Dr. Peter Ross Oral History
Object number2024.001.0002
Date01/10/2024
ClassificationsOral Histories
Oral history interview subject
Dr. Peter Ross
Oral history interviewer
Stephen Fagin
ObjectOral history
Credit LineOral History Collection/The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza
MediumBorn digital (.mp4 file), Born digital (.vtt file), Born digital (.m4a file)
DimensionsDuration: 66 Minutes
Terms
- Oral histories
- Civil rights
- Cuban Missile Crisis
- Assassination
- Volunteers
- Protests
- Integration
- Race relations
- Segregation
- Racism
- 1960s
- Education
- World response
- Religion
- Voting
- Kennedy, John F.
- Peace Corps
- Peace Corps
- Ku Klux Klan
- India
- Civil Rights and Social Activism (OHC)
- Peace Corps (OHC)
- Dallas and 1960s History and Culture (OHC)
Collections
- All Online Objects
- Oral History Collection
DescriptionVideotaped oral history interview with Dr. Peter Ross. A graduate student at the University of California, Berkeley, Ross joined the Peace Corps and served in India from 1963 to 1965. Before and after his experience in the Peace Corps, he was active in the Civil Rights Movement.
Interview conducted via Zoom on January 10, 2024 by Stephen Fagin. The interview is one hour and six minutes long.
Curatorial CommentaryWhile the assassination of President Kennedy had a profound impact on the United States, it was also significant on a global scale. The Museum's Collection includes oral histories with individuals who share their memories of the assassination from outside of the United States, including countries in Asia, Africa, and South America. The Collection includes numerous international newspapers and magazines. A selection of these objects may be found in the Museum's online collections database: Search "world response" (Objects) – Search – The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza. - Riley Harris, Collections Cataloger
In 2011, Santa Clara Magazine published an article by Dr. Peter Ross about his involvement with the Peace Corps in India. He discusses several of the same topics shared in this oral history, but he also shares additional details not mentioned in this recording. He also recalls memories of John F. Kennedy before leaving for India and his annual reflection on the assassination. The article can be found on Santa Clara Magazine's website here: Peter Ross - Santa Clara Magazine.
- Riley Harris, Collections Cataloger
Dr. Peter Ross participated in an interview for Santa Clara University's Living History Program, published on April, 25, 2025. The project aims to facilitate conversations between retired staff members and current gerontology minors at the university. Through these discussions, the staff members share their legacy, offering perspectives on aging, education, and values. Dr. Peter Ross conversed with Cindy Zhu about his mathematics education path and career; his time in the Peace Corps; and his impact on the university as a professor. The interview can be watched on the Santa Clara University Library website: "Ross, Peter, Math and Computer Science, interviewed by" by Cindy Zhu. - Riley Harris, Collections Cataloger
The Museum's Oral History Collection includes several interviews and public programs with Peace Corps volunteers highlighting the organization's history and individual's personal experiences. A selection of these interviews and recordings may be found in the Museum's online database here: Thesaurus – Vocabularies – The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza. - Riley Harris, Collections Cataloger