Category Archives: Audio

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

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)

Philip Lopes in Colombia and Brazil

Country of Service: Brazil, Colombia
Place of Service:
Dates in Service: 1961 – 1963
Service Type:

Keywords: Audio, Interviews

Accession Date:
Access: No restrictions
Collection Size:  .01 linear feet

Document Types:

  • Audio
  • Interviews

Related Items in Other Repositories

Patricia (Penny) Jessop in Niger

Country of Service: Niger
Service Type: Public Health Educator, Maternal & Child Health
Dates in Service: 1970-1973
Keywords: Community Development, Education, Health, HIV/AIDS, Literacy, Youth

Accession Date: March 2, 2021
Access: no restrictions
Collection Size: 3 linear feet + 1 digital collection

Document Types

  • Correspondence
  • Photographs
  • Reports
  • Publications
  • Sound
  • Training Materials

Digital Surrogates

Finding Aid

Box 1 

  1. Jessop Archive: Content Guide 
    1. This is a document created by Patricia Jessop that lists (in no particular order) the entire contents of her donation 
  2. Audio Tapes 1-6, September 9, 1970-April 24, 1971 
  3. Audio Tapes 7-12, May 28, 1971-January 7, 1972 
  4. Audio Tapes 13-14 and “Supertape” Reel-to-Reel 
  5. Correspondence (Penny to her family and friends), June 24, 1970-October 4, 1970 
  6. Correspondence Transcriptions (Penny to her family and friends), June 24, 1970-October 4, 1970 
  7. Correspondence (Penny to her family and friends), October 10, 1970-December 23, 1970 
  8. Correspondence Transcriptions (Penny to her family and friends), October 10, 1970-December 23, 1970 
  9. Correspondence (Penny to her family and friends), January 2, 1971-April 18, 1971 
  10. Correspondence Transcriptions (Penny to her family and friends), January 2, 1971-April 18, 1971 
  11. Correspondence (Penny to her family and friends), April 25, 1971-December 25, 1971 
  12. Correspondence Transcriptions (Penny to her family and friends), April 25, 1971-December 30, 1971 
  13. Correspondence (Penny to her family and friends), January 26, 1972-December 8, 1972 
  14. Correspondence Transcriptions (Penny to her family and friends), January 26, 1972-March 4, 1973 
  15. Correspondence (Penny to her family and friends), February 3, 1973-May 5, 1973 
  16. Correspondence (Penny to her family and friends), May 22, 1973-October 25, 1973 
  17. Correspondence (Penny to her grandmother: Charlotte A. Petersen Fischer), January 22, 1970, November 27, 1972 
  18. Correspondence (Grandmothers Kincaid + Fischer to Patricia Jessop), August 9, 1970-December 30, 1970 
  19. Correspondence (Grandmothers Kincaid + Fischer to Patricia Jessop), January 16, 1971-March 6, 1973 
  20. Correspondence (Jean Jessop to her daughter: Patricia Jessop), June 29, 1970-September 14, 1970 
  21. Correspondence (Jean Jessop to her daughter: Patricia Jessop), September 16, 1970-December 29, 1970
  22. Correspondence (Jean Jessop to her daughter: Patricia Jessop), January 15, 1971-July 15, 1971 
  23. Correspondence (Jean Jessop to her daughter: Patricia Jessop), July 19, 1971-December 11, 1971  
  24. Correspondence (Jean Jessop to her daughter: Patricia Jessop), January 4, 1972-June 1, 1972 
  25. Correspondence (Jean Jessop to her daughter: Patricia Jessop), June 5, 1972-December 1, 1972 
  26. Correspondence (Jean Sutherland to her daughter: Patricia Jessop), February 3, 1973-June 16, 1973 
  27. Correspondence (Jean Sutherland to her daughter: Patricia Jessop), July 2, 1973-September 25, 1973 
  28. Correspondence (Siblings Peter, Karen, and Kathy Jessop to Patricia Jessop), July 13, 1970-October 6, 1971 
  29. Correspondence (Siblings Peter, Karen, and Kathy Jessop to Patricia Jessop), October 8, 1971-August 28, 1973 
  30. Miscellaneous Correspondence, 1970-1973 

Box 2 

  1. Publications: Directory of Peace Corps Volunteers and Staff, Publishes Short Stories and Pamphlets, Newspaper Clippings  
  2. Reports: Field Reports that Patricia Contributed to During Peace Corps Service; State Department Report 
  3. Slides, Box 1, June 1970-December 1973 
  4. Slides, Box 2, June 1970-December 1973 
  5. Slides, Box 3, June 1970-December 1973 
  6. Slides, Boxes 4 and 5, June 1970-December 1973 
  7. Training Materials + Personal and Administrative Documents

News from Home

Every volunteer watches as the world at home continues while they are abroad. Some changes are personal, such as the birth of a nephew or the death of a loved one. Other events are huge—where the entire country laments at the news of a disaster.

Thousands of miles away, Peace Corps Volunteers received news that shook the nation, and even the world. Radios broadcast the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and his brother Senator Robert Kennedy, the destruction of the 1992 Los Angeles riots, and the deadly attacks on September 11, 2001. While distance can lend space to heal from tragedy, it also cuts PCVs off from important support systems.

These six volunteers watched American events unfold from the non-military, external broadcasting program Voice of America, newspapers, and letters from their families and friends. They reflected on national elections, assassinations, and devastating disasters—often remarking on their isolation and questioning their faith in humanity.

“I don’t see much in the future.” Assassination of John F. Kennedy- November 22, 1963

Colombian newspaper El Espectador with the headline "Oswald Acusado del Crimen."

Headline in Colombian Newspaper on November 23, 1963. Friends of Colombia Collection, Peace Corps Community Archives.

Geer Wilcox learned about the assassination of John F. Kennedy’s while living in the Dominican Republic. As a blind Peace Corps Volunteer, Wilcox relied on hearing the news from neighbors reading newspapers and the radio. He often commented on the state of American politics or the Vietnam War as he listened to the international news broadcast, the Voice of America. When the news of Kennedy’s death broke, Wilcox reported feeling apprehensive of Lyndon Johnson and the future.

Wilcox expresses his shock in a recorded letter home to his parents on November 30, 1963:

Rene Cardenas was in Colombia when the news broke. She processes the aftermath of Kennedy’s death in a poem titled “Yesterday November.”

The address for sorrow
two inches away
the president has been killed

the clouds of wet season
the earth’s longest pity
everything is split time

a piece of wood
pulled apart at the grain
in an apartment in Cucuta

han asesinado a Kennedy
bells toll for three days
sent notes of condolences

to the wall
by my bed
two inches away
from my face.

Additional reactions to President Kennedy’s death are recorded here.

“What a sick society I left.” Assassination of Senator Robert Kennedy- June 6, 1968

Even as he served in Western Samoa, Arthur Aaronson wrote home often about the 1968 Democratic candidates Senator Robert Kennedy and Eugene McCarthy. He heard about the attack on Senator Kennedy from other PCVs and the radio, which gave details about what happened in the hotel kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel. Aaronson wrote to his parents that evening:

I heard the news about Kennedy Wed. night as I was walking back from a dance with my sister. Two volunteers walked by and they told me the news. I was stunned. Then when I heard it on the radio that night I could only cry as the radio gave the details. The death of Martin Luther King didn’t hit as hard. Probably because Kennedy was on the way to being the next President. All the wealth and power of the U.S., it does not hide the fact of what a sick society I left.

The letter reads, "I heard the news about Kennedy Wed. night as I was walking back from a dance with my sister. Two volunteers walked by and they told me the news. I was stunned. Then when I heard it on the radio that night I could only cry as the radio gave the details. The death of Martin Luther King didn’t hit as hard. Probably because Kennedy was on the way to being the next President. All the wealth and power of the U.S., it does not hide the fact of what a sick society I left.”

Aaronson’s letter home on June 6, 1968. Peace Corps Community Archives.

 “I can only hope something good comes of all this.” Rodney King Riots- April 29, 1992

Woman holds newspaper up to show headline, "looting and fires ravage L.A."

Photograph submitted by Dark Sevier on January 1, 2008. Flickr Creative Commons

In March 1991, a bystander recorded a video of four L.A. police officers beating Rodney King—a black motorist—for a reported 15 minutes as other LAPD officers looked on. Despite the video evidence, the court found the four officers “not guilty” of excessive use of force on April 29, 1992. Fueled by this acquittal and years of racial and economic inequality, riots broke out around South Los Angeles, raging for 5 days.[1]

Tina Singleton watched the riots transpire as she completed her volunteer staging in Cameroon. She had lived and worked in San Francisco for 10 years before joining the Peace Corps in 1992. Singleton followed the events and devoted several diary entries to her thoughts:

30 Avril 1992

Just heard about the 4 police officers in the Rodney King Case being acquitted—I was sad and in shock. I just don’t understand how the jury came to that conclusion—it blows me away—I’m so upset. It’s hard to concentrate on anything. I’ve had a few good cries. Also heard about the rioting in L.A.—it’s awful—but I understand the reaction. This was such a blatant disregard for justice and Rodney King’s civil rights—what a disgrace—and with all the evidence—a videotape and all the tapes of the officers’ conversations—and they still got off. Rose-Marie and Soyeon and I were/are very shaken by this. The U.S. is getting worse by the minute. It makes me not want to even go back to the U.S.—I’m happy I’m here for two yrs.

1 Mai 1992

It’s gotten worse—protesters are now in San Francisco, Atlanta, Dallas—they’ve blocked the Bay Bridge again. Can’t believe all this is happening—1992 and we’re having race riots. I can only hope something good comes of all this—the rioting, the looting—I almost wish I could pick up a phone and call Jean and Peggy. This was my first taste of what it’s going to be like when a serious situation arises in the U.S.—I felt pretty cut off. I see what volunteers mean when they say the shortwave will become your best friend. We listened to is as much as possible. What I wouldn’t do for a newspaper right now. This is the weekend we stay with a Cameroonian family—should be interesting. Though I’ve been upset and crying today about this Rodney King episode. I just can’t believe this has happened—It still blows my mind.

Lundi, 3 Mai 1992

Heard on the news this morning about L.A.—2,000 people hurt, 40 dead, Bush has declared L.A. a disaster area. I guess he’s going to LA this week to see the damage—don’t have figures on the other sites—saw the news this weekend on TV at my family. L.A. looks pretty bad—fires everywhere. Saw Rodney King—he was so upset. I felt so bad for him. He kept saying “it’s not right, this isn’t right—we only want our day in court.” He was pretty devastated about all the violence as well—he spoke about the people not being able to go home to their families. He looked so devastated—I felt so bad for him. He just looked so bad—so down. Like I said before—I hope something good comes of this.

5 May 1992

Well, last nite was a real shit nite. Sebastian brought newspapers from Dovala—A USA Today and some French language papers. I was not ready for what I saw—the pictures really floored me. I knew it was bad in LA, but I didn’t know how bad. The man [Reginald Denny] being dragged from his truck and shot—then robbed. The white man who was on the ground and being kicked by 3 Black men—it’s so sick. I’ve got such a bad headache. I can’t stop thinking about all this madness. This whole thing has me wondering why I’m here and not at home doing something to help the situation there.

It’s so hard to concentrate on my French—we’re here for only 2 more weeks. I am worried about my French—it doesn’t seem so important anymore. I hope I’m not going to feel like this for a long time—I know if I do, I’d leave, and I don’t think that’s what I want. I’m just so confused now. People here seem to think things will be better after this, but I don’t think so. I’m feeling pretty pessimistic at this point—I’ve no other reason to feel otherwise. Soyeon and I had a good cry last nite. We’re both in a daze, as is Rose-Marie. Heard on the news this A.M. that 10,000 businesses were lost as well as at least that many jobs—which is something we can’t afford to lose.

Soyeon and I are calling home tomorrow—I can’t wait. I really need to talk to the folks—I might call Jean too. I’m not sure—it will be great to at least talk to Mom and Dad. It’s sounds like Mom’s feeling a little lost with me gone. It’s weird for me not to be able to pick up the phone. I was dying to talk to them last night—tomorrow will come soon enough.

— T

As a Black woman who lived in California—or rather, anywhere in the United States—Singleton was shocked and devastated by reoccurring injustices in the United States. Cut off from her friends and family and relying only on news from the radio and infrequent newspapers, she found support from two other Black volunteers—Soyeon and Rose-Marie—to process the injustice of the trial and the impact of the riots.

Despite her initial desire to return home, Singleton spent 3 years in Benin, West Africa as a Health Educator. She became an international development worker for over 20 years and launched a program called Transformation Table, devoted to promote sharing a meal and culture between communities, in November 2016 in Charleston, SC.

“We shortly came to the realization that life had changed.” September 11, 2001

Living in a remote village in Zambia, Lara Weber was listening the the Voices of America when the voice over the radio reported, “”A… plane… has… hit… the… World… Trade… Center… in… New… York… City…” With no electricity, internet, or phone within a day’s drive, Weber explained feeling detached as more and more reports rolled in. She also worried about her father, who occasionally visited the Pentagon on business.

The weeks that followed were strange in that I had no Americans to talk with at all. Some of the elder men of the village visited me one day. They wanted to understand the news better, and their questions were interesting. One man wanted to know more about the Twin Towers and Manhattan. Why did so many people need to live and work on top of one another in such vertical spaces — had we run out of land in the rest of America? I tried to answer, but what I said felt inadequate and the whole idea of New York suddenly made no sense. Why did we pile into cities like that?

Rhett Power’s experience was a little different. As a volunteer in Uzbekistan, Power remembers a sense of confusion and urgency following the events, as the Peace Corps determined when to evacuate PCVs in the countries close to Afghanistan.

Power remembers sitting on the floor of a hotel room in the capital with his wife and a group of PCVs after a series of new volunteer training sessions. They were watching CNN when it happened. Power recalls the initial reaction:

 

I remember it distinctly. My wife and I were…Well, we were in the capital. So we were actually getting ready to go to the airport. I think a group had either come the night before or the day of. We were at a hotel. We were doing a Peace Corps training for new volunteers. There was another married couple there, they were education volunteers—I think he was a health volunteer—but anyway, we were together in the hotel. We were actually loving life because we were in a bed. A really good bed and we actually had two boxes of pizza on the floor. I think we had Orange Fanta and we were beside ourselves. The luxury of it all.

I distinctly remember this—we had a tiny little TV on CNN. You know, again we were watching TV. We didn’t have anything else to watch. But we had one international channel. And, that’s when it happened. And, we were watching it and just—we were just as shocked as everybody else was. I think [we] shortly came to the realization that life had changed. Because we all knew what would happen. Very shortly thereafter—within that hour we knew that something had changed and that something would change.

After three weeks, the Peace Corps evacuated Power and the other PCVs living in the Middle East and sent them back to the United States without reassignment.

 

As people back home find support within their communities, during times of tragedy PCVs find themselves relying on other Americans, throwing themselves into their work, or talking with their host communities about the implications of the event. Often, these tragedies lead to a renewed sense of faith in the mission of the Peace Corps—as seen in the uptick of Peace Corps applications in the wake of the Kennedy assassinations and 9/11. In other cases, such as the riots in L.A., it can be a reminder of how far we haven’t come.

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Phil Fretz in Sierra Leone

Name: Philip Fretz
Country of Service: Sierra Leone
Place of Service: Kenema
Service Type: English teacher
Dates in Service: 1967-1969
Keywords: Education

Accession Date: January 8, 2020
Access: No Restrictions
Collection Size: 85 digital files

Document Types

  • Documents
  • Photographs
  • Film/Video

Digital Collection

Related Items in Other Repositories

Finding Aid

  1. Memoir, Softball, Snakes, Sausage Flies and Rice: Peace Corps Life in 1960s Sierra Leone, 2013. Transferred to general collection.
  2. Digital files including Peace Corps Sierra Leone Mende Language Manual , “Hike to the Falls” Video, digital images  

The North American: A Peace Corps Serenade

Join the Peace Corps…and become an artist’s muse? That is exactly what happened when Cathie Maclin Boyles arrived in Colombia. Boyles served as a nurse between 1974 and 1979; however, her first year must have been one of the most memorable. Boyles recounts one evening at her village’s festival:

“During my first year of service I worked in a very small town on the Mojana River in the Department of Sucre. Once a year the town celebrated its patron saint, Santa Catalina, with a town festival. The year I was there the town succeeded in obtaining Alfredo Gutierrez and his band to perform at the evening celebration.

Alfredo Gutierrez is a Colombian singer famous for his vallenato. Vallenato is a form of folk music, which originated in Colombia on the Caribbean coast and Alfredo Gutierrez is the Johnny Cash of the vallenato. He is still well known and admired today.
As his band was playing during the evening fiesta, Alfredo Gutierrez spotted me, the only Gringa (slang for American woman) in the crowd and asked to dance with me. We danced numerous times during his breaks and he told me that he was going to compose a song for me. He had way too much to drink, but later in the evening he belted out his early rendition of La Norteamericana. Much to my and everyone in the town’s surprise he polished the song and put it on his next album. For months the song played on the radio and I became quite the celebrity in the whole area!”

 English From the United States She has come to this country But Cathie has found her way Into my heart I tell her that I love her And she tells me that she loves me too I don’t understand English But I understand my heart What I never expected To happen to me Was that I would fall in love With a North American I love you, I love you my love Yes my love I love you, I love you my love Yes my love For the pearl of the Mohana! When I told her How much I loved her I told her in Castilian And she answered me in English This Gringa is a goddess A beautiful North American I met her in the Mojana And she will stay in my heart forever What I never expected To happen to me Was that I would fall in love With a North American I love you, I love you my love Yes my love I love you, I love you my love Yes my love Spanish (Original) De los estados unidos Ha llegado a esta nacion Pero Cathie se ha metido Dentro de mi Corazon Yo le digo que la quiero Y ella me dice que si El ingles yo no entiendo Pero mi Corazon si Lo que yo menos pensaba Que me pudiera pasar Que me fuera enamorar De una Norteamericana I love you, I love you my love Yes my love I love you, I love you my love Yes my love Para la perla de la Mojana! Cuando me le declare Que mucho la estaba amando Se lo dije en castellano Y me contest en ingles Esa Gringa es una diosa Linda Norteamericana La conoci en la Mojana Y en mi Corazon reposa Lo que yo menos pensaba Que me pudiera pasar Que me fuera enamorar De una Norteamericana I love you, I love you my love Yes my love I love you, I love you my love Yes my love

Boyles finished her first two years of service in Sincelejo, where she worked with the Ministry of Health to teach rural health programs, train local midwives, and supervise child vaccinations. After extending her service for two additional years, she became a nursing supervisor in a small regional hospital outside Bogota.

Boyles donated her original album by Gutierrez to the Peace Corps Community Archive in 2019.

Listen to Gutierrez serenade Boyles in “La Norteamericana”:

Cathie Maclin Boyles in Colombia

Name: Cathie Maclin Boyles
Country of Service: Colombia
Place of Service: Department of Sucre and Sincelejo
Service Project Title: Nurse
Dates in Service: 1974-1979
Keywords: Health, HIV/AIDS

Accession Date: October 6, 2019
Access: No restrictions
Collection Size: 0.01 linear feet (Friends of Colombia and Oversized PCCA)

Document Types

  • Sound
  • Document

Digital Surrogates

Finding Aid

  1. Record Album, Si Supieras by Alfredo Gutierrez 
  2. CD recording 
  3. Spanish and English Lyrics 
  4. Letter
  5. Copy of album cover

Related Items in Other Repositories

Proudly Serving: the LGBTQ+ Volunteer Experience

Even as we move into November, I would like to return to October. Many may know it as a month of horror movies, candy, and spooky decorations, but it also happens to be Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender History month.

I originally intended to highlight stories about LGBT+ volunteers serving in the Peace Corps—the only issue is that donors do not usually disclose their sexual orientation or gender identity when offering  their materials to the PCCA. However, we do have some items related to heterosexual couples and marriage during Peace Corps service. You can view the corresponding blogs here and here.

Since the PCCA is home to  personal collections for over 200 Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RCPVs), I have reason to believe that at least a few identify within the LGBT+ community. Yet, even if I were to find traces of homosexuality or transgender experiences, it feels unethical to disclose personal information without the donor’s permission.

That said,  I poked around online and found quite a few Peace Corps groups that offered guidance and support to LGBT+ volunteers, as well as blog posts written by LGBT RPCVs.

Julie Andrews as Queen Clarisse Renaldi in Princess Diaries 2 says

The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, 2004.

In this belated LGBT+ history month post, I want to formally request Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Asexual RPCVs (From 1961 to present-day) to consider donating their materials to the PCCA so that we can represent a vast array of PCV experiences.

I would also like to emphasize the incredible work of Jim Kelly and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Association, while touching on the milestones of LGBT+ Peace Corps history.

A Brief LGBT+ History of the Peace Corps

In many countries around the world, identifying openly (or “coming out of the closet”) as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender is illegal. In others—including the United States— LGBT+ continue to face discrimination, violence, and even death. Those who appear to fit into the heterosexual societal expectations of gender and sexuality incur the trauma of loneliness and shame from the lack of recognition and acceptance for who they are. LGBT+ Peace Corps Volunteers often have to choose between the call to “promote world peace and friendship” and their own mental or physical health.

When Kennedy created the Peace Corps in 1961, the organization’s stance on homosexuality corresponded with that of the United States federal government. During the 1950s and ‘60s, the United States collectively feared Communist spies. Government agencies rooted out potential security breaches, focusing largely on anyone suspected of being a homosexual.

In this cultural environment, RCPV Jim Kelly applied for the Peace Corps. Kelly recounts the application process and facing the survey question: “Are you a homosexual?”

For a young gay man in the 1960s, his only option was to commit perjury—and convince all of his friends to lie as well. While he enjoyed his service in El Salvador, Kelly mentioned feeling anxious of discovery and lonely for a community supportive of his true self.

Listen to Kelly’s 2017 interview at OUTSpoken in Chicago:

Fast forward to 1992, Kelly completed a master’s thesis called “Hidden dimensions of diversity: gays and lesbians in the Peace Corps,” where he interviewed 80 RPCVs and recommended widespread institutional changes to the Peace Corps. Kelly’s study was foundational to initiating worldwide conversations around sexual orientation and gender identity within the organization.

The National Peace Corps Association currently encourages LGBT+ applicants and same-sex couples to serve abroad. Considerably more resources and support systems are available to volunteers during their time overseas, however individual experiences vary depending on the person and social climate of the country. Presently, the Peace Corps reports 18 countries with medical clearances to support HIV+ volunteers and allows applicants to choose specific countries of service.  

Do you identify as a LGBTQ+ Peace Corps Volunteer? The PCCA is interested in preserving your materials and understanding how your identities shaped your service. We accept both digital and physical blogs, journals, correspondence, videos, photographs, training materials, and more! Reach out to us at archives@american.edu.

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