What was the purpose of the Peace Corps?

The purpose of the Peace Corps was to provide American volunteers who would offer aid and technical assistance to developing countries while promoting cross-cultural understanding between the United States and the rest of the world. President John F. Kennedy proposed the idea in an impromptu late-night speech at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor on October 14, 1960, asking students if they would be willing to spend two years of their lives serving in Africa, Asia, or Latin America. The response was overwhelming, and after winning the November election Kennedy followed through on the idea.

He established the Peace Corps by Executive Order 10924 on March 1, 1961, and Congress made it permanent through the Peace Corps Act on September 22, 1961. Kennedy named his brother-in-law R. Sargent Shriver as the first director. The Peace Corps had three official goals: to help developing countries meet their needs for trained workers, to promote a better understanding of Americans abroad, and to promote a better understanding of other peoples in the United States.

The first group of 51 volunteers arrived in Ghana on August 30, 1961. The agency grew rapidly. Within five years, more than 15,000 Americans were serving in 55 countries. Over its history, more than 240,000 Americans have served in 142 countries.

Volunteers are typically college graduates, though some are retirees, who commit to a 27-month assignment that includes three months of training in language, culture, and technical skills. They receive a modest living stipend, health insurance, and a readjustment allowance at the end of service. Volunteers have worked as teachers, agricultural advisers, nurses, sanitation engineers, business consultants, and information technology specialists. They have helped build schools, dig wells, train farmers, and combat malaria, HIV, and Ebola.

Notable Peace Corps alumni include former Senator Christopher Dodd of Connecticut, who served in the Dominican Republic, and writer Paul Theroux, who served in Malawi. The Peace Corps remains a small agency, with roughly 7,000 volunteers serving at any given time and an annual budget of about 410 million dollars, but it has been one of the most enduring expressions of American idealism and a symbol of the country's commitment to international service. The agency reports to the President and Congress through its director and is independent of the State Department.