NationMaster - Encyclopedia: American Field Service

AFS was established in 1915 by A. Piatt Andrew, a political economics professor at Harvard University and a former U.S. Assistant Secretary of the Treasury as the American Field Service. Started as a volunteer ambulance corps in 1914, it has evolved into an international youth exchange organization and has been renamed to AFS Intercultural Programs. Image File history File links AFSLogo. ... Image File history File links AFSLogo. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require rewriting and/or reformatting. ... Harvard University campus (old map) Harvard University (incorporated as The President and Fellows of Harvard College) is a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. ... John W. Snow, the current Secretary of the Treasury. ...

AFS is now a worldwide, nonprofit organization that has been a leader in high school student exchange for nearly 60 years. AFS-USA sends more tahn 1,500 students to more than 40 countries each year; awards more than $1.5 million in financial aid and scholarships annually; places students from abroad with more than 2,800 U.S. families and is supported by more than 6,000 AFS Volunteers in the U.S. and 30,000 volunteers around the world.

1 History
2 Notable AFS Ambulance Corps Volunteers
3 See also
4 External links

History

Created as an ambulance arm for the American Hospital in Paris, the American Field Service cut its ties with the hospital to become a volunteer organization providing ambulance and transport services to the Allied forces in France during World War I. Andrew's idea originated from the Anglo-American Ambulance volunteer service, organized by American Marion Sims for service during the 1870-71 Franco-Prussian War. City flag City coat of arms Motto: Fluctuat nec mergitur Tossed by the waves, she does not founder Coordinates : , Time Zone : CET (GMT +1) Administration Subdivisions 20 arrondissements DÃ©partement Paris (75) RÃ©gion ÃŽle-de-France Mayor Bertrand DelanoÃ« (PS) City (commune) Characteristics Land Area 86. ... In general, allies are people or groups that have joined an alliance and are working together to achieve some common purpose. ... Combatants Allied Powers: British Empire France Italy Russia United States Central Powers: Austria-Hungary Bulgaria Germany Ottoman Empire Casualties Military dead: 5 million Military dead: 4 million The First World War, also known as The Great War, The War to End All Wars, and World War I (abbreviated WWI) was... Combatants France Prussia allied with German states (later German Empire) Commanders Napoleon III Helmuth von Moltke Strength 500,000 550,000 Casualties 150,000 dead or wounded 284,000 captured 350,000 civilian [citation needed] 100,000 dead or wounded 200,000 civilian [citation needed] The Franco-Prussian War (July...

Headquartered at an ancient château at 21 rue Raynouard in the Parisian suburb of Passy, the American Field Service had more than 800 volunteer ambulance drivers plus many transport sections. The AFS actively recruited its drivers from the campuses of American colleges and universities with individual ambulance units made up exclusively of drivers from particular universities. They all worked without pay, and ambulance driving required the volunteers to serve under extremely dangerous missions on the Front. There were 151 drivers with the AFS who were killed and a number of others earned the Croix de Guerre and the Legion of Honor for their heroic actions. Passy is an exclusive suburb on the Right Bank of Paris, France and traditional home to many of the citys wealthiest residents. ... The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of both Belgium and France which was first created in 1915. ... Medal for the officer class, decorated with a rosette Napoleon wearing the Grand Cross The President of France is the Grand Master of the Legion. ...

During World War I there was another volunteer ambulance corps in France called the Norton-Harjes Ambulance Corps as well as the American Red Cross service in Italy. When the United States entered the war in 1917, both the American Field Service and Norton-Harjes were merged into the U.S. Army Ambulance Corps on August 30, 1917. Also, once the Americans entered the war, many of AFS volunteers joined the U.S. armed forces as officers and served in the regular Army. A WWII-era poster encouraged American women to volunteer for the Red Cross as part of the war effort. ... August 30 is the 242nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (243rd in leap years), with 123 days remaining. ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ...

AFS Safari, group of exchange students hosted in Australia

Following the Great War, the AFS continued as a legal entity, offering student scholarships to France until World War II when they again provided ambulance service in France and as well in North Africa. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2576x1932, 1488 KB) Summary Picture taken by: Mick Boundy Author has realeased all rights from it. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2576x1932, 1488 KB) Summary Picture taken by: Mick Boundy Author has realeased all rights from it. ... Combatants Allies: Poland, United Kingdom, Soviet Union, France/Free France, United States, China, Canada, India, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Greece, Norway, Honduras, and others Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan, Bulgaria, Finland, Romania, Hungary, Burma, Slovakia Casualties Military dead: 17 million Civilian dead: 33 million Total dead: 50 million Military... Northern Africa (UN subregion) geographic, including above North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent. ...

In September 1946, Stephen Galatti, president of AFS established the American Field Service International Scholarships. During the 1947-48 school year the first students came from ten countries including Czechoslovakia, Estonia, France, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and Syria. As of 2005 there are over 50 AFS organizations worldwide, serving over 75 different countries, providing exchange opportunities for over 11,000 students and teachers annually. 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ...

AFS is one of the largest volunteer-based organizations of its kind in the world with more than 30,000 volunteers worldwide and more than 8,000 in the U.S. Tens of thousands of volunteers and a small staff make the AFS program happen worldwide. AFS volunteers are both young and old, busy professionals and retirees, and students and teachers.

While helping others, an AFS volunteer is also able to gain personally. While volunteering they experience the value of intercultural communication, develop and practice language, leadership, and professional skills as well as participate actively in community activities. AFS provides development and training opportunities for volunteers. The term volunteer is contested â€” there is no one agreed-to definition, and the term is frequently debated. ...

An AFS volunteer can help in many areas including facilitating the AFS mission in the local community and schools by finding and interviewing students and families. Further involvement includes serving as a contact person for an AFS student, organizing fundraising events, and arranging activities for AFS students. Volunteering also offers opportunities for leadership roles at the local, national and international levels.

Notable AFS Ambulance Corps Volunteers

Malcolm Cowley, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1963 Malcolm Cowley (1898 – March 27, 1989) was an American novelist, poet, critic, and journalist. ... Harry Crosby (1898-1929) was an American heir, bon vivant, minor poet, and for some, an exemplar of the Lost Generation in American literature. ... Sidney Coe Howard, born June 26, 1891 in Oakland, California, United States – died August 23, 1939 in Tyringham, Massachusetts, was a playwright and screenwriter who became the first person to win both a Pulitzer Prize and an Academy Award. ... John Howard Lawson (September 25, 1894 - August 11, 1977) was an American writer. ... Waldo Peirce (December 17, 1884 - March 8, 1970) was an American painter, born in Bangor, Maine. ... Robert William Service (January 16, 1874 â€“ September 11, 1958) was a poet born into a Scottish family while they were living in Preston, England. ...

Categories: Student exchange | 1915 establishments

Results from FactBites:

AFS Intercultural Programs - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (680 words)
	Piatt Andrew, a political economics professor at Harvard University and a former U.S. Assistant Secretary of the Treasury as the American Field Service.
	Created as an ambulance arm for the American Hospital in Paris, the American Field Service cut its ties with the hospital to become a volunteer organization providing ambulance and transport services to the Allied forces in France during World War I.
	When the United States entered the war in 1917, both the American Field Service and Norton-Harjes were merged into the U.S. Army Ambulance Corps on August 30, 1917.

History of the American Field Service in France. 1920. Introduction. (11456 words)
	JULES J. THE story of the American Field Service will be found in the section histories and in the narratives that follow, a story which shows the life that these American volunteers shared with their French comrades for upward of two years.
	In the American Ambulance Hospital in Neuilly, which up to this time had served as the Field Service Headquarters, there was only space in a little outhouse (comprising one room and a telephone booth) for the office, while the attic of the hospital was the only available dormitory for the men.
	The other services were not yet ready to train them and the long list of commissions in every branch of the United States Army received by American Field Service volunteers indicates that there was little loss in opportunity due to the fulfilment of their pledge.

More results at FactBites »

COMMENTARY

Share your thoughts, questions and commentary here

Want to know more?
Search encyclopedia, statistics and forums:

Feeds | Contact
The Wikipedia article included on this page is licensed under the GFDL.
Images may be subject to relevant owners' copyright.
All other elements are (c) copyright NationMaster.com 2003-5. All Rights Reserved.
Usage implies agreement with terms.

Contents

History GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Notable AFS Ambulance Corps Volunteers

See also

External links

History