Interview with William Sullivan, April 21, 2021

Partial Transcript: Today is April 21, 2021. This is Wendy Schumacher. I'm a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer from Morocco, 1999 to 2001. And I am interviewing William Sullivan who was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Colombia from 1963 to 1965. And he was a rural community development Volunteer.

Segment Synopsis: The year before joining Peace Corps, Sullivan was in a 1-year program earning a license in mortuary science at Wayne State University as his family owns a funeral home. Before that, Sullivan had graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1962. When he was a college senior, the president of the university, who had had experience with the Peace Corps in Chile, suggested that the students consider serving in the Peace Corps. Sullivan was interested in serving the country and was turned down by the Navy for health reasons. So, he applied to the Peace Corps.

Keywords: Applying; College majors; College students; Influences; Motivation; Theodore Hesburgh; University of Notre Dame; Wayne State University

Subjects: Health; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--1960-1970; Universities and colleges; Voluntarism; Volunteer workers in community development; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: How did your friends and family react when you told them you wanted to join the Peace Corps?

Segment Synopsis: Sullivan's family and friends were generally supportive of his joining. Sullivan was very happy to be invited to serve in Colombia. While in Colombia, Sullivan had an eye infection which again raised his mother's concern. But, ultimately, things turned out alright for him.

Keywords: Illness; Invitations; Letters; Sickness; Support; Wayne State University

Subjects: Colombia; Emotions; Families.; Health; Parents; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Colombia; Universities and colleges; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Well, we trained at the University of New Mexico.

Segment Synopsis: Sullivan had pre-service training at the University of New Mexico for 8 weeks followed by 6 weeks at Taos, New Mexico. Sullivan's group began with about 60 males and 40 females. During pre-service training, several trainees were de-selected.

Keywords: Albuquerque (N.M.); Cohorts; Community development; Cultural training; De-selection; Health training; Language training; Spanish (Language); Taos (N.M.); Technical training; University of New Mexico

Subjects: Language and languages; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Colombia; Universities and colleges; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: It was interesting. We were administered by CARE at that time.

Segment Synopsis: Sullivan's program was administered by CARE (Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere formerly Cooperative for American Remittances to Europe). In Colombia, the Volunteers were assigned to work sites in pairs and had a counterpart from "Acción Comunal." The goal was to organize the local people to develop a project to improve their lives. Sullivan and a friend in the cohort paired themselves together and were assigned to Pesca, a town of 2,000 people. Arrangements were made for Sullivan and his site mate to stay and eat at a boarding house. Sullivan was also given an allowance for a horse which he needed to travel to the surrounding areas. Sullivan tried to call home every few weeks on the town's one phone. Once a week Sullivan traveled an hour to Sogamoso to check for his mail. Eventually, Sullivan and his site mate rented a house but continued to eat at the boarding house.

[Video is not available for this portion of the interview. Audio only.]

Keywords: Amenities; Arrangements; Baltimore (Md.); Bogotá (Colombia); Budgets; Changes; Cohorts; Cooperative for American Remittances to Europe (CARE); Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere (CARE); Counterparts; Distance; Expectations; Friends; Housing; Mail; Pesca (Colombia); Population; Site mates; Sogamoso (Colombia); Telephone calls; Transportation; Traveling

Subjects: Acculturation; Colombia; Culture; Europe; Finance; Lifestyles; Manners and customs; Non-governmental organizations; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Colombia; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: And then, I had, I had a counter, a counterpart, Luis, Luis Agustin, a very fine man. He--I was godfather to his--couple of his children.

Segment Synopsis: Sullivan became close to his counterpart and the counterpart's family. When asked, Sullivan agreed to become godfather to several of the counterpart's children.

[Video is not available for this portion of the interview. Audio only.]

Keywords: Children; Counterparts; Family; Godfathers; Relationships; Retirement

Subjects: Interpersonal relations; Manners and customs; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Colombia; Religion; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Do you keep in touch with, um, any of the people that you met at the Peace Corps?

Segment Synopsis: Sullivan is still in contact with one friend from his cohort. Sullivan attended the 40th re-union of his cohort which took place in Washington, D.C. Sullivan is active with his local Returned Peace Corps Volunteer group.

[Video is not available for this portion of the interview. Audio only.]

Keywords: Friends; Relationships; Returned Peace Corps Volunteers; Socializing; Traveling

Subjects: Interpersonal relations; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Colombia; Voluntarism; Volunteers; Washington (D.C.)

Partial Transcript: But, my friend that I had been, uh, partners with, he, he was kind, kind of homesick.

Segment Synopsis: During their second year, Sullivan's site mate transferred. They had been the first Volunteers assigned to their work site. Subsequently, Sullivan's fluency in Spanish increased. Sullivan was one of 600 Volunteers in Colombia at that time.

[Video is not available for this portion of the interview. Audio only.]

Keywords: Bogotá (Columbia); Fluency; Friends; Improvements; Language skills; Living alone; Site mates; Spanish (Language); Traveling

Subjects: Language and languages; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Colombia; Peru; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: But, uh, I had a, a project there--well, not--I--we had a project there.

Segment Synopsis: Many of the schoolhouses in the 21 hamlets surrounding Pesca were in poor condition. Sullivan's father's Kiwanis Club raised $1,000 to help to build a new school. Sullivan's father and brother came for a visit and brought these funds. Sullivan describes the construction of the school. The local families were responsible for providing adobe blocks. Peace Corps provided an architect.

[Video is not available for this portion of the interview. Audio only.]

Keywords: Alliance for Progress; Community involvement; Contributions; Counterparts; Family; Funding; Kiwanis Club; Local people; Locals; Pesca (Colombia); Royal Oaks (Ind.); Schools; Support; Traveling

Subjects: Finance; International travel; Non-governmental organizations; Nonprofit organizations; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Colombia; Teachers; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: I can see you're wearing pretty western style clothing and they're wearing local clothing. Did you ever, um, ad-adopt the local fashion?

Segment Synopsis: Sullivan discusses the clothing worn in-country.

Keywords: Clothes; Contributions; Counterparts; Differences; Friends; Local people; Locals

Subjects: Colombia; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Colombia; Peru; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: What kind of challenges did you face, um, while you were in service?

Segment Synopsis: Sullivan feels that the Peace Corps did not provide much guidance. Sullivan was involved with construction of a second school, in part, with money from USAID which paid for materials.

Keywords: Accomplishments; Autonomy; Funding; Uncertainty

Subjects: Finance; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Colombia; Schools; United States. Agency for International Development; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Was, was there anything, um, particularly exciting or, um, fulfilling during your service?

Segment Synopsis: Sullivan and 4 friends got on a freighter which went through the Panama Canal and down the coast of South America before returning. While his friends returned to Colombia, Sullivan flew from Lima to Cusco and then continued to Machupicchu.

Keywords: Buenaventura (Colombia); Callao (Peru); Cartagena (Colombia); Colón (Panama); Cusco (Peru); Friends; Lima (Peru); Machupicchu (Peru); Panama Canal; Returning; Tourism; Tourists; Transportation; Traveling

Subjects: International travel; Panama; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Colombia; Peru; South America; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: What was the food like in the pensión?

Segment Synopsis: Sullivan describes the unremarkable food served at the boarding house. Staying healthy was a concern.

Keywords: Health issues; History; Illness; Problems; Sickness

Subjects: Colombia; Food habits; Health; Ireland; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Colombia; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: When you came back, what did you--how did you feel when it was time to come back?

Segment Synopsis: By the time his service was up, Sullivan was feeling a bit homesick. Sullivan returned home and worked at the family funeral home. As he wanted to do more, Sullivan and his wife started a business which imported handicrafts from Mexico. Accordingly, Sullivan was able to maintain his Spanish fluency and his ties to Hispanic culture.

Keywords: Career paths; Coming home; Deaths; Epcot (Fla.); Expectations; Jobs; Leaving; Oaxaca (Mexico); Spanish (Language); Traveling

Subjects: Colombia; Culture; Emotions; International travel; Language and languages; Mexico; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Colombia; Small business; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: What, what else would you like to share?

Segment Synopsis: Sullivan traveled to Bogotá every 2 or 3 weeks. Sullivan also attended a wedding of Peace Corps friends in Bucaramanga. Sullivan appreciates the opportunity to serve in the Peace Corps as it had a large impact on his life.

Keywords: Bogotá (Colombia); Bucaramanga (Colombia); Expectations; Friends; Influences; Marriage

Subjects: Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Colombia; Venezuela; Voluntarism; Volunteers