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Biography · Science & Inventions

Carolyn R. Payton

1925–2001

United States

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Biography

Carolyn Robertson Payton (May 13, 1925 – April 11, 2001) was appointed Director of the United States Peace Corps in 1977 by President Jimmy Carter. She was the first female and the first African American to be Peace Corps Director. Payton was a pioneer in black women's leadership within the American Psychological Association and psychology.

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Biography text · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source checked 2026-10-13

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