Interview with John Swallow, September 28, 2023

Interview Summary

John Swallow Dominican Republic, 1962-1964, Teaching English and Community Development. John Swallow was born in Richmond, Indiana, and grew up in rural Wayne County. He received a BA degree in political science from Hanover College. John had experience working on farms, in construction, and playing and coaching various sports. Influenced by JFK and RFK, he was invited to serve as a Volunteer in the Dominican Republic four days after mailing his application to Peace Corps/Washington. John went through Outward Bound-type training at Camp Crozier near Arecibo, Puerto Rico, and academic training at the University of Puerto Rico. He was assigned to teaching English to 7th and 8th graders in the small town of Monte Plata. John was engaged in many other activities, including construction of a baseball field, introducing corn and pineapple as cash crops, gardening and developing a village newspaper. After six months, John was asked by the PC Director to move to Santo Domingo, the Capital, to engage in development activities in poor urban neighborhoods, and to ascertain the need for future Peace Corps groups and individuals. He routinely met with the heads of and other personnel in Ministries such as Agriculture, Education, Health, and Water Resources for potential involvement of Peace Corps Volunteers in the country.

Interview Keyword

Dominican Republic TEFL community development Richmond, Indiana parents Lincoln High School Hanover College international studies political science English JFK RFK James Burkey PCV application staging Roosevelt Hotel Staten Island Pre-Service Training Camp Crozier Arecibo, Puerto Rico Outward Bound University of Puerto Rico bilharzia phonics Pablo Casals Sargent Shriver Jack Hood Vaughn Fidel Castro selection process Cuban missile crisis Monte Plata site David Kaufman Tex Ford Dominican national basketball team Monte Plata Junior High 7th and 8th grades Dr. Contreras local doctor Rosa Williams local teacher English classes extra-curricular activities community development Malecon small village dam mosquitos insects CARE seeds government officials English classes Canadian priest Birch Bayh, U.S. Senator-elect Andy Hernandez Country Director Angel Lara, PCV Carretera Mella community Trujillo torture chamber house youth project Independence Day Ministries visits programming Ernesto Figueroa, AAA baseball player Manicera laborers peanut workers JFK killing Cristo Rey Ensanche Luperon water projects juvenile detention center sports community library Geer Wilcox

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Interview Usage

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