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Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2014-054
Margaret (Eger) Taylor served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Korea from 1968 to 1970 as an English teacher. She served along with her husband, David Eger. Prior to the Peace Corps, several experiences in her formative years led to her interest in working with people in different cultures, and to a desire to break out of the old-fashioned view of gender roles in the U.S. In Korea, Taylor taught English as a Second Language (ESL) at a women's university in Seoul. She described several instances of cross-cultural gaffes in which well-intentioned and inquisitive Americans inadvertently offended Koreans. Taylor's experience in the Peace Corps influenced her later career as a clinical psychologist. Interviewed and recorded by Phyllis Noble, June 6, 2014. 3 tapes (web streaming files combined into 1 file).
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2019-057
Don Boileau served as a Peace Corps volunteer in South Korea from January 1968 to November 1969 as an English teacher. He briefly discusses training in Bisbee, Arizona, and speaks extensively about the close lifelong relationship he developed with his host family. Stationed in Seoul, Boileau worked as an English instructor at the Central Officials Training Institute. Although he says that his official job didn't amount to much, he talks about various night or after-work jobs he held that did have an impact. These include tutoring a number of Ministry of Forestry officials in English in preparation for their trip to New Zealand for a reforestation project, and tutoring people working in the port and harbor authority. Boileau discusses the impact that Peace Corps had on his career as a professor in intercultural communication. He concludes by discussing his return visit to Korea with other RPCVs and spouses at the invitation of the Korean government. Interviewed and recorded by Evelyn Ganzglass, January 7, 2019. 2 digital audio files (web streaming files combined into 1 file).
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2019-026
Ben Bryan served as a Peace Corps volunteer in South Korea from 1979 to 1981 on a health education project. He also served in Fiji from 1981 to 1984. His initial technical training was conducted in Louisiana, followed by further technical, cultural, and language training in Korea with a homestay with a local family. Bryan's health education project focused on Hansen's disease (leprosy) and he was stationed at a health clinic in Jinju. Because the Peace Corps program in Korea was being phased out, he was unable to extend his service there, but accepted a similar health education posting in Fiji. He went through training again before being posted to Suva where he produced visual medical aids and served as a driver for the hospital. The interview includes a discussion of Bryan's motivations for joining the Peace Corps, his recruitment and training, his work and life in both countries, and his post service experience. Interviewed and recorded by Julius (Jay) Sztuk, October 7, 2018. 2 digital audio files (web streaming files combined into 1 file).
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2020-040
Nancy A. Kelly served as a Peace Corps volunteer in South Korea from 1979 to 1981 on a maternal-child health (MCH) project. She did her basic training in Chuncheon and Seoul as part of the first MCH group sent to Korea. She worked in the health center in Goseong under the supervision of a senior Korean midwife, who had been trained by the Japanese during the occupation in World War II. During her two years of service, Kelly helped deliver over 1,000 babies. She later established a career in public health as the executive director of Health Volunteers Overseas (HVO). Upon a return visit to her Korean community, many of her now-adult "delivered babies" came with their families to welcome her and thank her for her service. Interviewed and recorded by Russell E. Morgan Jr., December 10, 2019. 1 digital audio file.