“Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.” President John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961
When President John F. Kennedy was elected President, he quickly had Congress approve the establishment of the United States Peace Corps.
Richard J. and Antionette (Tramondozzi) Port were pioneers of the Peace Corps. They were the first couple to go overseas, serving as part of Ghana Group 1, the very first cohort of Peace Corps volunteers to deploy globally in 1961. They served with 48 single men and women as secondary school teachers in Ghana, West Africa for two years from 1961 to 1963. Richard and Ann later serviced in the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
The United States Peace Corps is a volunteer program established by Executive Order 10924 by President John F. Kennedy on March 1, 1961. Its founding director was R. Sargent Shriver. Peace Corps volunteers have traveled to over 139 countries in order to maintain its mission: to help people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women, to help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served, and to help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.
In honor of the 65th anniversary of the Peace Corps (2026), the Malden Public Library and Malden Historical Society have collaborated on an exhibition of over 150 pieces of African art and artifacts collected by Mr. and Mrs. Port during their time in service. The collection includes signed carvings, textiles, household items, musical instruments and art. A highlight of the exhibition is four carved figures by Lamidi Olonade Fakeye, a prominent Nigerian Sculptor. In 2008 Mr. Fakeye was named a UNESCO Living Human Treasure.
The exhibition is open Mondays 6-8 pm and Wednesdays 2-4 pm or by appointment through September 30, 2026. For more information, contact the Malden Public Library at 781-324-0218.
