Interview with Kathleen H. Beckman, February 1, 2021

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

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Interview Summary

Kathleen Beckman served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ethiopia from 1966 to 1968, in the Education Program. Factors influencing her to volunteer included John F. Kennedy; the tradition of service she was introduced to by attending a Jesuit school; and friends who volunteered. Kathy was selected for Ethiopia 6, a group of approximately 600 volunteers. Amharic language and Ethiopian culture training was conducted at Radcliffe College in Cambridge, MA. Kathy was assigned as an English teacher at a school in the small town of Shashamene. In addition to teaching, she started an after school Activities Club for girls to promote their staying in school. She and her students also participated in a summer WHO/Ethiopian Ministry of Health project to bring 5,000 vaccinations against smallpox and BCG (tuberculosis) to rural Ethiopians. Kathy later served as an AmeriCorps Volunteer in Florida, teaching Computer Literacy. The interview discusses her background, motivation for volunteering, training, experiences at her assignment site, travel in Ethiopia, and views on the value of Peace Corps service.

Interview Accession

2021oh0188_pcrv0147

Interviewee Name

Kathleen H. Beckman

Interviewer Name

Julius "Jay" Sztuk

Interview Date

2021-02-01

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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Beckman, Kathleen H. Interview by Julius Sztuk. 01 Feb. 2021. Lexington, KY: Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.

Beckman, K.H. (2021, February 01). Interview by J. Sztuk. Peace Corps: The Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Oral History Project. Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries, Lexington.

Beckman, Kathleen H., interview by Julius Sztuk. February 01, 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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