Recognizing 65 Years of the Peace Corps
Richard Rodrick
October 23, 2025
Some people know that Peace Corps is still sending volunteers overseas to countries that requests them, some people are surprised it stills exist and others ask, "What's the Peace Corps?"
As our nation is preparing to celebrate, the 250 years since its founding, nearly a quarter-million individuals who have served in the Peace Corps are commemorating a key milestone, a milestone that was launched 65 years ago on October 14th. Since then, 1,669 Vermonters and 1,878 New Hampshire Granite Staters have answered the call to serve.
In the early hours of October 14, 1960, then candidate John F. Kennedy was seriously behind schedule, following a televised presidential debate earlier that evening. At approximately 2 AM, he arrived at the University of Michigan where he had been scheduled to speak hours earlier. JFK and his team decided to stop by the steps of the Michigan Student Union. To their surprise, 10,000 students and other supporters were there to greet him. At this point, Kennedy delivered some brief, impromptu remarks which included the following:
"How many of you who are going to be doctors, are willing to spend your days in Ghana? Technicians or engineers, how many of you are willing to work in the Foreign Service and spend your lives traveling around the world? On your willingness to do that, not merely to serve one year or two years in the service, but on your willingness to contribute part of your life to this country, I think will depend the answer (sic) whether a free society can compete think it can! And I think Americans are willing to contribute. But the effort must be far greater than we have ever made in the past."
Less than five months later, President John F. Kennedy signed an Executive Order which established the Peace Corps. Four months after that, the very first Peace Corps Volunteers were training for assignments in Ghana, Tanganyika (now Tanzania) and Colombia.
What does the Peace Corps do? As an independent U.S. government agency, it sends volunteers to other countries for two years to promote world peace and friendship through service. The three main goals are the same today as they were 6o plus years ago: to provide trained Americans to assist people in other countries, to promote a better understanding of Americans by the people served, and to promote a better understanding of other peoples by Americans. J
As a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, who served my country as a Vo-Ag teacher in
Jamaica from 1974-1977 I believe Peace Corps is needed more than ever during these trying times of serious global challenges and growing civic friction. Friendships with several of my students, and their families have continued for the 48 years since I completed my service.
Today, approximately 3,000 Americans including 20 from Vermont and 28 from New Hampshire are currently serving in the Peace Corps, in approximately 60 countries which is less than half the number of serving volunteers before the COVID-19 pandemic. Volunteers have remained in country in the spirit ofïodwillnd²iendship during the current government shutdown.
Right now, country demand for volunteers outnumber the supply of applicants. While federal spending in the new fiscal year is filled with partisan differences, the Trump administration and both chambers of Congress are so far demonstrating bipartisan support to keep funding Peace Corps at or near current funding levels.
For those who had thought in the past about joining the Peace Corps, and there is no upper age limit or who believed Peace Corps no longer existed, this is an opportune time to serve our nation. Visit%acecorps.gov to learn more about service with the Peace Corps.
Many returning volunteers, like me, utilize the skills they learned during service and apply them to their communities here at home.
Richard M Roderick
Wells River, Vermont
As our nation is preparing to celebrate, the 250 years since its founding, nearly a quarter-million individuals who have served in the Peace Corps are commemorating a key milestone, a milestone that was launched 65 years ago on October 14th. Since then, 1,669 Vermonters and 1,878 New Hampshire Granite Staters have answered the call to serve.
In the early hours of October 14, 1960, then candidate John F. Kennedy was seriously behind schedule, following a televised presidential debate earlier that evening. At approximately 2 AM, he arrived at the University of Michigan where he had been scheduled to speak hours earlier. JFK and his team decided to stop by the steps of the Michigan Student Union. To their surprise, 10,000 students and other supporters were there to greet him. At this point, Kennedy delivered some brief, impromptu remarks which included the following:
"How many of you who are going to be doctors, are willing to spend your days in Ghana? Technicians or engineers, how many of you are willing to work in the Foreign Service and spend your lives traveling around the world? On your willingness to do that, not merely to serve one year or two years in the service, but on your willingness to contribute part of your life to this country, I think will depend the answer (sic) whether a free society can compete think it can! And I think Americans are willing to contribute. But the effort must be far greater than we have ever made in the past."
Less than five months later, President John F. Kennedy signed an Executive Order which established the Peace Corps. Four months after that, the very first Peace Corps Volunteers were training for assignments in Ghana, Tanganyika (now Tanzania) and Colombia.
What does the Peace Corps do? As an independent U.S. government agency, it sends volunteers to other countries for two years to promote world peace and friendship through service. The three main goals are the same today as they were 6o plus years ago: to provide trained Americans to assist people in other countries, to promote a better understanding of Americans by the people served, and to promote a better understanding of other peoples by Americans. J
As a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, who served my country as a Vo-Ag teacher in
Jamaica from 1974-1977 I believe Peace Corps is needed more than ever during these trying times of serious global challenges and growing civic friction. Friendships with several of my students, and their families have continued for the 48 years since I completed my service.
Today, approximately 3,000 Americans including 20 from Vermont and 28 from New Hampshire are currently serving in the Peace Corps, in approximately 60 countries which is less than half the number of serving volunteers before the COVID-19 pandemic. Volunteers have remained in country in the spirit ofïodwillnd²iendship during the current government shutdown.
Right now, country demand for volunteers outnumber the supply of applicants. While federal spending in the new fiscal year is filled with partisan differences, the Trump administration and both chambers of Congress are so far demonstrating bipartisan support to keep funding Peace Corps at or near current funding levels.
For those who had thought in the past about joining the Peace Corps, and there is no upper age limit or who believed Peace Corps no longer existed, this is an opportune time to serve our nation. Visit%acecorps.gov to learn more about service with the Peace Corps.
Many returning volunteers, like me, utilize the skills they learned during service and apply them to their communities here at home.
Richard M Roderick
Wells River, Vermont
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