Jack H. Vaughn

Jack Hood Vaughn (August 18, 1920 – October 29, 2012) was the second director of the United States Peace Corps, succeeding Sargent Shriver.

Vaughn was born in Columbus, Montana, in 1920, the son of Elijah H. Vaughn and Blair (Cox) Vaughn.

Vaughn grew up in Montana where his father managed a retail store and eventually owned the Vaughn and Ragsdale stores.

Vaughn moved with his family to Albion, Michigan, in 1931 where his father managed a chain of clothing stores in Michigan and Montana.

Vaughn attended Albion Public Schools and graduated from Albion High School in 1939.

Vaughn began fighting professionally in 1942 under the name of "Johnny Hood."

"I was bumming around Mexico one summer when I ran out of money," Vaughn said.

"I decided I would take my boxing and turn pro, but I didn't know enough Spanish at the time to tell whether the agent said I would get 60 pesos for four rounds or four pesos for 60 rounds. You can guess which figure was correct."

Vaughn fought 26 featherweight bouts as a professional.

Vaughn tells the story that the first time he fought professionally in Mexico, the fans cheered enthusiastically but he couldn't make out what they were saying and he thought they were cheering him on.

It was only later that he learned that what the fans were shouting was "Kill the Gringo!"

"My first fight was down in Juarez," says Vaughn.

I was in the first of a four-round preliminary match.

My second was a high school kid from El Paso.

The crowd began to shout, 'Mata al Gringo!' I asked my second what they were saying.

He said, 'I think they're saying, "Welcome to Juarez."

A week later I found out what that meant." Mata al Gringo! later became the title for Vaughn's unpublished memoirs. Vaughn was the head boxing coach at University of Michigan from 1942 to 1943 and also taught Spanish, French and Latin American affairs while he was at the University of Michigan.

During World War II, Vaughn served as an officer in the United States Marine Corps as a rifle company commander and a combat intelligence officer from 1942 to 1946.

Vaughn saw combat in Eniwetok, Guam, and Okinawa.

Vaughn left the Marines with the rank of captain.

Vaughn earned the Purple Heart during his service.

"I was wounded three times, all in the rear end," says Vaughn.

Vaughn earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan in 1943.

Vaughn became interested in boxing as a youth and would spar with local boxers on the third floor of his father's building in Albion, Michigan where a makeshift gymnasium was located.

By age 14 Vaughn was boxing publicly in "smokers."

"Everyone was smoking Roi-Tan cigars," says Vaughn.

"We were fighting in a purple haze. It was $5 if you won, $3 if you didn't. The events featured three or four semi-pro boxing matches and one fairly professional striptease. If there was no striptease, they brought in the wrestlers."

Vaughn was a Golden Gloves boxer and won three Golden Gloves championships.

Vaughn would sometimes box in Detroit where he worked occasionally as a sparring partner for notable prizefighters, including Sugar Ray Robinson, Jake LaMotta, Willie Pep and Sandy Saddler.

After returning from World War II, Vaughn earned a Master of Arts in 1947 in Romance Languages from the University of Michigan and a Masters in economics.

Vaughn taught Spanish, French and Latin American affairs while he was at the University of Michigan and was also the head boxing coach.

"I wanted to be a professor of French literature," says Vaughn.

Vaughn continued fighting to earn extra money while he worked at the University of Michigan.

"I ended up losing the sight in my right eye in 1948," says Vaughn.

"So in 1949, I went to the State Department."

Vaughn joined the US Information Agency (USIA) in 1949 as director of the bi-national center in La Paz, Bolivia and later moved to Costa Rica with the USIA.

While working for the State Department in the 1950s Vaughn met several times with Che Guevara.

"I met him seven or eight times. Each time I liked him less," says Vaughn.

Vaughn joined the State Department in 1951 and spent 1951 to 1956 in Panama with the State Department.

Vaughn was appointed Peace Corps director in 1966 by President Lyndon Johnson and was the first Republican to head the agency.