Interview with Carolyn Smith Wentworth, June 8, 2021

Project: Peace Corps: The Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Oral History Project

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Interview Summary

Carolyn Smith Wentworth talks about her life before joining Peace Corps, and of being inspired by President Kennedy to join the Peace Corps to teach in Kolambugan, Mindanao, Republic of the Philippines. She describes the vibrant economy and strong Muslim presence in Kolambugan, where she served as a teacher’s assistant in two primary schools. She tells of attending English as a second language (ESL) training in Quezon City, and of sharing what she learned by teaching fellow teachers and writing an ESL teaching manual distributed in her school district. Wentworth recalls the close relationships she enjoyed with many Filipinos at work and in the community. She describes Catholic-Muslim tensions that erupted during a mayoral election, threatening her town with violence; the aftermath led to her becoming closer to the community. She tells of her extensive travel after the Peace Corps, and reports that federal agencies were encouraged to recruit RPCV’s, which led to her career in the Veterans Administration.

Interview Accession

2021oh0489_pcrv0267

Interviewee Name

Carolyn Smith Wentworth

Interviewer Name

Carl K. Cheney

Interview Date

2021-06-08

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.

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Wentworth, Carolyn Smith Interview by Carl K. Cheney. 08 Jun. 2021. Lexington, KY: Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.

Wentworth, C.S. (2021, June 08). Interview by C. K. Cheney. Peace Corps: The Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Oral History Project. Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries, Lexington.

Wentworth, Carolyn Smith, interview by Carl K. Cheney. June 08, 2021, Peace Corps: The Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Oral History Project, Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.





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