
Peace Corps Resources - An unofficial guide to the
locations of items describing the Peace Corps and its history
Originally Published on RPCVs John Coyne's and Marian Haley Beil's Website PeaceCorpsWorldWide.Org.
we will continue to update this webpage with new information as we get it.

he Peace Corps was established as an operating agency in the Department of State by Department of State Delegation of Authority 85-11, effective March 3, 1961, pursuant to E.O. 10924, March 1, 1961. It was recognized legislatively by the Peace Corps Act (75 Stat. 612), approved September 22, 1961. The Peace Corps was reassigned to the newly established ACTION by Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1971, effective July 1, 1971. It was made autonomous within ACTION by E.O. 12137, May 16, 1979, and was made an independent agency by Title VI of the International Security and Development Corporation Act of 1981 (95 Stat. 1540), February 21, 1982.The Peace Corps administers and coordinates Federal international volunteer and related domestic volunteer programs.
When Volunteers complete their 27 months of service, they may self-identify as Returned Peace Corps Volunteers or RPCV’s. RPCV’s have no official affiliation with the Peace Corps Agency and their activities are independent of Peace Corps. RPCV’s who are employed by Peace Corps are the exception.
The Peace Corps is a federal agency staffed by civilian service employees, who may or may not have served in the Peace Corps and who are responsible for managing the agency. Peace Corps Volunteers are private citizens serving in a public capacity in foreign countries and doing the actual work of the Peace Corps. Overseas administrative units are staffed by a combination of citizens of the host country and US personnel.