Interview with Thaine H. Allison, Jr., November 18, 2021

Interview Summary

Thaine Allison, Jr., served along with his wife during the early days of the Peace Corps, 1962-1964, in North Borneo, a British Crown Colony now a state of Malaysia, as an agricultural specialist. He grew up on a farm in Northern California and had a degree in agriculture. He had met Kennedy at a campaign stop and applied to Peace Corps during his senior year. His initial training in Hilo was physically strenuous and mentally taxing. It was emotionally stressful because many of the trainees were ‘deselected’ without explanation. After final training in Borneo, he and his wife moved to a small town, Bandau. He worked hard to learn Malay, and later Mandarin, so he could be more effective in listening to villagers and helping him to understand their felt needs. Sargent Shriver helped him when his draft board threatened to take away his citizenship. He and his wife traveled extensively through Southeast Asia and were kicked out of Laos by the CIA. Peace Corps changed his life’s course. He later became a health economist and worked within the non-profit sector throughout the world.

Interview Keyword

Peace Corps (U.S.) North Borneo (Country of Service) Malaysia (Current name of County of Service) Binau (Site placement) 1962-1964 (years of service) Peace Corps Volunteer Job: Agriculture Malay and Mandarin (languages) Draft CIA transportation Hilo (Training site) Deselection Impact of Service

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