Administrative Information
Historical Note
Collection Overview
List of Countries
|
|
|
Beverwyk, Jim, 1968-1970
|
|
Trained at the Teacher's College, Columbia University, with four weeks intensive language courses, three weeks home-stay in Brooklyn and practice teaching in a Catholic school, Jim Beverwyk and his wife Mary Parsaca, worked in a secondary education project in Kenya. Beverwyk states they functioned well, they were remote from the Peace Corps, even with the birth of their child. He taught and was totally involved with the life of school, resisting the influences of a U.S. Protestant mission that started the school but was now coming under government control. |
|
|
2 tapes. Interviewed by Robert Klein, April 29, 2003. |
|
Breyfogle, Russell P., Jr., 1964-1966
|
|
Russell Breyfogle, an experienced teacher and Army veteran joined the Peace Corps in 1963 and trained at Teachers College / Columbia for a secondary education project in Kenya. As part of the first Peace Corps group in Kenya he taught at an established Anglican secondary school north of Kisumu. |
|
|
2 tapes. Interviewed by Robert Klein, June 22, 2005. |
|
Bruyneel, Thomas, 1964-1966
|
|
Thomas "Tom" Bruyneel served in the first project to Kenya one year after Kenyan independence. He worked as an agricultural settlement officer, communicating in Swahili, doing general extension work for Kenyans being re-settled on land formerly owned by British colonials. |
|
|
2 tapes. Interviewed by Robert Klein, November 18, 2001. |
|
Cheslak, Theodore, 1975-1977
|
|
Ted Cheslak joined the Peace Corps after his congressman suggested that he acquire foreign experience. His in country training of eight weeks focused on culture sensitivity and language. While in training he was accused of being a CIA agent there to steal secrets. Cheslak's assignment consisted of teaching English, African History, and Literacy classes to high school boys. He contacted some women from the Ford Foundation and was instrumental in raising money for the school. He wrote to his friends in the States and asked for books and supplies to be donated to his school. |
|
|
1 tape. Interviewed by Ernest Zaremba, August 26, 2004. |
|
Ford, Michael, 1964-1966
|
|
Michael Ford was a Peace Corps Volunteer from 1964-1966 in the first group assigned to Kenya. The project was rural community action in which the volunteers served as assistant Land Settlement Officers throughout Kenya on the newly created Land Settlement Project. By his second year Michael was assigned to serve as Senior Settlement Officer on Ol Kolai settlement scheme. |
|
|
3 tapes. Interviewed by Robert Klein, November 6, 2008 |
|
Johnson, Roland, 1964-1966
|
|
Roland Johnson served in the first Peace Corps project to Kenya. Using Swahili, he worked in the Eldoret District on land settlement (Kenya was being resettled on farm estates previously owned by white landowners) purchased by the government for redistribution. |
|
|
2 tapes. Interviewed by Robert Klein, April 26, 2002. |
|
Mester, David, 1965-1967
|
|
David Mester worked as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Kenya from 1965 to 1967, as an agricultural advisor. He asked not to go to Africa, but was assigned there anyway. He trained at the University of Wisconsin in language and agricultural subjects. David was the first volunteer to enter the field with no housing or transportation available upon arrival. Once established in a community, he worked with the farmers to implement better animal husbandry. |
|
|
2 tapes. Interviewed by Ernest Zaremba, August 18, 2004 |
|
Oliversan, Cathy, 1978-1980
|
|
Cathy Oliversan served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Kenya working as a music teacher at a girls school. In the interview, she speaks about leaving California and her transition amongst the Kenyans. |
|
|
1 tape. Interviewed by Jennifer Ruskin, June 2, 2007 |
|
Parsaca, Mary, 1968-1970
|
|
Mary Parsaca joined with her husband, Jim Beverwyk. In spite of a medical technologist background, Mary Parsaca chose to become a secondary education teacher in a remote assignment: an Harambee school, just coming under government support. In her second year, she found she was pregnant and chose to stay on her tour. She had the baby at a mission hospital 100 miles away from assigned post. She refused the Peace Corps suggestion to return to the United States for the birth. |
|
|
2 tapes. Interviewed by Robert Klein, April 29, 2003. |
|
|
|
|
Neal, Linda, 1967-1968
|
|
Linda Neal was in the second group to serve in the Republic of Korea in 1967-1968. She taught English to young girls in Kyung Fu. She team taught with a Korean teacher. The Korean teacher taught grammar and Linda taught oral English. In her interview, Linda describes Korean culture and the ways she dealt with it during her time abroad as a Peace Corps Volunteer. |
|
|
1 tape. Interviewed by Nova Maack, January 31, 2008 |
|
O'Dell, Dian, 1966-1968
|
|
Following her family tradition, Dian O'Dell decided to join the Peace Corps while in high school. She was among the first group assigned to South Korea where she taught science classes consisting of eighty female secondary students. |
|
|
1 tape. Interviewed by Sue Murray, April 30, 2004. |
|
Ramos, Therona, 1967-1970
|
|
|
2 tapes. Interviewed by Robert Klein. |
|
Taylor, Margaret (Peggy), 1968-1970
|
|
Peggy Taylor and her boyfriend were influenced by John F. Kennedy and wanted to join the Peace Corps. However, in order to stay together they had to marry. They did marry and were assigned to Korea as a couple. Eighty people, who were all newly wed and all against the Vietnam War, trained in Hawaii. Taylor taught English as a second language at a prestigious college. |
|
|
2 tapes. Interviewed by Ernerst Zaremba, September 3, 2004 |
|