Peace Corps
8 Little-Known Facts About the Peace Corps
1. The idea for the Peace Corps predated John F. Kennedy. While President John F. Kennedy took the lead in establishing the Peace Corps, he wasn’t the first politician to propose an international service organization. One of the idea’s earliest champions was Wisconsin ...read more
President Kennedy establishes the Peace Corps
On March 1, 1961, President John F. Kennedy issues Executive Order #10924, establishing the Peace Corps as a new agency within the Department of State. The same day, he sent a message to Congress asking for permanent funding for the agency, which would send trained American men ...read more