Smith, Top Brass to Be at Air Force Ball

William French Smith, former U.S. attorney general, will lead the 40th-anniversary celebration of the Air Force Friday evening at the 16th annual Air Force Ball at the Century Plaza. Promising to be there are Secretary of the Air Force Edward C. Aldridge; Gen. Larry Welch, chief of staff of the Air Force; Gen. John Chain, commander of the Strategic Air Command, and Gen. Bernard Randolph, commander of Air Force Systems Command.

The ball is a fund-raiser for Scholarships for Children of American Military Personnel (SCAMP) and the Aerospace Education Foundation.

Hollywood pizazz will come from Art Linkletter, master of ceremonies, and Anne Jeffreys, singing the national anthem. Dick Van Patten and Richard Anderson will present the scholarships.

ROMANCE: Every organization should have a national honorary chairman like Jane Seymour. She was instrumental in getting the Southern California Chapter of the National RP Fighting Blindness’ first spectacular off the ground, with lots of credit, too, to Esther Rosenfield and Miranda Clinco. Nearly 500 watched the Torie Steele Boutique celebrity fashion show at “An Evening of Romance” at Filmland in Culver City. Culminating the evening was singer Clint Holmes (whom Jane had watched in Monte Carlo), who received a standing ovation. Arthur Simon designed the Art Deco theme with Mylar palms and fabulous ‘40s star posters. His and hers Cartier watches were raffled. Jane modeled Bernard Perris and Vicky Tiel outfits and spent the remainder of the evening in a black Emanuel, designed by the English couple (David and Elizabeth) who design for Princess Diana. She was joined by her husband David Flynn and her parents, Dr. John and Mieke Frankenberg, who flew in especially for the event. Notables included Essam and Layla Khashoggi (she modeled, too), Vin and Sandi Scully.

PAST PERFECT: Della Koenig and Carina Courtright Quasha represented Los Angeles at the Casita Maria settlement house gala in New York at the Pierre. . . . Rusty Chandler introduced Linda Alvarez, KNBC-TV co-anchor, at the Auxiliary of the Hospital of the Good Samaritan fall luncheon. . . . Norma and John Bowles hosted a Mexican fiesta around their Beverly Hills pool. . . . The Friends of Child Advocates hosted their annual public affairs luncheon with an address by state Atty. Gen. John Van de Kamp that focused on the plight of more than 32,000 neglected children currently in the custody of Dependency Court in Los Angeles.

Whittier College’s President Eugene S. Mills and the trustees will preside over the John Greenleaf Whittier Society’s fifth annual dinner Nov. 6 at the Century Plaza. The affair is chaired by Rayburn S. Dezember and co-chaired by Manuel R. Caldera, Caroline P. Ireland and William H. Marumoto. Harold S. Voegelin is society chairman. Elizabeth Hanford Dole will be guest speaker. Former speakers: Gerald R. Ford, Henry A. Kissinger, Jeane J. Kirkpatrick and Helmut Schmidt.

HALLOWEENING: Some of Hollywood’s best-known families, with their teen-agers, will be at the De Laurentiis Entertainment Group’s screening of “Date With an Angel” Saturday and at the Hollywood Picnic Celebration to benefit UNICEF’s “America Celebrates Children” 40th-anniversary campaign salute. The daylong festivities begin with the 11 a.m. screening at the AMC Theatre complex in Century City; the picnic on the Beverly Hills High School lawn follows. DEG promises to match voluntary contributions to UNICEF at the picnic dollar-for-dollar.

FESTIVAL OF MASKS: Just on the eve of Halloween, crafts artist Ann Hallatt of Sausalito will demonstrate the art of mask-making for craft collectors attending the public benefit opening of the fourth Los Angeles-based Contemporary Crafts Market Friday evening. A bargain at $10, it’s a benefit for the Craft and Folk Art Museum. Weekend craft shoppers are expected en masse for the continuing Saturday and Sunday exhibition, featuring 200 crafts designers at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium

PLAUDITS: A custom-built bronze sundial is now a permanent fixture at Descanso Gardens. It was presented Sunday to George Lewis, superintendent, in honor of Forrest Kresser Smith, now of Dana Point, the first president of Descanso Gardens Guild. Honoring their mother on her 75th birthday and the 30th anniversary of the guild were Bob Kresser, Germaine Dietsch of Aspen, Lynette Sandford of San Francisco, Suzanne Halverson and Al Kresser.

EAGLETS: Dorcus Hardy, commissioner of the Social Security Administration and one of the highest woman appointees in the Reagan Administration, will be honored guest Saturday at the Biltmore Bowl when Southern California Girl Scout councils from San Diego to Santa Barbara host a Gold Award Tea and honor Girl Scout Golden Eaglets.

Those are the women who received Girl Scouting’s highest award between the years of 1916 and 1940. According to Florence Newsom, executive director of Angeles Girl Scout Council, more than 100 in the Southland have been identified (most range in age from the late 60s to the early 80s) as receiving the coveted award, including Helen Schneider Brand of Beverly Hills, Ruth M. Kenny of Los Angeles and Theresa I. Platz of Pasadena. It’s a 75th anniversary Girl Scout occasion.

UPDATE: Amidst the music and laughter of Houston Allred and led by Jane Wyman and the Rev. J. Andrew Herman, SCJ, supporters of Saint Monica Catholic High School viewed the Ruser “Historical Ships” exhibition at Victor Salmones Gallery in Beverly Hills and dined at the Bistro Garden to benefit scholarships and the endowment. . . . Arthur and Bella Simon preview their Holiday Collection at 305 N. Robertson Blvd. in Beverly Hills at 7 p.m. today to benefit Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. . . . Richard Dunhill, chairman of Alfred Dunhill Ltd., will be at One Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills Nov. 10 at a champagne and hors d’oeuvres party to celebrate the opening of the new store. . . . Ronnie and Michael Kassan hosted an elegant dinner at Jimmy’s to pass the Golden Key Foundation president’s gavel to Betty Deutsch. Ronnie is past president. The foundation supports Reiss-Davis Child Study Center. . . . USC’s Fisher Gallery hosts a reception Tuesday evening to open “Sense of Place” and the work of D. J. Hall, F. Scott Hess and John Valadez.