2007.05.19: May 19, 2007: Headlines: Directors - Shriver: Figures: Directors: Diplomacy: North County Times: John Van Doorn writes: Sargent Shriver was full of energy and fire, and was a close and important adviser to President Kennedy
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2007.05.19: May 19, 2007: Headlines: Directors - Shriver: Figures: Directors: Diplomacy: North County Times: John Van Doorn writes: Sargent Shriver was full of energy and fire, and was a close and important adviser to President Kennedy
John Van Doorn writes: Sargent Shriver was full of energy and fire, and was a close and important adviser to President Kennedy
Johnson named Sargent Shriver ambassador to France in 1968, and his service there -- observed for a time by your observer -- was something to behold. Among other things, he spoke idiomatic French; it is worth mentioning because U.S. ambassadors, or those who are political appointees, too often do not speak the language of nations to which they are posted. It can be embarrassing. Sargent Shriver traveled the country and bounced in and out of French towns, cities, farms and vineyards like a grinning conqueror without malice. He became a celebrity in France. Time magazine said he brought "a rare and welcome panache" to diplomacy. Sargent Shriver was the Founding director of the Peace Corps.
John Van Doorn writes: Sargent Shriver was full of energy and fire, and was a close and important adviser to President Kennedy
Last week, when Maria came to town
By: JOHN VAN DOORN - Staff Columnist
[Excerpt]
But her father, Sargent Shriver, was a charmer, too, of the first magnitude. He was full of energy and fire, and was a close and important adviser to President Kennedy, who, upon election, gave Shriver vital assignments.
Sargent Shriver created (or inspired or directed) such programs as Head Start, VISTA, the Job Corps, Community Action, Upward Bound, the Special Olympics and the Peace Corps. Peace Corps volunteers of those first years in the 1960s revere him still. He knew most of them by name.
He also ran the War on Poverty, a benchmark program during the presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson. He was a gifted man with social graces and a social conscience.
Johnson named Sargent Shriver ambassador to France in 1968, and his service there -- observed for a time by your observer -- was something to behold. Among other things, he spoke idiomatic French; it is worth mentioning because U.S. ambassadors, or those who are political appointees, too often do not speak the language of nations to which they are posted. It can be embarrassing.
Sargent Shriver traveled the country and bounced in and out of French towns, cities, farms and vineyards like a grinning conqueror without malice. He became a celebrity in France. Time magazine said he brought "a rare and welcome panache" to diplomacy.
No surprise that the French loved him, and by extension loved the United States.
It is no surprise either that a daughter of Sargent Shriver would be doing just about the same work in much the same manner, differing in degree and separated by time and place, but marching to similar music, instinctively reaching out to do what some families sense they must: help. Very classy, this Maria Shriver.
-- Contact columnist John Van Doorn at (760) 739-6647 or jvandoorn@nctimes.com.
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When this story was posted in May 2007, this was on the front page of PCOL:
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| Suspect confesses in murder of PCV Search parties in the Philippines discovered the body of Peace Corps Volunteer Julia Campbell near Barangay Batad, Banaue town on April 17. Director Tschetter expressed his sorrow at learning the news. “Julia was a proud member of the Peace Corps family, and she contributed greatly to the lives of Filipino citizens in Donsol, Sorsogon, where she served,” he said. Latest: Suspect Juan Duntugan admits to killing Campbell. Leave your thoughts and condolences . |
| Warren Wiggins: Architect of the Peace Corps Warren Wiggins, who died at 84 on April 13, became one of the architects of the Peace Corps in 1961 when his paper, "A Towering Task," landed in the lap of Sargent Shriver, just as Shriver was trying to figure out how to turn the Peace Corps into a working federal department. Shriver was electrified by the treatise, which urged the agency to act boldly. Read Mr. Wiggins' obituary and biography, take an opportunity to read the original document that shaped the Peace Corps' mission, and read John Coyne's special issue commemorating "A Towering Task." |
| Chris Dodd's Vision for the Peace Corps Senator Chris Dodd (RPCV Dominican Republic) spoke at the ceremony for this year's Shriver Award and elaborated on issues he raised at Ron Tschetter's hearings. Dodd plans to introduce legislation that may include: setting aside a portion of Peace Corps' budget as seed money for demonstration projects and third goal activities (after adjusting the annual budget upward to accommodate the added expense), more volunteer input into Peace Corps operations, removing medical, healthcare and tax impediments that discourage older volunteers, providing more transparency in the medical screening and appeals process, a more comprehensive health safety net for recently-returned volunteers, and authorizing volunteers to accept, under certain circumstances, private donations to support their development projects. He plans to circulate draft legislation for review to members of the Peace Corps community and welcomes RPCV comments. |
| He served with honor One year ago, Staff Sgt. Robert J. Paul (RPCV Kenya) carried on an ongoing dialog on this website on the military and the peace corps and his role as a member of a Civil Affairs Team in Iraq and Afghanistan. We have just received a report that Sargeant Paul has been killed by a car bomb in Kabul. Words cannot express our feeling of loss for this tremendous injury to the entire RPCV community. Most of us didn't know him personally but we knew him from his words. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends. He was one of ours and he served with honor. |
| Peace Corps' Screening and Medical Clearance The purpose of Peace Corps' screening and medical clearance process is to ensure safe accommodation for applicants and minimize undue risk exposure for volunteers to allow PCVS to complete their service without compromising their entry health status. To further these goals, PCOL has obtained a copy of the Peace Corps Screening Guidelines Manual through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and has posted it in the "Peace Corps Library." Applicants and Medical Professionals (especially those who have already served as volunteers) are urged to review the guidelines and leave their comments and suggestions. Then read the story of one RPCV's journey through medical screening and his suggestions for changes to the process. |
| The Peace Corps is "fashionable" again The LA Times says that "the Peace Corps is booming again and "It's hard to know exactly what's behind the resurgence." PCOL Comment: Since the founding of the Peace Corps 45 years ago, Americans have answered Kennedy's call: "Ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man." Over 182,000 have served. Another 200,000 have applied and been unable to serve because of lack of Congressional funding. The Peace Corps has never gone out of fashion. It's Congress that hasn't been keeping pace. |
| PCOL readership increases 100% Monthly readership on "Peace Corps Online" has increased in the past twelve months to 350,000 visitors - over eleven thousand every day - a 100% increase since this time last year. Thanks again, RPCVs and Friends of the Peace Corps, for making PCOL your source of information for the Peace Corps community. And thanks for supporting the Peace Corps Library and History of the Peace Corps. Stay tuned, the best is yet to come. |
| History of the Peace Corps PCOL is proud to announce that Phase One of the "History of the Peace Corps" is now available online. This installment includes over 5,000 pages of primary source documents from the archives of the Peace Corps including every issue of "Peace Corps News," "Peace Corps Times," "Peace Corps Volunteer," "Action Update," and every annual report of the Peace Corps to Congress since 1961. "Ask Not" is an ongoing project. Read how you can help. |
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Story Source: North County Times
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Directors - Shriver; Figures; Directors; Diplomacy
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