Peace Corps Collection
Scope and Contents
The Peace Corps Collection consists of documents dated 1959 to 1994, with the bulk falling from 1981 to 1986. The collection contains correspondence, reports, printed materials, photographs and slides from the period during and following the Peace Corps' founding, as well as seminar correspondence, planning documents, publications, notes, and tape cassettes from the 25th Anniversary National Seminar on Future Directions for the Peace Corps, held July 8-12, 1986, at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado. Also included are documents reflecting the activities of the Center for Research and Education (CRE), including minutes, seminar planning documents and training materials.
Dates
- Creation: 1940-2011
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1960-1986
Restrictions on Access
There are no access restrictions on this collection.
Restrictions on Use
Not all of the material in the collection is in the public domain. Researchers are responsible for addressing copyright issues.
History
Colorado State University became involved with the early development of the Peace Corps through the work of Maurice L. Albertson and the successful 1960 proposal on behalf of Colorado State University Research Foundation (CSURF) to the International Cooperation Agency (ICA) to investigate the possibility of establishing a "youth corps" that would become the Peace Corps. Following the completion of the study by Albertson, Andrew E. Rice and Pauline Birky-Kreutzer and the establishment of the Peace Corps in 1961, Colorado State University began training Peace Corps volunteers for work in Pakistan and later in other parts of the world. The regional Center for Research and Education (CRE) in Estes Park, Colorado, with Birky-Kreutzer as director, also developed Peace Corps training programs for Afghanistan in the 1960s. Albertson remained interested and involved in the Peace Corps, and in 1986 he organized a seminar focusing on the future of the Peace Corps, the 25th Anniversary National Seminar on Future Directions for the Peace Corps, held July 8-12, 1986, at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado.
Extent
75 linear feet (49 record cartons, 1 document case, 1 slide case)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Colorado State University became involved with the early development of the Peace Corps through the work of Maurice L. Albertson and the successful 1960 proposal on behalf of CSURF (Colorado State University Research Foundation) to the ICA (International Cooperation Agency) to investigate the possibility of establishing a "youth corps" that would become the Peace Corps. Colorado State University soon began training Peace Corps volunteers for work in Pakistan and other parts of the world. Albertson remained interested in the Peace Corps, and in 1986 he organized a seminar focusing on the future of the Peace Corps. The collection contains correspondence, reports, printed materials, photographs and slides from the period during and following the Peace Corps' founding, as well as correspondence, planning documents, publications, notes, and cassette tapes from the 1986 seminar.
Arrangement
The collection consists of 7 series in 49 record cartons, 2 flat boxes, 1 document case, and 1 slide case:
Series 1: Peace Corps general, 1959-1984 and undated
Series 2: Peace Corps, 25th Anniversary National Seminar on Future Directions for the Peace Corps, 1962-1990 and undated
Subseries 2.1: General, planning, 1981-1990 and undated
Subseries 2.2: Seminar funding, 1970-1986 and undated
Subseries 2.3: Seminar materials, papers, notes, 1962-1986 and undated
Series 3: Center for Research and Education, 1963-1971 and undated
Series 4: Printed materials, 1960-1994, 2011 and undated
Series 5: Audio and visual materials, 1959-1969, 1986 and undated
Subseries 5.1: Cassette tapes, 1986
Subseries 5.2: Photographs and slides, 1959-1969 and undated
Series 6: Returned from State Archives--PRELIMINARY INVENTORY, 1940-1969 and undated
Series 7: From Engineering Research Center--PRELIMINARY INVENTORY, 1960-1986 and undated
Acquisition
The portion of the Peace Corps Collection described here was transferred from the Papers of Maurice L. Albertson. Seven boxes of Peace Corps materials in Albertson's 2004 and 2008 donations to the Water Resources Archive were removed to go with the previously established collection. Forty-four boxes of Peace Corps-related materials donated by Albertson to the Libraries in the 1980s were stored at the Colorado State Archives and returned in 2014. Peace Corps slides from a 2009 acquisition from Albertson were added in 2010. The proclamation from the City of Fort Collins was added in 2011.
Online Materials
Some materials have been scanned and are available through the Colorado State University Libraries website. In the electronic version of this document, direct links appear in context.
Processing
Processing was completed in November 2008 for Series 1 through 5. Metal fasteners were removed and replaced with plastic clips where needed, materials were refoldered, and cassette tapes lacking containers were placed in archival containers. Photographs were sleeved and placed in folders. Slides added in July 2010 were sleeved and placed in folders. In 2022, all cassette tapes in Subseries 5.1 were digitized for preservation purposes, and physical copies were removed from the collection.
Series 6 and 7, the majority of the collection, remain unprocessed.
Inventory Note
Note: Title information supplied by the archivist is bracketed. Two identical copiesof the same item are indicated by the phrase "2 copies" at the end of the entry.
Subject
- Albertson, Maurice L. (Person)
- Birky-Kreutzer, Pauline (Person)
- Peace Corps (U.S.) (Organization)
- Center for Research and Education (Estes Park, Colo.) (Organization)
Genre / Form
- Title
- Guide to the Peace Corps Collection
- Status
- Edited Full Draft
- Author
- Prepared by Holley R. Lange; revised by Vanessa Baca and Clarissa J. Trapp
- Date
- Copyright 2008; 2010; 2011
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Repository Details
Part of the CSU Libraries Archives & Special Collections Repository
Fort Collins Colorado 80523-1019 USA
970-491-1844
library_dl_specialcollections@mail.colostate.edu
