ARCS Picks Hawaii for Annual Meet

There will be tropical breezes and flowers, moonlight and soft Hawaiian chants for members of ARCS (Achievement Rewards for College Scientists) attending the annual meeting at the Kahala Hilton on Oahu this week. Among Angelenos in the islands are Mrs. Stuart Davis, president of the national executive boards, ARCS Foundation Inc.; Mrs. James Goerz, president of the Los Angeles chapter; and Mrs. Thomas F. Grojean, president of Los Angeles ARCS Auxiliary Chapter.

TYLER PRIZE: What the black-tie crowd attending Alice Tyler’s black-tie dinner the other evening at Chasen’s found were two affable scientists--Gilbert White of the University of Colorado at Boulder and Richard Schultes of Harvard. White is an environmental geographer concerned about the effects of nuclear war; Schultes is a botanist who has explored the depths of the Amazon.

The two shared the Tyler Prize, splitting $150,000, as their wives, Anne White and Dorothy Schultes, watched among a crowd that included James and Marilyn Zumberge of USC and Craig and Elizabeth Black of the Museum of Natural History.

Nevertheless, it came as something of a surprise when White revealed he planned to donate his prize to causes he believes in, saving “just a little” so his wife can travel with him. She’s also a researcher and has done statistical studies on how much energy women in developing countries use to collect water each day--it’s one of their most time-consuming tasks, sometimes taking 60% of their day.

MAJOR MOVERS: L. S. B. Leakey Foundation Associates, including Kay Dale, Billie Bowly and Maggie Jagels, met recently to organize their Southern California Visiting Scientists Program for foundation donors. In the past six months, the foundation has awarded $150,000 to promising young scientists pursuing research into human evolution. Mary D. Leakey of Nairobi, currently touring the United States, will be feted soon by the foundation at a Napa Valley picnic at Clos du Bois Winery owned by foundation trustee Kay Wood and her husband, Frank.

GRACE AWARD: Jill Halverson, who learned a lot about personal courage and commitment as a Girl Scout, went on to found the Downtown Women’s Center to meet the needs of homeless women on Los Angeles’ Skid Row. Next Thursday at the Girls Scouts Fifth Annual Dinner at the Bonaventure, she receives the Grace Award. H. Frederick Christie, president of Southern California Edison Co., is honorary chairman and Sandra L. McNutt is dinner chairman. The evening salutes the 75th anniversary of the Los Angeles Girl Scouts. Past recipient Caroline Ahmanson will present the award.

SPECIAL DAY: Not only was Monday special for 3,000 Los Angeles schoolchildren, but also for the Music Center and Lorimar-Telepictures, which makes the Blue Ribbons’ Childrens Festival possible this week. In all, nearly 30,000 fifth-graders will be enjoying the Joffrey II ballet. At Monday’s luncheon in The Founders, Lorimar executives--including Dick Robertson and Barbara Brogliatti--listened while Esther Wachtell, Music Center executive vice president, presented commendations for Lorimar’s sponsorship of the festival. Chairman Sandra Ausman beamed as did her assistant, Louise Escoe; president Keith Kieschnick; Richard Englund, director of the Joffrey II; and Gerald Arpino, artistic director of the Joffrey Ballet. Blue Ribbon directors there included Ernestine Avery, Nancy Call, Jo Ann Ganz, Ruth Jones, Judy Murphy, Dina Oldknow, Nancy Petersen and Maggie Wetzel.

KUDOS: To Elaine and Leo Klein, donors of $50,000 to the UCLA Affiliates for Fine Arts Scholarships. They’re to be honored May 27 at the home of Madeline and Ronald Katz in West Los Angeles. Rue Pine is Affiliates president.

PAST PERFECT: Donald J. Atwood, executive vice president of General Motors Corp., discussed “Technical Innovation and Competitiveness” at the UCLA School of Engineering and Applied Science annual Recognition Dinner at the Century Plaza. The school’s highest distinctions went to Arden Bement Jr., vice president for technical resources at TRW, who received the Engineering Citation, and Edsel D. Dunford, TRW executive vice president, who was named Alumnus of the Year.