A Grand Old Party for Senator’s Wife

California Sen. Pete Wilson surprised wife Gayle with a birthday party at the Hay-Adams in Washington. Among the 60 arriving for dinner were Vice President-elect Dan and Marilyn Quayle, Assistant Secretary of Commerce Donna and Presidential Assistant Bob Tuttle, Tom and Travis Kranz, Sen. Bob and Elizabeth Dole. The Tuttles and Kranzes are Angelenos.

WELCOME BACK: Richard M. Ferry and the the partners of Korn/Ferry International hosted a reception at the California Club to welcome home Ambassador Lester B. Korn, U.S. representative to the U.N. Economic and Social Council, from his service with the United Nations. Carolbeth Korn, the diplomat’s wife, was among those greeting guests with Maude Ferry and discussing details of the Korns’ new Beverly Hills home (24-foot ceilings).

In the crowd were Walter Gerken, Warren Christopher, Peter Mullin, Dan Frost, Ken and Bobbie Galpin, Mike Curb and his sister Carole, former United Way President Francis X. MacNamara and his wife Barbara, and new United Way President Leo P. Cornelius.

Dec. 29 the Korns host a reception for Japanese Ambassador to the United Nations Makoto Taniguchi, who will be a house guest of the Korns.

YOUNG SET: The Bachelors of Los Angeles, the Spinsters of Los Angeles and Los Solteros (translates as the bachelors)--longtime prominent social groups on the singles scene--are December active.

The Bachelors hosted their annual stag dinner at Chasen’s this month with Sean McCarthy, stag night chairman, and president Walter Wilson at the helm. The following gentlemen have been elected to membership: Scott Adair, Charles Bell, Scott Brittingham, John Conn, Charles Donnelly, Victor Feathers, Richard Gayton, Michael Gottlieb, Martin Menne, Foster Parriott, Dennis Riley, Daniel Sibson, David Spencer, Brett Trauthen, Steven Walton and Anthony Witteman.

SPINSTERS: They have elected Sonja M. Ledergerber of Beverly Hills president and Angelica Kusar and Beth Pearson first and second vice presidents. Colleen Kettenhofen will be secretary, and Katherine Thompson treasurer. Clunie Holt takes over the Spinsters Ball chairmanship, assisted by Laurie Dryden and Kathleen McCarthy.

At a brunch at the Jonathan Club in Santa Monica, Spinsters welcomed new members including Maiya Borchard, Elizabeth Byrne, Lea Carano, Hillary Crahan, Julie Dalton, Patty Demarest, Victoria Eastus, Ranlyn Hill, Carol Lennartz, Georgette McCarthy, Bonnie McElroy, Martha Morrill, Elizabeth Moussouros, Patty Nichols, Diane Nixon, Gwendolyn Penton, Kim Wilder, Margot Wright, Jill Brock, Erin Evans, Susan Jue, Marilee McGregor, Dana Padden, Kelly Pagni, Kim Austin, Anne Christensen, Emily Williamson, Darcy Dickerson, Desiree Icaza, Kristie Nordstrom, Jennifer Walston, Melinda Williams, Lori Addis, Melinda Pfenning and Betsy Ross.

LOS SOLTEROS: Members present their 40th annual Christmas Ball on Saturday in the Crystal Room of the Beverly Hills Hotel to benefit Boys Republic, which is celebrating its 81st anniversary providing education and counseling services to boys and girls 14 to 18. Boys Republic is the group that sells the Della Robbia Christmas wreaths, available at the Republic in Chino or on the premises of the Huntington Hotel in Pasadena.

Ball chairman Don S. Dalis is assisted by Michael Burchieri, John Burke, Alan Burks, Jeffrey C. Mayhew, Bill Scott, Michael R. Fergoda, Laurence L. Hummer, John Steinlage, R. Mathew Shannon and Michael Lawrence. The group has extended its fund-raising activities to soliciting donations for Boys Republic at members’ firms.

THE CONDUCTORS: At the Los Angeles Master Chorale’s Silver Serenade Ball, auction super-volunteer/wife Joyce Ann Hameetman bought the right to guest conduct Handel’s “Messiah” at the Master Chorale’s Sing-Along Wednesday at the Music Center. Robert F. Maguire III, the real estate magnate, bought the right at the Music Center LA Alive! benefit months ago for the same privilege Tuesday evening. These are the nights when the conductor, soloist and orchestra are on stage and 3,000 in the audience sing along all evening. Joyce and Rob will be on stage for their debuts. Big time calls for big parties. Before her debut, Joyce and her husband, Fred, host cocktails and hors d’oeuvres in The Founders “to meet the guest conductor.” Lovely invitations with red bows and golden lyres are in the mail. And Music Center President Esther Wachtell hosts a dinner in the Dreyfuss Suite board room of the Music Center for Rob.

BRILLIANTS: In this day, when jewels go to the vault, to the limo, to the party, back to the limo and back into the vault, Sotheby’s in New York has just sold the magnificent suite of ruby and diamond jewelry by Van Cleef & Arpels, property of Mrs. Walter (Lee) Annenberg.

The necklace (with a detachable brooch pendant) with 37 cushion-shaped rubies weighing 75 carats and with diamonds totalling 58 carats sold for $275,000, and the earrings for $66,000. An American dealer (probably bidding for a private client) outbid a serious individual bidder, but Sotheby’s declined to identify the parties. Commented a Sotheby’s official: “I think Mrs. Annenberg was tired of wearing it.”

GLORIOUS 40th: We weren’t able to attend, but we hear the music by Sidney Weiss (he’s the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s assistant conductor and concertmaster) and his wife, Jean, was absolutely breathtaking at the Hollywood Bowl Patroness Committee’s 40th celebration luncheon at the home of Louise Jones.

RECORD BREAKER: Christina Varner, newly elected president of the Pasadena Junior Philharmonic Committee, has announced a second gift of $150,000 to the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, bringing the group’s 1988 donation total to $430,000--a record.

All funds were proceeds from the 1988 Pasadena Showcase House of Design, which earned another record-breaker this year--$485,100. Other funds will go for prizes for young musicians and for a youth concert attended by 6,000 and for a Music Mobile program, which brings music education to third-grade students in 50 schools in the San Gabriel Valley.

So what’s the prize for such special volunteerism? Last weekend Juniors went black-tie to the Music Center to celebrate the Music Center’s 25th anniversary as well as their upcoming 25th consecutive Showcase. As a surprise to Jeanine Cushman, 25th anniversary chairman, and all the Juniors, Ernest Fleischmann announced the Philharmonic’s resident composer Ted Peterson had composed “Voluntaries,” a four-movement piece expected to be used as fanfare for opening nights such as the Hollywood Bowl. Mireya Jones, chairman of Philharmonic volunteer groups, coaxed Fleischmann into commissioning the original piece.

Among past Showcase benefit chairmen attending were Weta Mathies, Linda Cantwell, Molly Siefert, Louise Strnad, Patty Pillsbury and Nancy Kennedy. The next Showcase chairman, Brenda Owen, is searching for a spectacular 25th anniversary house for show in April.

HOLIDAYS PERFECT: The Marlborough School Centennial Generations tea. . . . Elizabeth and Howard Hirsch’s black-tie party for friends, where she revealed the Master Chorale’s benefit netting more than $130,000. . . . The fourth annual Victorian Christmas at Banning Residence with plum pudding. . . . The Orphanage Guild Juniors Christmas luncheon at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, “a Bearry Merry Christmas” which the Juniors lovingly host for the 42 teen-age girls from Maryvale, a Los Angeles orphanage.

ANGEL’S HOSPICE: This was the week for previewing Angel’s Hospice, the little pink house at 1302 N. Las Palmas which Thursday opens as a home to 12 patients with AIDS or cancer. It’s the interfaith dream of Father Matt O’Connor--for patients without funds or family.