Oral Histories

Interview of Magdalene O'Rourke

Subtitle:
Project India: The Early Years
Series:
Project India
Topic:
UCLA and University of California History
UCLA History: Events and Projects
Interviewer:
Brownstein, Bettina Ellen
Interviewee:
O'Rourke, Magdalene
Supporting Documents:
Records relating to the interview are located in the office of the UCLA Library's Center for Oral History Research.
Language:
English
Copyright:
Regents of the University of California, UCLA Library.
Series Statement:
This is a series of interviews with former UCLA students who participated in Project India, a program founded by Adaline Guenther, executive secretary of the University Religious Conference. Operating at the height of the Cold War, Project India was a cultural exchange program in which UCLA students toured India, speaking to Indian students and attempting to familiarize them with American life and the benefits of democracy.
Abstract:
Initial contact with Project India; Reverend Robinson and the origins of Project India; Motivation for joining and expectations concerning India; Attitudes toward Nehru and Gandhi; Goals of Project India; Training program; First impressions and subsequent experiences in India; Role of Adaline Guenther in Project India; Continued discussion of Adaline Guenther; O ‘Rourke’ s illness in India; Poverty and sanitation in India; Evaluation of Project India’s effectiveness; Indian students’ ideas about U.S. and Americans; Influence of Project India experience on O’Rourke’s life.