Ambassador to Finland: To Helsinki and Summitry

Ambassador to Finland Rockwell Schnabel and his wife Marna have been in town a few days. This evening Susy and Michael Niven, Bonnie and Bob Erie and Tappy and Chip Hunt will host a small cocktail party and buffet at the Nivens’ home to say farewell before the Schnabels hurry back to Helsinki to be there for Secretary of State George Shultz’s fifth visit and to prepare for President Reagan’s arrival in May en route to summit meetings.

According to the ambassador, the Finns are excited because it will be the first U.S. presidential visit since President Ford was there in 1974, and it comes in the year when the Finns are celebrating the 350th anniversary of their landing in Delaware. Just before the ambassador left for this home visit, he introduced President Reagan “on tape” to 1,700 Finns at a Finland/U.S. gala presided over by Finland’s President Mauno Koivisto.

Like everyone, the Schnabels are rushing to complete income tax returns. Also, they’re giving attention to the completion (due in August) of the unique home architect Frank Gehry has designed for them in Brentwood. “It’s up and running, looking wonderful,” commented the ambassador. They got away for four days in Palm Desert with their children (Mary Darrin at USC, Christy Ann at UCLA and Evan at Cate) at the home of Marna’s parents, Bruce and Mary Del Mar.

Among the coterie invited for tonight’s party are Darien Earle and Lee Iacocca, Ted Hartley and Dina Merrill, Barbro Taper, Bill and Teran Davis, Maria Hummer and George McCambridge, Penny and Adam Bianchi, Steve and Kitty Moses, Libby and Will Doheny, Lisa Specht, Katrina and Chris Cord, Chuck Arnoldi.

CHEERS: Pomona College celebrates the announcement of the completion of its fund-raising campaign--the largest ever attempted and achieved by a liberal arts college--Friday evening at a dinner dance in Marston Quadrangle on campus. It’s only one event in a weeklong celebration of Pomona’s centennial.

George Moody, trustees president, expects to call to the bandstand H. Russell Smith, chairman emeritus; John Jorgensen, chairman of major gifts; Marylyn Pauley, development chair, and David Alexander, Pomona College president.

And the news will be superb. Just an idea of what’s to come: The college embarked on a capital campaign of $80 million in 1982, increased that in 1986 to $130 million, and the new total is--to be the surprise on Friday.

FRENCH QUARTER: Filmland Center’s Grand Atrium becomes a French Quarter on April 24 for Gold Shield’s New Orleans Mardi Gras fete. Some 600 are expected. Gold Shield members and spouses will sport tiaras and crowns; guests are invited to “strut your stuff.”

Co-chairs Sharla Boehm, Toby O’Brien and Barbara Robins will stage a feast (bisques, gumbos, jambalayas), Dixieland jazz and festival flair. More involved are Pat Anderson, Ellen Burns, Jody Postley, Carroll Johnson, Nancy Naylor, Pat Hardwick, Judy Levin (Gold Shield president), Sheila Cameron, Lynne Welch and Susan McGehee. Proceeds will benefit UCLA scholarships, the Gold Shield Faculty Prize and the university’s oral history program.

AXIA!--Following Greek Holy Week and on very short notice, about 200 friends of Greek-Americans in the Arts and Entertainment hosted a reception honoring Olympia Dukakis on Tuesday evening in the San Marino historical house of Helen and Bill Lambros. There were few regrets sent in response to the invitations, even before Olympia took the Best Supporting Actress Award at the Oscar event the evening before.

The dolmades (rice wrapped in grape leaves), the kourabiedes (diamond-shaped desserts), walnut cake and small sandwiches brought a happy crowd together--Gene Chronopoulos, president of Greek Americans in the Arts and Entertainment; Valerie Massalas, Tony and Sophie Mastor, Dr. Jim and Clemo Soules, Rena Bravos, John Stathatos, Helen Stathatos, Dina Oldknow, Tizzie and Frank Huttinger, George Chakiris, Telly Savalas, Dean Tavoularis, Ted and Chris Pastras, Andrea Karasikis, Yvonne Kezios, as well as Olympia’s brother, Apollo and his wife Maggie, who are both involved with Olympia in The Whole Theater in New Jersey.

When Helen Lambros, who had cooked for three days, raised her arm in tribute to the star--”Bravo! (congratulations) Zeto! (long life) Axia! (worthy),” the crowd responded wildly.

SURPRISE: Don Fedderson, Hollywood figure and producer of “Family Affair” and “My Three Sons,” celebrated his 75th birthday with dual surprises.

First his wife Yvonne Fedderson honored him with the dedication of the Don Fedderson Lobby of the Los Angeles Center of Childhelp USA, as she, a Childhelp co-founder, and fellow co-founder Sara O’Meara looked on. Then he was whisked off to the Bel Age Hotel. Guests, whose birthday gifts to Fedderson were donations to Childhelp, included Fred de Cordova, Norm Crosby, Cathy Lennon, Phyllis Diller, Alice Tyler, Anne Jeffreys, June Haver MacMurray, Phil Olsen, Danny Thomas, Betty White and Efrem Zimbalist Jr.

RIB-TICKLING: It’s to be a funny dinner Sunday when celebrities from sports and entertainment honor Dick Butkus at a roast. Brandon Tartikoff is master of ceremonies at the Beverly Wilshire.

Lydia and Charlton Heston, national honorary chairmen, and the Retinitis Pigmentosa International board of trustees are teaming up to fight blindness with the NFL Alumni Los Angeles chapter. Chairmen are Tartikoff, Mike Ditka, Fredric N. Richman and Mark Teitelbaum.

SPRINGTIME: The roses are blooming, and it’s time for the trustees, overseers and Huntington interim director Martin Ridge of the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens to honor the Society of Fellows with a spring luncheon and garden party. It’s April 23. . . .

Libros y Artes presents “The Garden as Art: A Sensory Realm” Friday, Saturday and Sunday and hosts a Moonlit Garden Preview this evening honoring author Sybil Connolly in La Sala at San Juan Capistrano.

KUDOS: To PR pioneer Warren Cowan, chairman of Rogers & Cowan Inc., for his proclamation from Beverly Hills Mayor Benjamin Stansbury. . . . To Jeanne Reynolds, new president of the Inner Circle, Los Angeles Childen’s Museum support group. . . . To Richard P. Cooley, who addressed Town Hall this week. . . .

SORRY: U.S. Ambassador to Ireland Margaret M. Heckler is a former congresswoman from Massachusetts, not Connecticut.