Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2017-015
Richard Elwell served as a Peace Corps evaluator in Washington, D.C., from 1962 to 1964, and then as country director in Niger from 1964 to 1966. He recounts that in the early days of the agency, it operated more on enthusiasm than expertise. Elwell reflects on the three goals of the Peace Corps, and states that he believes the United States and the volunteers ultimately got more out of the experience than the countries in which they served. He discusses the impact of Peace Corps teachers on the politics of their host countries. Finally, Elwell talks about how fortunate it was to have doctors and nurses serve as volunteers in Niger. Interviewed and recorded by Evelyn Ganzglass, 2 January 2017. 1 digital audio file.