JFK's Peace Corps
The Peace Corps program was an outgrowth of the Cold War. President Kennedy pointed
out that the Soviet Union "had hundreds of men and women, scientists,
physicists, teachers, engineers, doctors, and nurses . . . prepared to spend
their lives abroad in the service of world communism." The United States had no
such program, and Kennedy wanted to involve Americans more actively in the cause
of global democracy, peace, development, and freedom.
On October 14, 1960, at 2 a.m., Senator John F. Kennedy spoke to a crowd of 10,000
cheering students at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor during a
presidential campaign speech. In his improvised speech, Kennedy asked, "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?" His young audience
responded to this speech with a petition signed by 1,000 students willing to
serve abroad. Senator Kennedy's challenge to these students—to live and work in
developing countries around the world; to dedicate themselves to the cause of
peace and development—inspired the beginning of the Peace Corps.
Just two weeks later, in his November 2, 1960, speech at the Cow Palace in San
Francisco, Kennedy proposed "a peace corps of talented men and women" who would
dedicate themselves to the progress and peace of developing countries.
Encouraged by more than 25,000 letters responding to his call, Kennedy took
immediate action as president to make the campaign promise a reality.
In order for the Peace Corps to get involved in a country's affairs, it had to be
invited in. Based on its limited budget, the Peace Corps decides which countries it can be
active in and prioritizes each country's needs. Also, the country had to provide safe
conditions for the Peace Corps volunteers.
out that the Soviet Union "had hundreds of men and women, scientists,
physicists, teachers, engineers, doctors, and nurses . . . prepared to spend
their lives abroad in the service of world communism." The United States had no
such program, and Kennedy wanted to involve Americans more actively in the cause
of global democracy, peace, development, and freedom.
On October 14, 1960, at 2 a.m., Senator John F. Kennedy spoke to a crowd of 10,000
cheering students at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor during a
presidential campaign speech. In his improvised speech, Kennedy asked, "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?" His young audience
responded to this speech with a petition signed by 1,000 students willing to
serve abroad. Senator Kennedy's challenge to these students—to live and work in
developing countries around the world; to dedicate themselves to the cause of
peace and development—inspired the beginning of the Peace Corps.
Just two weeks later, in his November 2, 1960, speech at the Cow Palace in San
Francisco, Kennedy proposed "a peace corps of talented men and women" who would
dedicate themselves to the progress and peace of developing countries.
Encouraged by more than 25,000 letters responding to his call, Kennedy took
immediate action as president to make the campaign promise a reality.
In order for the Peace Corps to get involved in a country's affairs, it had to be
invited in. Based on its limited budget, the Peace Corps decides which countries it can be
active in and prioritizes each country's needs. Also, the country had to provide safe
conditions for the Peace Corps volunteers.