    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1991, Book I)]
    [March 1, 1991]
    [Pages 194-195]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 194]]

    Remarks on Signing the Proclamation Commemorating the 30th Anniversary
    of the Peace Corps
    March 1, 1991

        We've got all the suspects lined up here. Thank you very much.
    [Laughter]
        Listen, please be seated. And welcome to the White House, a very
    special ceremony. And it's great to see so many familiar faces and
    distinguished former Directors of the Peace Corps, including especially
    the founding Director, Sarge Shriver. I'm also delighted to see the
    representatives from the Congress--Senator Pell; Senator Lugar;
    Congressman Broomfield; my old friend, Jim Leach--an especially warm
    welcome to you.
        It's our pleasure, all of ours, to be here today to celebrate the
    30th anniversary of the Peace Corps. I'm very proud to have standing at
    my side our very able Director, Paul Coverdell.
        The Peace Corps has come a long way and expanded a great deal in its
    proud history. Today the volunteers come from a more diverse population
    of Americans than ever before, and they're reaching out to an ever-
    widening circle of countries.
        The Peace Corps has long had three important goals. First, to help
    the people of host countries meet their needs for skilled men and women.
    Second, to help promote abroad a better understanding of our country--of
    America. And third, to promote a better understanding by Americans of
    other peoples throughout the world.
        And it has been exciting to watch as our volunteers, our ever-
    dedicated volunteers, continue to provide important training and skills
    in 73 countries that we are currently serving. And that is,
    incidentally, the highest number of countries that the Peace Corps has
    ever been active in at one time. It's particularly rewarding to note
    that the programs have been established in 19 new countries since the
    beginning of our administration, and I understand that number may reach
    as high as 30 by the end of 1992. In fact, the first set of volunteers
    will leave to begin their work in Romania just next week.
        I'm pleased to have with us today Ed Pizack, Chairman of the Liberty
    Bell Foundation; several of his colleagues. Because of the Liberty Bell
    Foundation's great generosity and effort, the Peace Corps will be able
    to send an additional 60 volunteers to Poland to teach English. What an
    historic example of a successful public-private partnership.
        In recent times, our second goal of helping to promote understanding
    of Americans abroad has been particularly important. Peace Corps
    volunteers have, and will, continue to promote a better understanding of
    the American people in the countries in which they serve. I've seen them
    in action many, many times--and as everybody in this room has--and it is
    inspiring.
        I'm also very proud of the Peace Corps efforts of their equally
    important, yet probably less known third goal. And that is to teach
    Americans about the world beyond our own borders.
        Today, all 50 States are participating in the recently established
    World Wise School program. This program assists over 60,000 students in
    learning geography, acquiring international knowledge, and in inspiring
    good citizenship.
        The Fellows/USA program allows returned volunteers to earn master's
    degrees while serving as teachers in our nation's neediest inner-city
    schools and then in the rural schools as well. Twelve universities are
    currently participating in this program.
        In each of these important tasks, consistently for 30 years, so many
    thousands of volunteers have done a superb job in so many countries.
    Because the Peace Corps has served with characteristic American
    generosity and ability, I am proud to offer my congratulations on this
    very important 30th anniversary and my strong support and best wishes
    for the future.
        Thank you all for coming down here, and now I'd like to ask the
    former Directors to join me as I sign this proclamation. I'm grateful
    for the work all you have put into this.

    [[Page 195]]

                        Note: The President spoke at 10:01 a.m. in the
                            Roosevelt Room at the White House. In his
                            remarks, he referred to R. Sargent Shriver,
                            founding Director of the Peace Corps; Senators
                            Claiborne Pell and Richard G. Lugar;
                            Representatives William S. Broomfield and Jim
                            Leach; Peace Corps Director Paul D. Coverdell;
                            and Edward Pizack, chairman of the Liberty Bell
                            Foundation. The proclamation is listed in
                            Appendix E at the end of this volume.