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Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2015-023
Martin R. Ganzglass served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Somalia from 1966 to 1968 as a lawyer. He served alongside his wife Evelyn. Their Somalia IV training group at Columbia University Teachers College included both teachers and lawyers. As one of the lawyers, Ganzglass would help the newly independent country translate laws into English and integrate the diverse colonial legal systems. Assigned to the National Police Force headquarters in Mogadishu, Ganzglass advised officials in the interpretation and enforcement of laws. Working closely with police leadership, Ganzglass faced numerous challenges, including several with potential international repercussions. He and Evelyn, who was teaching in a girls school, taught English informally in their home and socialized with Somalis and fellow volunteers. The two years in Somalia formed the foundation of their strong marriage and resulted in life-long friendships with several Americans and Somalis, including a family of political refugees. Interviewed and recorded by Patricia Wand, February 25, 2015. 1 tape (web streaming files combined into 1 file). Note: Audio skips due a technical problem with the original tape.
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2015-028
Evelyn Ganzglass served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mogadishu, Somalia, from 1966 to 1968, with her husband Martin. They trained with the Somalia IV group at Columbia University Teachers College. After a brief in-country orientation, the couple was assigned to Mogadishu where Martin worked with the National Police Force and Evelyn taught English to elementary school girls in Primo Julio School. After the first year, Evelyn worked with the ethnographic National Museum to prepare for its re-opening, and conducted educational programs for school children and visitors. The couple taught English informally in their home and socialized with Somalis and fellow PC volunteers. Evelyn states that the years in Somalia formed the foundation of their strong marriage, and they made life-long friendships with several Americans and Somalis, including the Farah family whom the Ganzglasses sponsored as political refugees. 2 digital audio files (web streaming files combined into 1 file). Interviewed and recorded by Patricia A. Wand, April 22, 2015.