Statement from Peace Corps Director Aaron S. Williams on the Death of Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens who served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco from 1983 to 1985 teaching English:
 
“The entire Peace Corps community is deeply saddened by the death of U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens.  Ambassador Stevens served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco from 1983 to 1985 teaching English.

 Like so many returned Peace Corps volunteers, he chose to continue his career in the international community by becoming a public servant. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and colleagues in the U.S. and in Libya.”

From: John Turnbull <jat123@...>
Subject: PC Director Jack Vaughn, terminally ill
To: RPCV-L@...
Date: Friday, October 26, 2012, 7:46 PM

Jack Vaughn, the second Director of the Peace Corps,  has been taken ill at age 92 with terminal metastatic cancer, and has only days or weeks left. Jack is now in Hospice care at their home in Tucson, Arizona.  He headed the Peace Corps following Sargent Shriver's appointment to head the domestic Poverty Program under the LBJ Administration,

 

His service with the Peace Corps was a highlight of a distinguished foreign service career.  For that reason, I hope that many of us RPCVs can send an e-mail, via his wife, Leftie, acknowledging and thanking him for all that he did during those early years. Back then, the Peace Corps was not to be taken for granted, and excelled because of people like Jack Vaughn, and Sargent Shriver before him.

 

I would urge everyone to send a message to this old friend, even if the message is no more than "Thanks, Jack". Jack remains alert and in good spirits.  Messages will be all the more important this moment. But don't delay !   

 

You can e-mail Mrs Vaughn at leftiev@... 

 

Jack Vaughn began his career as the USAID Mission Director for Senagal and West Africa, 1959-1961. Like Sargent Shriver, Pres John Kennedy, and Warren Wiggins, Vaughn was a veteran of WW II,  He had served in the USMC, during WW II, incl combat at Ewinetok, Guam, and Okinawa, and left the service as Cpt, a company-grade officer, in intelligence. He was a contemporary of  author William Lederer,Comdr,  USN-Ret.  He would subsequently earn a Master's Degree in Economics.   When Jack Vaughn talked about the Peace Corps, as a path away from war-solutions, he knew what he was talking about.

 

With the advent of the Kennedy Administration, Jack was tapped to be the Peace Corps Regional Director for Latin America, 1961-1964, owing to his familiarlity with the region, and fluency in Spanish.  He recruited our own Jasin Edwards during that time.  And Our Dick Griscom, a Shriver appointee, served under him in Latin America.

 

Jack afterward would serve the LBJ Administration as Coordinator for  "La Alianza para el Progresso", in the State Dept.  1965.

 

In 1966, when Sargent Shriver left to take over the domestic "poverty program", Jack was appointed Director of the Peace Corps, and served in that role to 1969. This is where so many of us knew him.

Upon leaving the Peace Corps,  Jack was appointed Ambassador to Colombia, and served in that role until 1970.

 

Following that appointment, Jack was back stateside, and was the VP for the Development and Resources Corporation, an NGO,  1977-1979.   He was called back to USAID as Asst Administrator for Latin America, until 1980.

 

Upon completion of his work with USAID, where his career had begun three decades earlier, Jack worked with Leveo's NGO, as VP and consultant, until 1986.  As recently as last year Jack Vaughn was planning to join us here in Santa Fe. But already cancer was catching up with him.

 

I hope that many of us RPCVs will take the time to send an e-mail to Jack (see above).   Nothing profound  Just, "Thanks Jack.  Glad you were there when the future of the Peace Corps was not to be taken for granted".   

 

Best regards,   John Turnbull    Lower Canoncito 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Date: Friday, November 2, 2012, 9:16 AM

If anyone is interested in attending…

 

erica

From: Morales, Patricia [mailto:patricia.morales@...]
Sent: Thursday, November 01, 2012 1:45 PM
To: VRS Info, Dallas
Subject: Latino Cultural Center

 

Hello!

 

I am writing today to invite you and your fellow Peace Corps members, past and present, to attend the Peruvian Film Festival here at the Latino Cultural Center! In collaboration with the Consulate General of Peru, the LCC will present a series of contemporary films from Peru. This series will feature award-winning films from the Andean nation in South America.

 

The schedule is as follows:

 

11/6/12             7:30 p.m.

El destino no tiene favoritos

 

11/7/13             7:30 p.m.

El bien esquivo

 

11/13/12            7:30 p.m.

Una sombra al frente

 

11/14/12            7:30 p.m.

Tinta roja

 

This event is free and open to the public! We would love to see you here and I would love to chat with someone to see how we can get some of your awesome members to tour our facility and exhibitions!

 

Hope to hear from you soon!

 

Thanks!

 

Patricia Morales

Cultural Programs Coordinator

Latino Cultural Center

Office of Cultural Affairs, City of Dallas

214.670.7952

patricia.morales@...

 

"As the soil, however rich it may be, cannot be productive without cultivation, so the mind without culture can never produce good fruit." - Seneca

 

From: John Turnbull <jat123@...>
Subject: A comment from the late Jack Vaughn
To: RPCV-L@...
Date: Monday, November 12, 2012, 7:09 PM

Hi Everybody,    As most people know, candidate John F Kennedy's seminal 1960 speech, and challenge to young Americans to embrace the idea of the Peace Corps, was an impromptu unrehearsed speech on the steps of the student union, at the University of Michigan.  Second PC Director Vaughn, a graduate of Univ of Michigan,  made these following comments on these same steps, during the 50th PC Anniversary observance. 

 

We have a scheme for a  memorial to the Peace Corps grinding ahead, to be located off the Washington Mall, but I wonder if these steps in Ann Arbor, Michigan might instead be the logical location.

 

I'm reminded of another earlier national memorial, placed not in Washington, but at a simple bridge near Concord, Massachusetts in 1836, and captured by Ralph Waldo Emerson in his "Concord Hymn", written for the dedication:  "Here the embattled farmers stood, and fired the shot heard 'round the world." 

 

Thinking of America the Empire, vs America the Nation, it's something to think about.

 

Best regards,    John Turnbull    Lower Canoncito

 

 

The following are the remarks of former Peace Corps Director Jack Vaughn during October 14, 2010 50th anniversary celebrations at the University of Michigan:

Ann Arbor is my home. The University of Michigan is my alma mater. It was here that uncounted relatives and I were educated, including three of my sisters, my wife and my daughter. It was here that I taught romance languages and coached boxing. It was here, the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor, that my Brothers from the Phi Gam House and I marched down to the Marine Corps recruiting station to enlist in World War II. Ann Arbor is my home. I love Ann Arbor.

The Peace Corps is also my home. I couldn’t resign from the Foreign Service fast enough to join Kennedy’s call, so eloquently expressed on these steps. Working with Sargent Shriver, I was responsible for introducing the Peace Corps to Latin America, which remains an exciting and vibrant Peace Corps success story to this day. Succeeding Shriver as Director was the toughest and most rewarding job I ever had. I was completely at home in the Peace Corps. It has been a huge part of my life for almost 50 years. I love the Peace Corps and its Volunteers.

Student activists, particularly at Michigan and other mid-western universities, jumped on the Kennedy campaign bandwagon early and forcefully. I suspect it was those early campus volunteers who opened JFK’s eyes to the power and possibility of post-election volunteerism.

Peace Corps Volunteers epitomize service, dedicating at least two years to their lives to living among, and helping, the poorest of the poor in all four corners of the world. They do messy, backbreaking work under the most difficult circumstances imaginable. They overcome loneliness, hardship and unimaginable obstacles. They are the authors of uncounted success stories. When they return to the United States they reorient themselves and their careers to make important contributions in all walks of American life, from national political office to public health, to social work, to environment preservation, to teaching in the inner city, to name a few. Their commitment to service is boundless. They are the best of Americans.

This is the previously overlooked talent Kennedy tapped into when he spoke on the steps here 50 years ago.

The last time I was with President Kennedy, we were standing on a balcony overlooking the massive main square in Bogota, Colombia. It was early pandemonium. The roaring and applauding of over a million people was deafening.

Can you understand what is happening here, Senor Presidente, just what has caused this unique demonstration in front of us?” asked host President Alberto Lleras Camargo. “My people believe that you are on their side.”

That was, and still is, the beauty of the Peace Corps and why we are here today to recall JFK’s message of service and love that October night