Hubert Humphrey

Norman Rockwell's Peace Corps

In 1957, Senator Hubert Humphrey introduced the first Congressional bill proposing the creation of a Peace Corps, which would scatter American youth among the world's underdeveloped countries to share their expertise in the areas of health, education, agriculture and the environment. It met with only a lukewarm response. Presidential candidate John F. Kennedy proposed the idea again in 1960, in an impromptu speech before students at the University of Michigan. On this date in 1961, President Kennedy signed an executive order establishing the Peace Corps as a volunteer agency which would "promote world peace and friendship." Sargent Shriver became the first director, at a token annual salary of $1.

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From our Archives: Today's Highlights, March 1, 2009