome Friends of Nigeria,” http://www.friendsofnigeria.org/
“Special Collections,” AU Library, (2014) http://www.american.edu/library/archives/collections.cfm
Sarah Kana, “Friends of Nigeria Supports WE CARE Solar,” National Peace Corps Association (2014) http://www.peacecorpsconnect.org/2012/05/friends-of-nigeria-supports-we-care-solar/
The Peace Corps traces its history to a speech given by Senator John F. Kennedy in 1960. In the midst of the Cold War and a presidential campaign, Kennedy, on October 14th, challenged University of Michigan students to travel abroad giving their time and talents to nations around the world. “How many of you, who are going to be doctors, are willing to spend your days in Ghana?” Kennedy asked in an unplanned speech.
Those in attendance followed up with a petition which was eventually signed by one thousand students who affirmed their willingness to leave the comforts of the United States to work in developing countries. Their signatures and commitment to service inspired the Peace Corps. Once elected, President Kennedy followed up on his challenge and issued Executive Order 10924 establishing the Peace Corps on a temporary basis.
In a statement announcing the Peace Corps’ establishment on March 1, 1961, Kennedy acknowledged the real challenges waiting ahead for participants. However, he stressed that the rewards, compared to the challenges, would be far greater. Kennedy claimed, “For every young American who participates in the Peace Corps—who works in a foreign land—will know that he or she is sharing in the great common task of bringing to man that decent way of life which is the foundation of freedom and a condition of peace.”
Abbie Rowe. White House Photographs. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston
Robert Knudsen. White House Photographs. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston
On August 28, 1961, President Kennedy hosted a ceremony honoring the first group of volunteers, Ghana I and Tanganyika I, in the White House Rose Garden. Days later, fifty-one Ghana I volunteers arrived in Accra to serve as teachers. Less than a month later, the Peace Corps became a permanent federal agency with the Peace Corps Act.
Abbie Rowe. White House Photographs. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston
Sources:
“About Us.” Peace Corps. http://www.peacecorps.gov/about/
“Peace Corps.” John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. http://www.jfklibrary.org/JFK/JFK-in-History/Peace-Corps.aspx
All images are courtesy of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.
Whether sharing tales of overcoming the challenges, adjusting to a new culture, or the humor found in daily adventures, Returned Peace Corps Volunteers each possess invaluable stories about the places they lived and worked. Adventure, challenge, and personal connections built across cultural boundaries provide the basis of volunteers’ memoirs and narratives. Regardless of where they served, each story serves as a way to educate Americans about the rest of the world.
In addition to what’s available in the Peace Corps Community Archive, check out the library’s growing collection of Peace Corps memoirs. This list is far from exhaustive, but includes some of the best memoirs on the shelf. Browse the shelves for other great reads.
Beyond Siberia: Two Years in a Forgotten Place by Sharon Dirlam
Based on a collection of journals written during their time abroad, Sharon Dirlam presents the story of her and her husband’s work as Peace Corps Volunteers in Birobidjan. Serving in a Jewish Autonomous Region of Russia, removed from most foreigners, the volunteers learned about native Russians and their culture in a unique way.
From Microsoft to Malawi: Learning on the Front Lines as a Peace Corps Volunteer by Michael L. Buckler
Buckler’s memoir, inspired by his journals, depicts his yearning to serve after divorcing and completely changing career paths. The narrative recounts the fruitful collaboration between volunteers and locals in order to make significant changes within the community.
South of the Frontera: A Peace Corps Memoir by Lawrence F. Lihosit
Lihosit narrates a story about joining the Peace Corps after losing his job, which led him to meet the woman he would eventually marry. In addition to providing a sense of adventure, he presents the professional and personal challenges of living, working, and traveling throughout Mexico and Honduras during the 1970s.
T
he Unheard: A Memoir of Deafness and Africa by Josh Swiller
The Unheard presents a different perspective on the Peace Corps experience. Josh Swiller attempted to act normal and fit in despite being deaf. He joined the Peace Corps to experience a new opportunity. His memoir recounts the daily events, as well as his work at a local health clinic. This story provides insight into the challenges and rewards of serving in the Peace Corps with a disability.
Other books in the library’s possession include collections of stories from Returned Peace Corps Volunteers. Varying from region of the world and type of work, the stories reflect on past experiences abroad. Going Up Country includes writers who return to the country of service to document the nation’s growth, change, and what any visitor should know about the place. Tales from Colombia presents the perspectives of the earliest Peace Corps volunteers to Colombia called to action by President Kennedy’s charge. Humor evades the stories, ranging from around the world, included in The Funniest Job You’ll Ever Love.
Additional Suggestions: