Washington, DC: American Revolution Bicentennial Commission

1971-1976

In 1971, after seventeen years in North Africa and Paris, having missed the 60s, the Civil Rights movement, and ERA efforts, Huston returned to the USA where she settled in Washington, DC. Having been known as Perdita Champey, she returned to her maiden name. 

Hugh Sidey of TIME-LIFE, Inc. facilitated contact with the Nixon administration to help Huston find employment upon return, and with the help of William Safire, then a Nixon White House senior speech writer, she became Director of the Women and Minorities Program for the American Revolution Bicentennial Commission from 1971 to 1974. She went on to serve as director of the Festival USA and Horizons ‘76 programs from 1974 to 1976. To accomplish all of this, she organized her own coalition of professional, educated women leaders.

While still in Paris in 1970, Huston met Marcel Diennet, a physician who had established for Vietnamese polio victims orphanages run by Roman Catholic nuns. On September 1, 1972, Huston and Diennet married in Rockville, Maryland. Their son Pierre-Marc was born March 21, 1973, in Bethesda. In 1975, Huston helped Diennet publish his book, Children of Phu-My. The couple divorced in Paris on May 17, 1976. Huston retained custody of their son.