Interview with Jim M. Brown, May 26, 2021

Interview Summary

Jim M. Brown taught physical education and coached basketball as a Peace Corps volunteer in Bucaramanga and Cali, Colombia, from1962-1964. He tells many stories of being in one of the Peace Corps’ first groups in Colombia. Jim says that we all have language stories and relates one about a reception held in Bucaramanga to welcome four PCVs. When he told the Colombian host that three of the four volunteers were left-handed, he used the word meaning “leftists” rather than “lefthanded.” Also, during the last week of training in 1962, Bill Moyers spoke to his group in El Paso. When reflecting on his time in Peace Corps, he says that PC shaped his future, continuing his education to receive his Master’s and Ph.D. degrees in health and human performance. He taught at McNeese State University for 25 years before taking early retirement to become a fulltime writer, editor, and publisher. Jim is still involved in the health, medicine, and sports fields as co-publisher with his wife, Arlene, of HMS, Inc. (Health, Medicine, and Sports). He has published books, articles, newsletters, and special reports for Penn State, Georgia Tech, Duke, UCLA, Cleveland Clinic, Steadman Philippon Research Institute, and others. He finishes by commenting on the bond and camaraderie he still has with his fellow Peace Corps Colombia IV volunteers.

Interview Keyword

Peace Corps (U.S.) First group of Volunteers Colombia IV (country of service) Bucaramanga (city of service) Cali (city of service) Physical education teachers and coaches 1962-1964 (years of service) Bill Moyers Ph.D. Health Medicine Sports writing, publishing Texas Western College University of Texas at El Paso UCLA Weill Cornell Duke Cleveland Clinic Penn State Georgia Tech Basketball

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