Reflections on Sargent Shriver, Peace Corps Director Extraordinaire and the 25th Anniversary of the Peace Corps September 1986

Since his death on January 18, 2011 at the age of 95, a great deal has been written and spoken about Robert Sargent Shriver, an exemplary American who had an incredible life dedicated to civil rights and international peace-building. Sargent Shriver died a little more than a month short of March 1, 2011, the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Peace Corps Act. Over the course of this year there will be numerous celebrations marking the birth, success and endurance of the Peace Corps. Along with those will be many more tributes to Robert Sargent Shriver ("Sarge") for other than President John F. Kennedy, himself, Sarge most symbolizes the Peace Corps, Shriver was not only its first Director, but also one of founding fathers and one of the chief architects who put the organization together in six months. On March 1, 2011, there were a number of local Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) 50th birthday parties celebrating the signing of the Peace Corps Act in 1961. The idea of the house parties sprang from the National Peace Corps Association, which aimed for 500 parties and reported 740 such events. For example about 25 people gathered in my town in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. There will be birthday events throughout the year with numerous large programs in Washington in September. It will be impossible to recognize the Peace Corps' 50th milestone without continuing to honor the life and deeds of Robert Sargent Shriver, who during his tenure from 1961 to 1966 put the agency on solid footing, which has stood the test of time for half a century.