The Peace Corps was established on March 1, 1961, when President John F. Kennedy issued Executive Order No. 10924 establishing the Peace Corps on a temporary basis. The idea had first been proposed during the presidential campaign of 1960 in a speech Kennedy made at the University of Michigan.

Although similar aid programs to underdeveloped nations existed before this time, the Peace Corps filled the missing link in that it provided a pool of trained manpower to meet the urgent needs of people. Instead of providing military aid or technical assistance, the volunteers aided the country by teaching its people agricultural techniques, digging wells or demonstrating the use of better health and hygiene practices.

The Oberlin College Peace Corps training program began in the Summer of 1963. Under the direction of Donald Reich (Professor of Government at Oberlin) and placed in the College of Arts and Sciences, a twelve-week training program was conducted to prepare Volunteers for service as teachers in the French-speaking West African countries of the Ivory Coast, Cameroon, and Gabon. Training occurred in such areas as Physical Education, French, American Studies, Civil Rights, Health, Math/Science, and World Affairs and Communism. In addition, an expedition to Chance Creek was planned so the recruits would have the benefit of a field experience before going to West Africa. The trainees were reviewed by a selection committee twice during the program and cuts were made for those who were not performing up to required standards.

The summer training program continued in 1964 and 1965 under the leadership of Paul Arnold (Professor of Art). The program peaked in 1964 when one hundred and thirty-eight participants enrolled. Part of their program consisted of further training at St. George's in Quebec, Canada.

In 1966, the program was directed by Lawrence Wilson (Professor of French and Italian). Under his leadership, volunteers began training for service in Chad. After one year, however, the training of Volunteers was discontinued at Oberlin College. The program was apparently terminated because the Peace Corps expected Oberlin College to train recruits for the Virgin Islands and the college declined.

During the four years the Peace Corps Training Program operated at Oberlin College, over two hundred and fifty volunteers from all over the country completed their training.