Interview with Charles "Chuck" Ludlam, June 21, 2021

Interview Summary

Charles "Chuck" Ludlam served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Nepal from 1968 through 1970, and in Senegal from 2005 through 2007. Ludlam attended Stanford University, where he was a leader in the anti-war movement. He applied to Peace Corps and was invited to Tonga, but opted to begin law school instead. He later reapplied, requesting to be assigned to Nepal. His group, Nepal 17, trained in Davis, California and Nepal. Ludlam was the first volunteer to be assigned to the remote village of Haripur. He worked with a local counterpart distributing IR-8 seeds and setting up demonstration crops. Ludlam returned to complete law school and began a career in Washington, D.C. that included time at the White House, Congress, and as the principal lobbyist for the biotech industry. Ludlam married a Kenya RPCV, who suggested they apply again to Peace Corps. They began service in Senegal when Ludlam was 60. In their second tour, Ludlam and his wife, Paula Hirschoff, identified many shortcomings with Peace Corps management. They testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee representing the Peace Corps Volunteers and compiled a lengthy report on Peace Corps reform in 2009. Ludlam served on the Peace Corps transition team for the Obama administration. The interview discusses experiences in both countries of service, contrasts between Peace Corps in the 1960s and 2000s, Ludlam’s career in D.C., and Ludlam and his wife’s work to reform Peace Corps, which eventually led to changes beneficial to Volunteers.

Interview Keyword

Nepal (Country of service) 1968-1970 (Date of service) Senegal (Country of service) 2005-2007 (Date of service) Peace Corps Volunteer Job: Agriculture Stanford University Vietnam War Maithili (Language) Haripur village Malagawa Nepal 17 IR-8 rice seed White House staff Obama transition team Senate Foreign Relations Committee Guinguineo village Wolof (Language) PCV Empowerment Act 2007 Kennedy SERVE Act Volunteers for Prosperity Peace Corps Wiki Peace Corps reform Whistleblowers Older volunteers

Interview LC Subject

Peace Corps (U.S.) Peace Corps (U.S.)--Nepal Nepal Peace Corps (U.S.)--Senegal Senegal Peace Corps (U.S.)--1960-1970 Peace Corps (U.S.)--2000-2010 Acculturation Communication and culture Culture Culture shock Intercultural communication Interpersonal communication and culture Interpersonal relations Interpersonal relations and culture Language and culture Language and languages Lifestyles Manners and customs Voluntarism Volunteers

Interview Rights

All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.

Interview Usage

Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.