Junior League to Mark 60 Years of Service

Jean Webb Smith, wife of former U.S. Atty. Gen. William French Smith, has been asked to be the “honored speaker” April 8 when the Junior League of Los Angeles celebrates 60 years of service.

The special anniversary celebration is being staged by Julie Prewitt and Liz Freston at 6 p.m. in the Century Room of the Century Plaza Tower, and it’s expected to draw 500 league affiliates. Mrs. Smith, who’s frequently vowing to write her Washington memoirs, is a past president of not only the Los Angeles league, but also the Association of Junior Leagues.

According to Sue Patrick, president, four “Outstanding Sustainer Awards” will also be presented that evening around the birthday cake. After a process of recommendations, the winners turn out to be Mrs. Gabriel Carlos Duque, Mrs. Homer Toberman, Mrs. James McMahan and Mrs. Donald E. Dickerson.

Mary Duque, president of Childrens Hospital, will be lauded for her service to youth. Lucy Toberman, vice president of the Social Service Commission under Mayor Yorty and a founder of numerous volunteer organizations, including the Colleagues, will be praised for volunteerism. Jackie McMahan, originator of Angels for Autistic Children and the “mother” of the Angels Attic museum in Santa Monica, will be recognized for health and human services. Tam Dickerson will receive kudos in the arts, particularly for co-founding the Performing Tree, which takes art into the classroom for young students.

The Americana Associates, a group of women selected to support the beautification program of the diplomatic reception rooms of the Department of State in Washington, is busily planning a gala honoring the Baroness Nadine de Rothschild of Paris and Geneva.

The baroness is the dear friend of Mrs. George C. Bales, ball chairman. At a luncheon at the Valley Hunt Club hosted by co-chairman Mrs. Warren W. Williamson, the baroness’ achievements in art, dance, theater, journalism and philanthropy were discussed. Monday, the Associates will lunch in the Pavillion Room of the Bistro Gardens, courtesy of Mrs. William Vincent, to make further plans. Marion and Florence Malouf (Associates founders), Dona Kendall, Gini Braun, Lydia Hunt Webb, and Mrs. Robert Anderson, Mrs. Richard Eamer, Mrs. Glen Holden, Mrs. Morey Mirkin, Mrs. William Vincent and Mrs. John Yoell will be there.

Wife of Baron Edmond de Rothschild, the baroness is the author of the European best-seller, “The Baroness Returns at Five O’Clock.” Mrs. William French Smith is a previous honoree.

It was OK for Greer Garson to be blushing ruby color the other evening when the Ruby Ball Committee, Jimmy Murphy and Nat Dumont garnered her for a special cocktail reception at Jimmy’s Restaurant in Beverly Hills. After all, she’s to receive the prestigious Lifelighter’s Award April 5 at the 35th annual Ruby Ball.

The occasion also gave ball chairman Maureen Womack a good reason to present a glamorous sneak preview of the fashion extravaganza to be presented at the ball by Jeanne Hillis of Palm Springs. The cause is the John Wayne Cancer Clinic at UCLA.

Baseball Commissioner Peter Ueberroth and Bob Mathias, congressman and Olympic gold medalist, will be in the spotlight April 26 at the fifth annual Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation Ball at the Century Plaza.

Richard J. Flamson III, general chairman, has sent letters to round up corporation support. Ueberroth receives the Semper Fidelis (Always Faithful) prize; Mathias gets the John Wooden Sportsman Award.

Los Angeles will follow New York (April 11), Chicago (April 12) and Philadelphia (April 18) in the line-up of Marine scholarship balls. Commandant of the Marine Corps P. X. Kelley has said he’ll be here for the Los Angeles affair.

Nationwide, the foundation granted scholarships totaling $400,000 from the previous ball.

Joining Flamson on the committee are a group including Michael A. Durkin, Roland E. Arnall, Robert F. Erburu, Robert R. Hubbard, Thomas V. Jones, Lodwrick M. Cook, Warren Christopher, James R. Dent, Dr. Allen E. Puckett, William D. Schulte, Sanford C. Sigoloff and Robert Conrad.

The top-paying partyers christening the West Valley’s first luxury hotel, the Woodland Hills Marriott, will arrive with their ‘jammies and overnight bags.

How else do you open a hotel? The Cultural Foundation, which is the group with a single-focus idea to build and operate two cultural parks in the San Fernando Valley (ARTS PARK in the Sepulveda Basin with a 2,500-seat theater and a 2,000-seat outdoor performance glen, and Warner Ranch Park in the West Valley, with a Warner Performing Arts Square with a 650-seat theater, a 1,200-seat concert hall and an outdoor pavilion) has the prize for a benefit. Already 600 reservations are in, and Elaine Verchick and Rochelle Goldstein expect 200 more.

The new hotel is being very accommodating so that the group can net $100,000, for sure. But only those paying the corporate level $250 per person will receive the full accouterments: dinner dance (with Horace Heidt Jr.’s orchestra and a 45-minute show with Margaret Avery, who is up for an Oscar as best supporting actress in “The Color Purple”), an “afterglow” party, the overnight with room gifties such as baskets of wine, freshly baked breads and jams, and the champagne brunch for Sunday morning recovery.

But for $150, guests can attend the dinner dance, stay overnight and recover, too. For $100, just the dinner dance, no recovery.

Rather giddy about it all is the hard-working team including Madeleine Landry, who’s bringing in patrons and sponsors with H. F. “Bert” Boeckmann II, board chairman of the foundation; Ross Hopkins, Maury Rosas, Sandy Jacobs, Georgette Tarantini, Barbara Meyers, Marion Sacks, Mary Ann Hart, Sue Mose, Cordella Owens and Luke Bandle, general manager.

Now really? How could one chairman pack it all into one evening? Bob Hope; Phyllis Diller; Andy Williams and choir; the International Children’s Choir; Nanette Fabray doing sign language to “Always” as Williams wafted; Richard Kaufman’s orchestra; an invocation by the Rev. Robert Schuller; remarks by William J. Popejoy, Dr. William F. House, and Dr. Howard P. House; and the presentation of a Humanitarian Award to George C. Page with Page anecdotes. Not to mention watercress soup, veal chop with Chanterelle Sauce and tri-Sorbet decorated with a chocolate rose?

“She’ll do it--you wait and see,” said best-friend Barbara Bowie of Newport Beach.

Sure enough, Lynn Hirsch remarkably did. The gowned and coifed crowd for the annual House Ear Institute benefit at the Beverly Hilton was calling for the posh cars at 10:20 p.m., one of the earlier ending benefits lately.

Bob Hope and Dolores were the last to arrive, then they stepped smartly with big-smiling Gen. William Westmoreland and his wife, Kitsie, and their house-guests, nodding to Barbara and Alex Bowie, Trish and John O’Donnell, Marjorie and Dr. Cornelius Pings, Peggie and Bob Bales, and Jo and Jean Pierre Gleis. They nestled in at Clement and Lynn Hirsch’s table, and within winking distance were Jimmy and Gloria Stewart. Nearby, a table of ladies in chic black and their spouses/dates included Betty and Bob Adams, Erlenne and Norman Sprague, Chardee and Tuck Trainer, Virginia Milner with Arden Day, and Arthur and Merle Park.

Athalie Clarke, Associates founder, was among those getting a charge from Hope’s funnies: “The House Brothers--probably the only houses in America that are not owned by Marcos.” And from Diller’s hilarious tale of curing a hearing loss by putting on a fur coat, a dog collar and barking for a veterinarian.

Enjoying it all were Dr. Joseph and Ann Van der Meulen, Roger Williams, the Edward Carsons, Rev. Maurice Chase, the Robert Docksons, Marilyn Duque, the Felix Farwells, Tom and Louise Jones, Carl and Margaret Karcher, Gordon and Jane Odell, Loretta Young, Fern McAlister, Walter Coombs, Fred O’Green, the John Raitts, the Holmes Tuttles, Esther and Tom Wachtell, and a batch of Clement and Lynn Hirsch’s offspring, including Shelly, Barbara and Tiffany Barr (she brought Patrick von Tscharner from the University of San Diego), Greg and Rita Hirsch (expecting their first baby), Clement Jr., and more.

Another glossy one-nighter: the tribute from the Pasadena Symphony directors and their president, Dr. John Tarr, to long-time patron Georgie (Mrs. Harry) Van de Kamp at the Art Center College of Design.

It was the warm and friendly kind of affair--about 200 black-tie friends viewing the “Hockney at Art Center” exhibit over caviar and Chandon Blanc de Noirs before candlelight dining and tributes both impromptu and extemporaneous around a concert by the Pasadena Boys Choir.

Tributes came from the heart, and there were at least a dozen for the 30-year symphony patron, who is a former president of the symphony board and a founder of the Pasadena Youth Music Council. They came from director Jorge Mester; from Dori Barnes; from Descanso Gardens friend Mary Kay Brashears; Alyce Williamson; Bill Rodiger; Joseph Wyatt; her son, Attorney Gen. John Van de Kamp; and Tarr, attending with wife Beverly.

Creating the gala were Penny Lusche, Renee Hanson, Ellie Jones and Bill Peters with an assist from fund-raising vice president Anthony Hatch and the Art Center’s new president, David Brown, attending with his wife, Judy; Ron Jernigan; Martha Chandler; Warren Williamson; Kay Paschall; and Bill Croxton.

We’re informed the invitations are gold, what else, for the invitational cocktail buffet and viewing of “Gold Boxes From the Gilbert Collection” Thursday evening at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The Decorative Arts Council headed by Blanche Moss is co-hosting with the museum.

On the Agenda:

Dorothy Kirsten will speak on her career with the Metropolitan Opera and her role in combatting Alzheimer’s disease on Thursday when the San Marino League hosts a luncheon at the home of Mrs. Alexander Varga in San Marino. Mrs. Robert Blackburn is president. . . . The Children’s Service League and Beryl Peterson, benefit chairman, will “Salute Spring” Wednesday at the 38th annual Rainbow Luncheon in the Grand Ballroom of the Beverly Wilshire. Funds will go to the Brace Fund of Orthopaedic Hospital. . . . British costume designer Stella Mary Newton addresses the Costume Council of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art on “The Dress and the Lives of the Ladies of Venice (1497-1797)” Monday afternoon in the Bing Theater. . . . The South Bay Cancer and Health Care Foundation hosts a renaissance gourmet dinner Saturday at the Marriott Hotel in Torrance. . . . Women in Show Business will hear Tova Borgnine talk on skin care Tuesday at Sportsmans Lodge in Studio City. . . . Palm Springs residents and long-time supporters of the Palm Springs Desert Museum, Walter and Doris Marks, will be honored for their many contributions to the museum at the annual benefit Saturday. Hal Broderick is benefit chairman.

Past Perfect:

Virginia S. Milner was hostess at the Bistro Pavillion honoring past presidents of the Los Angeles Orphanage Guild. President June Ganey introduced a lot of the past presidents including Cass Armistead, Mollie Bergesch, Julie Cahill, Onnalee Doheny, Julia Dockweiler, Diane Downey, Marjorie Fairbanks, B Foster, Gerry Frawley, Pat Hickey, Jane Powell, Verle Pozzo and Voula Waters. Giney’s a past president, too. Kay Lupo and Ruth LeSage were revealing plans for the guild’s annual dinner dance May 16 in the Century Plaza Tower, according to Harriet Weaver Vasque. . . . Luta and Judson Swearingen feted newlyweds Carola and Mark Brandler at a dinner dance at the Bel-Air Country Club. . . . Palos Verdes National Charity League Ticktockers were in the spotlight at the annual Medallion Luncheon/Fashion Show at the Beverly Wilshire.

Nearly 100 supporters of the Marianne Frostig Center Auxiliary gathered in the upstairs at La Couronne for a reception hosted by Jeannie Riordan Mule and Lud Rennick of the restaurant to kick off the auxiliary’s “In the Pink--A Night of Polo” on April 12 at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center. That night Harvey Korman will be the first recipient of the Marianne Frostig Memorial Award for Service to Learning Disabled Children. The Los Angeles Polo Team will play Hawaii.