1970s
- July 1, 1971
- With Executive Order 11603, President Nixon folds the Peace Corps and several other service programs into a new federal volunteer agency called ACTION. The Peace Corps' original Congressional mandate, however, remains unchanged.
- November 1974
- Christopher Dodd of Connecticut, a Volunteer in the Dominican Republic from 1966 to 1968, and Paul Tsongas of Massachusetts, a Volunteer in Ethiopia from 1962 to 1964, are the first returned Peace Corps Volunteers elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. They both go on to be elected to the U.S. Senate.
- October 1977
- Carolyn Robertson Payton is appointed Peace Corps Director by President Jimmy Carter. She is the first female and the first African American to be Peace Corps Director.
- 1979
- Peace Corps closes its post in Afghanistan. The Peace Corps entered Afghanistan in 1962 and 1,652 Volunteers served in the country until the program ended.
Last updated Jul 16 2012
Fast Facts on Paper
Download a Peace Corps Fact Sheet for easy printing.
English (PDF)
Spanish (PDF)
These files are in PDF format and require the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Historical Photos
View historical Peace Corps photos on flickr.
Historical Country Photos
Presidential Visits
Rose Garden Ceremony
- August 28, 1961
Sargent Shriver
Peace Corps
Digital Library
Check out our searchable collection of select electronic Peace Corps historical materials from the Peace Corps archives and contributions from current and returned Peace Corps Volunteers and Staff.
Visit the Digital Library
