Josh Hammond Oral History Interview

Abstract

Abstract

In this oral history interview, Josh Hammond, a University of South Florida alumnus, author, communications strategist, and public policy researcher, reflects on a life shaped by missionary childhood experiences in Bolivia, public service, and influential work in American social policy. Hammond recounts his upbringing in a remote Bolivian mission community during and after World War II, discussing cultural identity, education through correspondence schooling, interactions with Indigenous communities, and later research connecting his childhood experiences to broader historical events, including the presence of former Nazi officials in South America. The interview covers Hammond's transition to the United States, his experiences as a member of the University of South Florida's charter class, and his subsequent career in government, public policy, communications, and business. He discusses his work on higher education policy, contributions to the development of federal student aid programs, drug abuse prevention initiatives, service during the Nixon administration's drug policy efforts, research that informed the "Just Say No" movement, and later work on organizational quality, customer satisfaction measurement, and American cultural trends. Throughout the interview, Hammond reflects on leadership, public service, education, social change, and the cultural forces that shaped twentieth-century America.