Social and Technical Assistance Program records

The Social and Technical Assistance Program was a graduate-level curriculum intended for the education of recent graduates in oversees assistance. It began shortly after the U.S. entered the Korean War and followed Haverford’s previous Relief and Reconstruction program during World War II. Requirements for the program included the ability to “work harmoniously with people of different races and possibly under difficult and primitive circumstances” as well as a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university. Projects abroad mainly dealt with improvements in living conditions (i.e., infrastructure and domestic renovations) and required knowledge of engineering, agriculture, education, social work and public health. The mission statement of the program, as stated in its 1951 brochure, was that “the development of a peaceful world society depends on large-scale social, economic and political reorganization.” The program ran from 1951 to 1956, before it was phased out due to low attendance.