Evening star., 1961-12-01
Mr.. Rusk
ReVertstO
Old Role
BY FRANCES LIDE
Star Staff Writer


Rusk was just a Mills Col
lege husband" for two hours
or so last night as he and
Mrs. Rusk joined other Mills
alumnae and their husbands
at a "Diwali" (Festival Of
Lights dinner at the Indian
Embassy.
1t was a nostalgia role for
the cabinet officer who not
only married a Mills gradu-
ate but formerly was a fac
ulty member of the Oakland,
(Calif.) college where, in
deed, he taught his future
wife two courses in her senior
year.
While Mrs. RuSk sat on the
floor with the other Mills
girls" to watch a program of
dances, the Secretary stood
with the men in the rear,
warmly applauding as the
daughters of Embassy Off
cials presented some of the
folk dances of their country.
Like the rest of the audi
ence. he was especially
charmed by the solo per-
formance of tiny Maithili
Chari. 11-year-old daughter
of the Assistant Cultural At
tache and Mrs. S. M. S.
Chari, who gave two inter-
pretations of one of India's
oldest classical dances.
And he beamed with pleas
ure as the doll-like little girl
put her arm on his shoulder
while a photographer was
taking their picture together.
Isn't she wonderful" he
said. Even in such a relaxed
atmosphere, however, it is
safe to assume that the
Secretary was not unmindful
of the affairs of state.
AS guests assembled in the
dining room for the Indian
supper-served buffet style
he and Ambassador B. K.
Nehru began a lengthy con-
versation which later was
continued upstairs while their
respective wives remained
with the guests.
The presence of the RuSks,
who obviously have been
longtime favorites in Mills
circles, added the final pleas
ure to what undoubtedly will
60 down as one of the Wash
ington Mills Alumnae Clubs
most memorable evenings.
Everyone who had been at
the Embassy before exclaimed
at the changes wrought by
Mrs. Nehru who has COM
pletely redecorated the recep-
ton floor and filled the
rooms with Indian art treas
ures she has been collecting
for years.
Mr.. SatiSh D. Kalelkar,
Public Relations Attache, saw
Mrs. Nehru and Mrs. John F.
Kennedy as kindred spirits
when he remarked that the
revival of ancient culture
has come both to 1900
Pennsylvania avenue and
2700 Macomb street,"
Mr.. Kalelkar acted as mas
ter of ceremonies for the
program but the whole eve
ming was the elimination Of
months of work by his wife.
Mrs. Kalelkar, a graduate
student at Mills in the mid
'30s. planned the event -
which raised funds for the
college-as a "thank-you"
for what Mills had done for
her.
Setting the stage for the
Indian evening were the
twinkling lights which lined
the driveway and terraces of
the Embassy in keeping with
the observance of "DiWali,'
traditional celebration usher
ing in the Hindu New Year.
And the occasion was COM
pleted by the typical Indian
menu which included pilao
(Safron-spiced rice with po-
tatoes and peas); lamb curry
North Indian style); mixed
vegetable curry (South In
dian style); rye-ta (yogurt
with cucumber and toma-
toeS; pouries pancake
like fried Indian bread;
gaajar halwa (an Indian
sweet made of carrots and
milk, topped with spun sill
yer leaf and coffee.
Mrs. John w. Collins III,
club president, extended
greetings.