[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.