President John F. Kennedy addresses the first group of
Peace Corps volunteers headed for Ghana and Tanzania.

On March 1, 1961, President John F. Kennedy issued Executive
Order #10924, establishing the Peace Corps as a new agency
within the Department of State. The same day, he sent a message
to Congress asking for permanent funding for the agency, which
would send trained American men and women to foreign nations
to assist in development efforts. The Peace Corps captured the imagination of the U.S. public, and during the week after its
creation thousands of letters poured into Washington from
young Americans hoping to volunteer.