Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-MR-2009-065-002
William W. (Bill) Thompson served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Colombia from 1965 to 1967 on an educational television project. Prior to joining, he worked at the WGBH television studio in Boston. Thompson was invited to join the Educational Television Program in Colombia that aimed to televise educational lessons countrywide. He attended 10 weeks of training in culture, first aid, history, and Spanish at California State College at Los Angeles. Thompson was stationed in Bogota, where he worked as a producer and director to videotape instructional television programs that would be broadcast to schools. He trained Colombians to sustain the project in the future. In addition, Thompson taught organ at the National University and played concerts. After his service, he married a fellow volunteer (Bernadette Spanuello) and continued to work in television broadcasting. Interviewed and recorded by Wendy McLaughlin, May 23, 2009. 1 tape (web streaming files combined into 1 file).