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The Peace Corps is an independent agency and program of the United States government that trains and deploys volunteers to provide international development assistance. It was established in March 1961 by an executive order (10924) of President John F. Kennedy and authorized by Congress the following September by the Peace Corps Act.
On March 1, 1961, Kennedy signed Executive Order 10924 that officially started the Peace Corps. He appointed his brother-in-law, Sargent Shriver, to serve the agency's first director. Due in large part to Shriver's effective lobbying efforts, Congress approved the permanent establishment of the Peace Corps program on September 22, 1961.
Kennedy greets Peace Corps volunteers on August 28, 1961. In one of his first presidential acts, Kennedy signed Executive Order 10924 that officially started the Peace Corps. He named his brother-in-law, Sargent Shriver, as its first director. [179]
The Peace Corps, a creation of the John F. Kennedy administration, currently has Pacific island programs in Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu. Associated Press writer Didi Tang contributed to this ...
When John F. Kennedy ran for president, Shriver worked as a political and organization coordinator in the Wisconsin and West Virginia primaries. During Kennedy's presidential term, Shriver founded and served as the first director of the Peace Corps from March 22, 1961, to February 28, 1966. [3] [27]
The principles behind Peace Corps remain true: Citizen volunteers work with counterparts on educational, health and community development programs.
This speech describes John F. Kennedy's original intentions at the time of the announcement of the March 1, 1961 signing of Executive Order 10924 which marked the establishment of the Peace Corps. The transcript is available at the source. This file adds significantly to the following articles: Executive order (United States)
The Corps developed its own training program, based on nine weeks at an American university, with a focus on conversational language, world affairs, and desired job skills. [203] That was followed by three weeks at a Peace Corps camp in Puerto Rico, and week or two of orientation the home and the host country. [204] [205]