At yesterday’s Serve America Act (or Kennedy-Hatch Act) Hearing, Senator Hatch commented on one of my favorite public figures in recent history–Sargent Shriver. Before marrying into the Kennedy family and becoming brother in-law to, then, future President John Kennedy, Shriver seemed to be on the brink of his own political candidacy in Chicago. When President Kennedy recieved more letters of interest from young people about the Peace Corps–volunteering to serve abroad for a program that did not yet exist– than he did federal job applications, he put Shriver to work. As the first Peace Corps Director, Shriver toured the world establishing partnerships for Peace Corps programs. From Connecticut Avenue, he worked to refine the volunteer admissions process, making sure volunteers were fit for service. And, he spent time in the field listening to the challenges and triumphs of those early Peace Corps volunteers.
Although I will leave for the Peace Corps in September, I was not familiar with the story of Sarge until I met Chris Myers Asch. As some of the other interns and myself make our way through Shriver’s 750 page biography, “Sarge,” we are constantly referencing Sarge in our work. My copy of the book is black and blue, not because it’s bruised, but because it has become an impromptu journel of both my time at the Public Service Academy and Peace Corps preparation. “Sarge” will be going with me to the Peace Corps, and I urge (as Senator Hatch did yesterday) anyone interested in public service to pick up a copy.
