JFK SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER CREATING PEACE CORPS
Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) On March 1, 1961, President John F. Kennedy signed Executive Order #10924 creating the Peace Corps*. The president described the corps as both a means of giving young Americans an opportunity to answer his call to service and to counter anti-American viewpoints around the world.
Congress passed the Peace Corps Act in September 1961 "...to help the people of such countries in meeting their needs for trained volunteers."
In an editorial on the merits of the Peace Corps, The Nation said...
"There should not be a single day of unnecessary delay. The way in which this project is managed and whether the enthusiasm is sustained or dies away...will be a test of America's qualifications for international cooperation in the sixties. Here there is no profit and no opportunity for mass slaughter. It is a novel kind of challenge."
*The Peace Corps of the United States provides technical assistance to people outside the U.S. & provides an exchange of cultural differences. PC volunteers usually have college degrees & after 3 months of training work for 2 years.
JFK introduced the concept on Oct 14 1960 during his presidential campaign at the University of Michigan. Between 1961 & 2015, 220,000 peace corps volunteers have served in 141 countries.
"March 1, 1961: JFK Creates the Peace Corps," by Richard Kreitner and The Almanac, March 1, 2015, www.thenation.com/
JFK with Peace Corps Volunteers
Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) On March 1, 1961, President John F. Kennedy signed Executive Order #10924 creating the Peace Corps*. The president described the corps as both a means of giving young Americans an opportunity to answer his call to service and to counter anti-American viewpoints around the world.
Congress passed the Peace Corps Act in September 1961 "...to help the people of such countries in meeting their needs for trained volunteers."
In an editorial on the merits of the Peace Corps, The Nation said...
"There should not be a single day of unnecessary delay. The way in which this project is managed and whether the enthusiasm is sustained or dies away...will be a test of America's qualifications for international cooperation in the sixties. Here there is no profit and no opportunity for mass slaughter. It is a novel kind of challenge."
*The Peace Corps of the United States provides technical assistance to people outside the U.S. & provides an exchange of cultural differences. PC volunteers usually have college degrees & after 3 months of training work for 2 years.
JFK introduced the concept on Oct 14 1960 during his presidential campaign at the University of Michigan. Between 1961 & 2015, 220,000 peace corps volunteers have served in 141 countries.
SOURCE
"March 1, 1961: JFK Creates the Peace Corps," by Richard Kreitner and The Almanac, March 1, 2015, www.thenation.com/
JFK with Peace Corps Volunteers
August 28, 1961
Photo by Abbie Rowe
National Archives Image
