Jack Hood Vaughn (August 18, 1920 – October 29, 2012)[2] was the second director of the United States Peace Corps, succeeding Sargent Shriver.

[5] 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.

[5] Vaughn would sometimes box in Detroit[4] where he worked occasionally as a sparring partner for notable prizefighters, including Sugar Ray Robinson, Jake LaMotta, Willie Pep and Sandy Saddler.

"[7] Coates Redmond described Vaughn as "barely medium height, slight of build, with ginger-colored hair and a 1940s moustache to match, quietly spoken and careful of gesture" in her history of the early years of the Peace Corps, Come As You Are.

"[8] Shriver admired Vaughn's courage and felt anyone who would brave the ring with Sugar Ray Robinson would have the grit to fight for the Peace Corps in Latin America so when the Peace Corps decided to send volunteers to teach in Venezuela in 1963 despite the presence of Castro communists, Shriver made Vaughn his point man.

[8] By the time he left after two-and-a half years in the position, there were 2,500 volunteers working in rural and urban development in Latin America.

[14] The New York Times printed a story on January 10, 1964, criticizing the administration for leaving the post vacant and saying the vacancy had contributed to anti-American riots in Panama.

[10] "It was a time of total war when the Pentagon was thinking of nothing else, like revising agreements or other annoyances like these, because they needed the military bases for training the troops," Vaughn said.

"[19] During his trip, Vaughn talked with hundreds of workers and peasants and with the leaders of Mexico, El Salvador, Panama, Ecuador, Chile, Bolivia, and Peru.

[19] When Johnson picked Sargent Shriver to head up his "War on Poverty" in 1966, Vaughn was named Peace Corps director.

[20] In the same committee meeting Morse was also the sole vote against Lincoln Gordon to succeed Vaughn as Assistant Secretary for Inter-American Affairs.

[20] During the hearings Senator Laushe of Ohio asked Vaughn about reports that some Peace Corps volunteers did not dress properly.

In other countries also we are finally beginning to deal with the real problems of the day - peace and poverty and war and changing attitudes and hatred.

[24] "Jack Vaughn I first met out in a little fishing village in Africa, but he, like Sargent Shriver, I observed on that first meeting, is a disciple of peace," said President Johnson.

"[23][24] Vaughn said that his first task as Director would be to visit Peace Corps programs around the world, meet staff members and volunteers and explain his plans.

[22] Vaughn meant that literally and started at the top of the 12-story Peace Corps Headquarters building to personally meet and shake hands with every employee.

[7] The New York Times reported on October 6, 1966, that Vaughn had left for Africa to investigate an unusually large number of complaints by Peace Corps Volunteers regarding their living allowances and working conditions in Nigeria.

[26] Vaughn's itinerary included stops in Senegal, Nigeria, and Liberia to inspect Peace Corps operations in the three countries.

"[28] Vaughn thought that too many volunteers were more concerned with proposed reductions in the living allowances, vehicle restrictions, and the closing of hostels than with the work they had come to do.

[25] Vaughn spent two years reappraising overseas operations, administration, training, and selection and created a more efficient programming mechanism.

[31] Ralph Dungan, the US ambassador to Chile at the time, said the petition was a "clear violation" of standard State Department procedures and that volunteers had been cautioned about limiting their modes of expressing their opinion.

[33] A Harris poll conducted with college students in 1968 found that "One-quarter of the seniors agree that 'a lot of people who might have joined the Peace Corps a few years ago are staying away because of their opposition to United States policy in Vietnam.

[33] Former US Marine Officer Vaughn[6] took an active role in seeking deferments for Peace Corps Volunteers subject to the draft.

[34] After 25 volunteers were called home for induction Vaughn said he would take an active role in seeking deferments before the Presidential Appeal Board - the court of last resort for draft reclassification.

[35] Vaughn recounted how he had met with Republican Senator Barry Goldwater, the conservative candidate for president in 1964, at a senior staff meeting.

[35] "After serious questioning on what Kennedy's new agency was all about, Arizona's Goldwater swore that the Peace Corps embodied virtually every one of the most noble aspects and values of the Republican Party," wrote Vaughn.

For example, while Ambassador to Colombia, Vaughn, a former boxer, refereed boxing matches for the flyweight, lightweight, and middleweight finals in the Colombian National amateur championships held in Cartagena.

[39] Vaughn noted that one difference from the United States is that the referee in Colombia is not allowed to touch the fighters when calling on them to break a clinch.

"[40] On October 8, 1970, Vaughn was named President of the National Urban Coalition replacing John W. Gardner, former Secretary of Health Education and Welfare.

[41] Vaughn's responsibilities as chief executive officer of the organization were to run day-to-day operations of the coalition's chapters in 48 cities in the United States.