The Hill News

I first met Sargent Shriver in 1964 when I was assigned by the Justice Department to the governmental task force that organized the War on Poverty. There was no OEO, so as head of the Peace Corps, Shriver headed the group assigned to him by various government agencies and departments, along with select experts on relevant subjects and policies. We worked intensely in makeshift quarters at the Peace Corps building. Shriver ran both agencies at the same time, with energy and inspiration and unusual success. Sarge was Fred Astaire-like elegant, and at the same time was a powerhouse leader who delegated easily but emphatically ran the show.

Upbeat, optimistic, patriotic, he wrote a gracious letter of thanks to me when our work was completed, in 1965: “I know of no parallel in government service where so much has been accomplished by so few people in so little time working under such adverse circumstances.” We live now in a more contentious time politically, when government service is viewed more cynically and practices more selfishly by many. Sargent Shriver reminds us of a better time when government service was an honorable experience, a privilege recognized then and remembered now by those of us who served, especially those who had the good fortune of working with Sargent Shriver.

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