RPCV: Oral History Interviews, Countries: M (#184)

Administrative Information
Historical Note
Collection Overview
List of Countries

Country Description

Malawi (Nyasaland)
Bell, Elizabeth, 1994-1996
	Elizabeth Bell served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Malawi from 1994-1996 after extensive personal skill development and an international upbringing. Prior to her Peace Corps service in Malawi, she attended 10 months of course work in a Masters International Program at Tulane in New Orleans. Bell additionally received a brief, one-month training in Nigeria prior to being assigned to work as an HIV/AIDS Education Coordinator in a district hospital in Ntcheu.
		2 tapes. Interviewed by Wendy McLaughlin, April 27, 2008.
Bennett, Rowland, 1962-1964
	Rowland Bennett served in the first group to Nyasaland/Malawi. He trained at Syracuse and served as an English teacher at a boys secondary school run by Protestant Afrikaaner missionaries.
		2 tapes. Interviewed by Robert Klein, October 5, 2004.
Davis, Patricia, 1963-1964
	Wife of Dr. Tom Davis. Worked on Nyasaland Education Project.
		1 tape. Interviewed by Grace Orenstein, April 23, 2005.
Davis, Thomas, 1962-1964
	Dr. Tom Davis worked as a physician in the Nyasaland Education Project. Duties included establishing medical relationships with Peace Corps Volunteers in host country, educating on hygiene and health issues, and volunteering medical services at local hospitals.
		2 tapes. Interviewed by Grace Orenstein, April 23, 2005.
Evans, Elizabeth E., 1962-1964
	Elizabeth Evans worked in Nyasaland Education Program. Trained at Syracuse University, she was assigned to a girls secondary boarding school where she taught English, Hygiene and History. Evans also acted as the school's nurse.
		1 tape. Interviewed by Virginia Richardson, April 23, 2005.
Millette, Linda, 1962-1965
	Linda Millette joined the Peace Corps after leaving Michigan State University in her senior year. She trained at Syracuse University and served in Nyasaland, later Malawi, as a secondary school teacher.
		2 tapes. Interviewed by Rowland Bennett, April 23, 2005.
Nagler, Iris, 1963-1964
	Iris Nagler trained with her husband, Stephen, at Syracuse University in October 1962. They arrived in Nyasaland in January 1963, and were assigned to a Central African Presbyterian secondary school, Henry Henderson Institute. Nagler established a science lab and taught science courses.
		1 tape. Interviewed by Linda Millette, April 23, 2005.
Nagler, Stephen M., 1962-1964
	Stephen Nagler and his wife, Iris, both worked on John F. Kennedy's Presidential Campaign. They joined the Peace Corps and were assigned to Nyasaland. Nagler taught day and evening classes.
		2 tapes. Interviewed by Patricia A. Davis, April 23, 2005.
Nelson, Gordon, 1963-1965
	Gordon Nelson served as Deputy Director in Nyasaland/Malawi under Robert Poole. The interview details Gordon's professional and social life, as well as the country's political climate.
		1 tape. Interviewed by Linda Millette, June 28, 2005.
Newman, Lawrence E., 1964-1965
	Lawrence Newman served in Malawi working in education in an urban area. The interview describes his experience as an African-American serving in the Peace Corps.
		1 tape. Interviewed by Linda Millette, June 12, 2005.
Orenstein, Grace, 1962-1964
	Grace Orenstein joined the Peace Corps from college and worked in the Nyasaland I Education Project. She taught Arts and Crafts, English, French, and Etiquette in secondary schools.
		1 tape. Interviewed by Thomas Davis, April 23, 2005.
Orenstein, Moe, 1962-1964
	Moe Orenstein worked in the Nyasaland I Education Project.
		1 tape. Interviewed by Patricia A. Davis, April 23, 2005.
Palmer, Gaylon, 1962-1964
	Gaylon Palmer served for two years at Mlanje Secondary School. In the interview she speaks about work experiences and her relationships with students.
		1 tape. Interviewed by Robert Press, April 23, 2005.
Press, Robert, 1962-1964
	Bob Press and three other volunteers traveled throughout Nyasaland, later Malawi, teaching English as a second language. After the government disbanded the group, he was assigned to Nkhoma Teacher Training College, a Dutch Reform Mission Station. Bob returned to Malawi from 1966 to 1968 as an education officer for the Peace Corps hired by Syracuse University.
		2 tapes. Interviewed by Gaylon Palmer, April 23, 2005.
Richardson, Virginia (Koehler), 1962-1964
	After earning a Masters Degree in English Literature from the University of Chicago Virginia, Virginia Koehler joined the Peace Corps where she worked in the Nyasaland I Education Project. She taught English, Mathematics and Sewing. She also managed the library.
		1 tape. Interviewed by Elizabeth Evans, April 23, 2005.
Roningen, Vernon, 1963-1965
	Vernon Roningen served as a science teacher in a secondary mission school. He witnessed the country's independence. As a result of his experience in Malawi, Roningen pursued a career in economics.
		2 tapes. Interviewed by Linda Millette, May 12, 2005.
Siegel, Robert, 1963-1964
	Bob Siegel served in the first Peace Corps project to go to an African country preparing for independence. Siegel worked in a teacher training program at an Anglican mission school. Following his service, he served as an assistant director in Kenya, a deputy director in Somalia and a director in Burkina Faso. In the interview he tells of the conditions in the country following it's independence, and his relationship with the minister of the government.
		1 tape. Interviewed by Linda Millette, April 26, 2005.
Turnbull, John A., 1964-1965
	See Ghana.
		2 tapes. Interviewed by Robert Klein, April 3, 2005.

Malaysia
Demerly, Ed, 1966-1968
	Ed Demerly heard about the Peace Corps while in college and decided to join after finishing 2½ years in the Army. He trained in Hawaii with intense language and cultural training. Demerly almost didn't get on the plane because an FBI investigation of his military service. Demerly taught at an elementary school and was in charge of a dorm of 8 to 15 boys. He was instrumental in establishing a library at the school besides setting up health and sanitization classes in the school.
		2 tapes. Interviewed by Ernest Zaremba, August 31, 2004
F erris, Robert, 1967-1968
	Bob Ferris' first tour of duty in the Peace Corps was in Tanganyka (1964-1966). He re-enlisted in 1966 and taught Peace Corps Volunteers at Syracuse University. He trained in Hawaii for his new assignment in Micronesia - Truk Island in the Water Development / Irrigation Department. While on Truk Island he assisted in resurrecting an old Japanese water system and assisted in building and delivering building materials to small islands to build schools and dispensaries. Ferris left his second assignment early due to problems with one of his directors after marrying fellow Peace Corps secretary Mary Slattery.
		2 tapes. Interviewed by Ernest Zaremba, September 14, 2004. (See also Tanzania ).

Ferris, Mary (Slattery), 1967-1968
	Mary Slattery was not interested in going to college and decided to join the Peace Corps. As a secretary, she was sent into the district office almost immediately. Besides secretarial work Slattery learned to use a short wave radio to keep in contact with Peace Corps Volunteers on various islands. Towards the end of her first year, she met another Peace Corps Volunteer, Robert Ferris, and married him. Because of her new husband's difficulty with one of the Peace Corps directors, both of them left their assignments early. In the interview, Slattery describes her housing and work environment.
		1 tape. Interviewed by Ernest Zaremba, September 14, 2004
Stone, Judy, 1963-1965
	Judy Stone served as a Peace Corps volunteer 1963-1965 in Sabah/Sarawak in a TEFL project. She trained in Hawaii and was then assigned in Sabah to a “bridge” school that emphasized development of English language skills. In her second year she requested and received a transfer to a school in a more remote area where she served alone, becoming involved in the community and skilled in the Malay language.
		2 tapes. Interviewed by Robert Klein, October 16, 2009.
Wagner, Tom, 1965-1967
	Tom Wagner joined the Peace Corps after witnessing John F. Kennedy deliver his address at the University of Michigan. Wagner trained in Hawaii. After arriving in Malaysia, Wagner found that his assignment, soil surveying in rural towns, was not the job for which he trained. He was given the task of checking the soil in the jungle for agriculture, surveying the area, and correlating his findings with all parts of the country. He describes the many aspects of living in the jungle and of meeting and sharing with hunter-gathers. He spoke of how the jungle came "alive" at night. His job required extensive paper work, which kept him in touch with his colleagues.
		1 tape. Interviewed by Ernest Zaremba.

Malta
Estornell, Paula, 1994- 1996
	Paula Estornell served as a professional engineer in waste management in a small short-lived Peace Corps program in Malta. It began as a satellite of Tunisia Peace Corps. Estornell was recruited for and performed a specific job: helping Malta establish waste management programs to enable them to join the European Union. She describes her service as high performance, un-Peace Corps-like living (she had an apartment overlooking the Mediterranean and the Maltese government provided a private car).
		1 tape. Interviewed by Robert Klein, March 29, 2003.

Marshall Islands
Cohen, Ann T., 1989 - 1991
	Ann Cohen was a Peace Corps volunteer in the Republic of the Marshall Islands in an English as a Second Language (ESL) project. Cohen had an MA in social work and had worked several years before joining the Peace Corps. She trained in-country and was assigned to a small island (population was approximately 100 people), where she taught a combined class of fifth to eighth grades. Cohen was the first Peace Corps volunteer ever assigned to this island. The interview gives a good description of life in a restricted environment and of harassment problems near the end of the second year of service.
		3 tapes. Interviewed by Robert Klein, September 9, 2006.

Micronesia
Buchs, Laura Lynn, 1997 - 1999
	Laura Buchs served in Micronesia in a school and community volunteer project. After graduating from Cornell College in Iowa, Buchs taught English as a Second Language (ESL) in Japan before joining the Peace Corps. After in-country training she was assigned to an area where female volunteers had not served for several years because of harassment issues. Buchs worked in a Catholic elementary school in a remote corner of Chuuk (Truk) where she taught all subjects in English and worked to develop a school library. The interview gives a good description of cross-cultural and isolation stress, and Buchs’ ability to cope well with both.
		2 tapes. Interviewed by Robert Klein, September 23, 2006.

Cort, Amy L., 1974 - 1976
	Trained in Micronesia for the Teacher Replacement Program, Amy Cort spent her first year living in a small village with a family, while learning the local language. In her second year, she helped to develop and carry out the establishment of a Micronesian Outward Bound program. She ran the first program, documented the first project and publicized it throughout the islands and to the local legislature to gain funding. The program is still in operation in 2003.
		2 tapes. Interviewed by Robert Klein, April 28, 2003.
Dee, Craig Nathan, 1992 - 1994
	Oral History Interview, user's guide and transcript
		Box 70
Jacquette, Susette, 1975 - 1977
	Susette Jacquette joined the Peace Corps after passing the recruitment table at her college. She arrived in Sipan and lived at a Catholic Sisters Convent for her six weeks of in-country training. Towards the end of her training, she was told to find her own place to live. A native family gave her a room in their home. She taught Physical Education at a high school and coached, refereed, and umpired many games. All classes were taught in English and the native language. A visiting Navy boat crew donated tumbling mats because her school lacked them.
		1 tape. Interviewed by Ernest Zaremba.

Murray, Stephen C., 1966 - 1968
	Stephen Murray served in the Peace Corps as a teacher in Micronesia.
		1 tape. Interviewed by Peter Black, May 21, 2005.

Moldova
Cappelloni, Corey, 1998-2000
	Prior to going to law school, Corey Cappelloni served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Republic of Moldova and took his first steps in trying to understand and ameliorate the problems that confront people in the developing world. In Causenit, a southern village of Moldova where Mr. Cappelloni lived and worked, electricity, running water, and heat were sporadically available. Despite these conditions, Mr. Cappelloni implemented a debate program in collaboration with the Soros Foundation, empowering citizens to participate in a more open and transparent civil society; wrote a USAID grant to construct an athletic facility; taught high school English; and organized a fundraising campaign, resulting in the establishment of a summer camp and English resource library for underprivileged children. To accomplish these projects and to fully integrate into the Moldovan culture, Mr. Cappelloni became advanced in the Romanian language and proficient in Russian.
		1 tape. Interviewed by Wendy McLaughlin, September 21, 2008

Mongolia
Johnson, Tally Briggs, 1999-2001
	Tally Briggs Johnson served as an English teacher and Community Service Peace Corps Volunteer in Mongolia. In her interview, she discusses the many factors that contributed to her decision to join volunteer service, including her father’s service in Colombia in the 1960s. She describes the Mongolian living experience as challenging, but notes that the people were “extremely hospitable.” As part of a training group of 49 volunteers she stayed in medical dorms in Zuun Mod. Her site assignment was in Khar Khorin in Overhangai province. There, she taught English, started English and Health Clubs, and participated in the World Wise Schools Program. In addition, she was instrumental in gaining support to open an English Resource Center (Library).
		2 tapes. Interviewed by Wendy McLaughlin, June 22, 2008.

Morocco
Carmer, Ann R., 1998 - 2000
	Ann Carmer joined the Peace Corps in 1998 after her retirement as a school reference librarian. She was assigned to a university in Morocco where she established an English language section in the reference library.
		2 tapes. Interviewed by Robert Klein, October 6, 2004.

Gorman, Frank, 1969 - 1971
	Frank Gorman joined the Peace Corps instead of the military. His in-country training consisted of intense language classes with emphasis on French and some Arabic. Gorman worked on housing as an architect. Trial and error taught him that by making houses look liked the blend in, that is they like old city buildings, there was instant acceptance. During his tour, an assassination attempt was made on the king. Everyone knew about this attempt except Gorman and his friend. They realized that they were the only ones on the street when trucks of soldiers were heading towards them with guns drawn. They were able to talk themselves out of the situation.
		2 tapes. Interviewed by Ernest Zaremba, August 19, 2004. (See also Congo.)

Hochgesang, Mindy, 1996-1998

		2 tapes. Interviewed by Robert Klein.

Peceny, Brian, 1986 - 1988
	Brian Peceny did intensive in-country training for three months. He was the first volunteer at the site and had to "invent" his own work and schedule. He went out with Moroccan field crews to the drinking water wells and assisted in fixing them. He also instituted a record keeping system for each well.
		2 tapes. Interviewed by Ernest Zaremba, August 19, 2004.

Wagner, Dan, 1968 - 1970
	Dan Wagner worked on engineering projects in the Atlas Mountains area.
		2 tapes. Interviewed by Robert Klein, April 24, 2002.

Zermuehlen, Sophie, K., 1983 - 1985
	Sophie Zermuehlen served in Morocco as an English teacher. German born, Zermuehlen had settled in the US in 1958, where she married, brought up her children, completed a degree in Language at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and taught German at the high school level. Mid-life, she joined the Peace Corps, had in-country training in Arabic and practice teaching in ESL. She was assigned to a secondary school, replacing departing Peace Corps volunteers. Zermuehlen gives a detailed description of various domestic arrangements and cross-cultural adjustments of a middle aged volunteer.
		2 tapes. Interviewed by Robert Klein, September 21, 2006.

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