Since the formation of U.S. Peace Corps in 1961 by an Executive Order from President John F. Kennedy, 190,000 volunteers have served in 139 countries around the world. In 2008, 8,079 volunteers are serving in 74 countries. The average age of a volunteer is 27, though 5% are 50 or older. The oldest volunteer is currently 80.

The University of Arizona is consistently a top 25 producer of Peace Corps Volunteers, with 45 volunteers serving in 2006 and a total of 1,199 alumni who have served since Peace Corps started in 1961. The UA ranks as the No. 18 producer of Peace Corps volunteers of all time. Since 1961, the state of Arizona has produced more than 3,000 volunteers. Approximately 825 Returned Peace Corps Volunteers reside in southern Arizona.

After completing Peace Corps service, many returned volunteers continue their graduate education through Peace Corps Fellows/USA. The Peace Corps Fellows/USA Program at The University of Arizona is the second largest Peace Corps Fellows program in the United States. It has 57 fellows in 13 different graduate programs. As part of the program, Fellows do two-year service internships with underserved communities in the Tucson area. Fellows have served with over 100 different Tucson area organizations, providing over 80,000 hours of service work.

To learn more about the history of Peace Corps, visit the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum and listen to his speech at the University of Michigan in a campaign stop on October 14, 1960 and read his March 1, 1961 Executive Order that established the agency.