The Peace Corp Volunteer Program in Micronesia stood out for its uniqueness in every sense of the word: singular, unusual, extraordinary.
It operates within a host country that is administered by the United States, and there is a notably high ratio of volunteers to the local population.
As early as 1961, a recommendation was made that the Peace Corps would be a valuable asset to the people of Micronesia, providing a continuing resource of dedicated, young manpower for program, in education and elsewhere, which had not been adequately supported because of manpower and budget limitations.
Despite facing constraints, the implementation of the Peace Corps in Micronesia faced challenges in its early stages. However, the interest and enthusiasm from both parties remained strong, underscoring a mutual commitment to collaboration.
The Peace Corps was established by President John F. Kennedy in 1961 with the mission of aiding countries in meeting their needs for trained workers and fostering understanding between Americans and the people they serve. President Lyndon B. Johnson, Kennedy’s successor, continued to support and expand the program.
The involvement of the Peace Corps in Micronesia was part of the broader expansion of the agency during Johnson’s presidency, demonstrating a commitment to international cooperation and development.
1961
February 5, 1961, Sargent Shriver outlines steps to forming the Peace Corps in a memo to JFK. Central are ideas put forth in “The Towering Task,” a memo by William Josephson and Warren Wiggins.
March 1, 1961, Executive Order 10924 establishes the Peace Corps. Sargent Shriver is appointed its first director on March 4.
June 25, 1961, First Peace Corps Volunteers begin training for Colombia, Tanganyika (now Tanzania), and Ghana.
September 22, 1961, Peace Corps Act signed into law by President Kennedy, creating the Peace Corps as an independent agency with a mission to “promote world peace and friendship.”
1962
April 22, 1962, in Colombia, a plane crash in the jungle kills more than 30 people — including Larry Radley and David Crozier, the first Peace Corps Volunteers to die during service.
June 30, 1962, there are 2,816 Peace Corps Volunteers in the field.
1966
March 1, 1966, Sargent Shriver steps down as Peace Corps director. President Lyndon B. Johnson appoints Jack Vaughn director.
May 1966, Micronesian leaders from all six district requested Peace Corps Volunteers. The Department of the Interior and the Peace Corps responded immediately. President Johnson, in a letter to Jack Hood Vaughn, Peace Corps Director, called for “the greatest possible involvement on the part of the Peace Corps” in Micronesia. The unique program was launched.
June 1966, 15,000+ Peace Corps Volunteers are serving — the highest number yet. That record still holds.
September 1966, Lillian Carter, mother of future president Jimmy Carter, departs for Peace Corps service at the age of 68 as a public health Volunteer in India.
On October 31, 1966, the first group of Volunteers arrived and by mid-November 323 in Micronesia.
1967
“Volunteers to America” Peace Corps initiative brings people from other countries — including Argentina, Ghana, Nepal, the Philippines, Iran, and Israel — to serve in impoverished areas in the United States. The program lasts until 1971, when it is defunded by Congress.
February 1967, a second group of Peace Corps Volunteers arrived Micronesia. It brought to 455 the approximate number of Volunteers in service.
With this number, it’s now ratio is now “one volunteer to every 195 Micronesians”, according to the Peace Corps Volunteer Training Manual, June 26-September 2, 1967.
These Volunteers were trained in four groups, one at Key West, another in Miami, both in Florida; and two groups in Molokai in Hawaii. They are known as Micronesia I through Micronesia IV in order of the arrival. The Peace Corps Program in Micronesia was called the Micronesia V.
The major emphasis is in education, that is Teaching English as a Second Language, and public health. Volunteers, however, are serving in many other parts of Micronesian life.
1968
Arrival of Peace Corps Volunteers in the Northern Mariana Islands.
The arrival of Peace Corps Volunteers significantly influenced both attitudes towards local languages and the implementation of bilingual education policies in the Northern Mariana Islands. Their contributions revitalized the bilingual program, initially introduced post-war during the United Nations-administered Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.
The first bilingual class was piloted in Rota and taught by a Peace Corps Volunteer, Kit Porter Van Meter.
Sources:
Training Program for Peace Corps Volunteers to Serve in Micronesia, TTPI, June 26-September 2, 1967, Truk District
https://www.kpvcollection.com/higher-education-and-northern-marianas-college.html
