Interview with Michael A. Town, May 4, 2021

Interview Summary

Michael A. Town served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Colombia , 1962-64, in the Athletics Program, University of Cauca. As a student-athlete at Stanford, he wanted to give back. Pre-service training was in El Paso, Texas, then Puerto Rico for additional language and survival training. Upon arrival in Colombia, he went by himself on a small plane to Popayan, a town of 50,000. He lived in a small pensione where he made friends with the host family and students. Michael had two Columbian counterparts. He coached basketball and swimming, as well as taught health. He also traveled to assess sites for future PCVs. Topics discussed included the devastating news of President Kennedy’s assassination; the PCV men’s basketball team coming to Popayan to play his team; support from Catholic priests when he traveled to assess sites; and traveling down the Amazon. At completion of service, he and two RPCV’s rode motorcycles from Panama to San Diego. PC was a “game changer.” He took respect of multicultural life into his career as a lawyer, judge, law professor and restorative justice mediator.

Interview Keyword

Peace Corps (U.S.) Columbia (Country of service) 1962-62 (Years of service) Peace Corps Volunteer Job: Education Spanish (Language) Kennedy Assassination Peace Corps (U.S.) - Management Pre-service training Columbian education system Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

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