Training Groups


In the early 1960s, there were separate Peace Corps training programs for the country of Malaya and the British colonies of Sabah (North Borneo) and Sarawak. Malaya 1 through Malaya 6 were trained at Northern Illinois University in Dekalb, IL and the Sabah/Sarawak 1 through 4 training programs were administered by the University of Hawaii Hilo. By 1964, starting with Malaysia 7, there were unified training programs for the Federation of Malaysia at various sites in and around Hilo. Then, in the 1970s, Peace Corps shifted to hosting all training programs in Malaysia.

Hawaii-trained PCVs were typically enchanted with the beauty of the Big Island and the warmth of welcome from local residents. Following their service, many RPCVs settled in Hawaii, especially on the Big Island, and there is a very active association of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Hawaii. In December 1963, Peace Corps trainees and staff erected a monument to the memory of John F. Kennedy at the entrance of the old hospital in Hilo which was then the Peace Corps Training Center. In 2011, on the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Peace Corps, the Returned PCVs of Hawaii rededicated the JFK Monument and moved it to its current location on the University of Hawaii Hilo campus--see here, here and here (photo credit Nick Cerra, PCV Malaysia IX). For more of the story of the Peace Corps training programs in Hawaii, see the following videos:

Sending Aloha Abroad (RPCVs Hawaii). This documentary film is the untold story of thousands of American volunteers who lived and trained in Hawaii prior to overseas Peace Corps service, and often settling there after their experience (30 minutes)

Peace Corps Training on the Big Island. Returned Peace Corps Volunteers and Hawai‘i Training Staff created a documentary history of the more than 7,000 young Americans who trained for the Peace Corps on the Big Island from 1962 through 1971. Co-produced by Big Island residents Bill Sakovich and Jim Carr, the 57-minute film is a visual montage of more than a thousand photos with music and voice-over narration by RPCVs. It is an evocative account of how Peace Corps trainees prepared to help others and how the experience affected not only their own lives but those of the local communities and individuals who shared that experience. 
The following list of Malaysia Training Groups is a set of electronic bins for sharing documents, photos, RPCV news (e.g., reunions), and other training group materials of general interest. Send links or digital copies to FoM (charles@uw.edu)

Peace Training Groups  

Malaya 1 (1961-63)

Sarge Shriver with Malaya I at NIU, Dekalb 1961

Arrival of Malaya I in KL

Malaya 2 (1962-64)

Malaya 3 (1962-64)

Training Group Picture Book

Murray DeArmond: "Jungle Healing" Apa Khabar, Summer 2023

training abstract at NIU Sept-Dec 1962



Malaya 4 (1963-65)

Training Group Picture book                                            

Malaya 5 (1963-65)

Training Group Picture book

Borneo (Sabah/Sarawak) 1 (1962-64) 

Borneo (Sabah/Sarawak) 2 (1963-65)

Training Group Picture book

Sabah/Sarawak 3 (1963-65)


Sabah/Sarawak 4 (1964-66)

Training Group Picture book

Malaya 6 (1964-66)          

Malaysia 7 (1964-66)

Malaysia 8 (Sabah/Sarawak 5) (1964-65)

Malaysia 9 (1965-67)

Training Group Picture book

Tom Wagner's essay on Malaysia IX Training Apa Khabar Fall 2022

Pat Taylor Bader interviewed by son, Aaron

Rich Harvey 2012 story in the Borneo Post

Charlie Hirschman "The day I made a difference."  Apa Khabar Summer 2022

List of Trainees, Weekly Schedules, and Wapio Valley

Training Syllabus

Brief interviews of Malaysia IX Trainees in Honolulu Star-Bulletin May 5, 1965

Orientation in Malaysia at the U of Malaya May 10-14, 1965

Group Photo of Malaysia 9 (click to enlarge) (thanks to Gary Apgar)

Malaysia IX Directory

Malaysia IX Survey (Google Form)

Responses (to date) to Malaysia IX Survey

August 13, 2023 Malaysia IX Reunion on Zoom

Gene Ward "Reflections on the Peace Corps" Apa Khabar, Summer 2023

Malaysia 10 (1965-67)

Malaysia 11 (1965-67)

Malaysia 12 (1965-67)

Training Group Picture book

Malaysia XII Facebook Page

Malaysia 13 (1966-68)

Malaysia 14 (1966-68)

Malaysia 15 (1966-68)

Malaysia 16 (1967-69)

Malaysia 17

Malaysia 18 (1967-69)

Malaysia 19 (1968-70)

Training Group Picture Book

John Dixon: "A Day in The Life" (photo essay)

David Stimpson: "Waimanu Pig Hunt" (Peace Corps training in Hawaii)

Dan Peed: "Training in Paradise"

Malaysia XIX Video--2016 Reunion

Ralph Lueck: "Snake Adventures"


Malaysia 20 (1968-70)

Malaysia 21 (1969-71)

Malaysia 22 (1969-71)

Malaysia 23 (1969-71)

Malaysia 24 (1969-71)

Training Group Picture book

Malaysia 25

Malaysia 26

Malaysia 27

Malaysia 28 (1970-72)

group 28 blog website

Malaysia 29 (1970-72)

Training Group Picture book

Malaysia 30 (1970-72)

Malaysia 31

Malaysia 32

Malaysia 33

Malaysia 34

Malaysia 35 (1971-73)

Malaysia 36

Malaysia 37

Malaysia 38

Malaysia 39 (1972-74)

Malaysia 40

Malaysia 41 (1972-74)

Malaysia 42 (1972-74)

Malaysia 43

Malaysia 44

Malaysia 45

Malaysia 46

Malaysia 47

Malaysia 48

Malaysia 49

Malaysia 50 (1973-75)

Malaysia 51 (1971-73)

Malaysia 52

Malaysia 53

Malaysia 54 (1973-75)

Malaysia 55

Malaysia 56 (1973-75)

Malaysia 57 (1973-75)

Malaysia 58 (1973-75)

Malaysia 59

Malaysia 60

Malaysia 61

Malaysia 62

Malaysia 63

Malaysia 64

Malaysia 65

Malaysia 66

Malaysia 67

Malaysia 68 (1973-75)

Malaysia 69 (1975-77)

Malaysia 70

Malaysia 71

Malaysia 72

Malaysia 73

Malaysia 74

Malaysia 75 (1975-77)

Malaysia 76

Malaysia 77

Malaysia 78

Malaysia 79

Malaysia 80

Malaysia 81

Malaysia 82

Malaysia 83

Malaysia 84

Malaysia 85 (1975-77)

Malaysia 86 (1976-78)

Training Group Picture book

Malaysia 87 (1977-79)

Malaysia 88 (1977-79)

Malaysia 89 (1978-80)

Malaysia 90 (1978-80)

Malaysia 91

Malaysia 92 (1978-80)

photo "Melaka Westerly Hotel Group 92"

Malaysia 93 (1978-80)

Malaysia 94

Malaysia 95 (1979-81)

Malaysia 96 (1980-82)

Malaysia 97

Malaysia 98 (1980-82)

Malaysia 99 (1980-82)

Malaysia 100 (1980-82)

Malaysia 101 (1980-82)

Malaysia 102 (1981-83)

Malaysia 103 (1981-83)