Governer Taft was a volunteer in Tanzania
TAFT JOINS PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEERS IN CELEBRATION
Participates in Procession, Praises Volunteers for Service
COLUMBUS (May 4, 2001) — Governor Bob Taft today joined former and future Peace Corps volunteers in a procession and ceremony at The Ohio State University celebrating the corps’ 40th anniversary.
Taft, a former Peace Corps volunteer, served as a teacher in Tanzania, Africa from 1963-65. Taft joined Peace Corps Acting Director, Charles Baquet III, and volunteers in a procession that began at the Wexner Center of the Arts, traveled through the Oval on campus and ended at the Frank W. Hale Black Culture Center. In the “Parade of Nations,” participants carried 134 flags representing all of the nations the Peace Corps has served.
After the parade, Taft delivered remarks on the Peace Corps, reminiscing about his own experience and praising volunteers for their service. Taft also presented a resolution to Director Baquet, who is also a former Peace Corps volunteer (Somalia 1965-67).
“My teaching experience in the Peace Corps has helped me immensely in my role as Governor,” Taft said. “My top priority is to enable every child to succeed, and education is the only way to accomplish this goal. Being a teacher helped me to better understand the importance and power of education.”
Since its establishment in 1961, thousands of Ohioans have served as volunteers in the Peace Corps:
* Ohio ranks sixth in the nation for the number of volunteers currently serving in the Peace Corps;
* There are presently 278 Ohio residents serving in the Peace Corps;
* Nearly 30 graduates from The Ohio State University are preparing to join the Peace Corps this summer; and
* A total of 5,434 Ohio residents have served as Peace Corps volunteers.
In 2001, more than 7,300 volunteers are working in 76 countries around the world to help teach children, fight hunger, bring clean water to communities, help start new small businesses and stop the spread of AIDS. Since 1961, the Peace Corps has sent more than 162,000 trained volunteers to 134 countries.
