R.S.V.P. : Diamond Couples Are Dinosaur’s Best Friend

You’ll be seeing quite a few people around town wearing dinosaurs with diamond eyes. Little chips, but diamonds. They’re going to Diamond Couples--among early contributors to the National History Museum’s Dinosaur Ball March 10 headed by Ray and Nancy McCullough. For the first time, the museum has named honorary chairs: loyal museum supporters Otis and Dody Booth.

VICTORY PARTY: Like a good USC chairman of the trustees, George and Marion Scharffenberger rushed back from New Year’s partying in Rancho Mirage at 3 a.m. to do some white-tent celebrating on the Rose Bowl concourse in Pasadena. After five years, George is about to retire as chairman.

It was a joyous lunch bunch, including newest trustee Malcolm R. Currie (chairman of Hughes Aircraft Co. and a UC Berkeley Ph.D) and his wife, Barbara; state Atty. Gen. John and Andrea Van de Kamp; USC president James and Marilyn Zumberge; USC Law School’s chairman Scott and Barbara Bice, and George and Mary Lou Boone (he’s president of the General Alumni Assn.).

CUTE: Brown bags printed with miniature shopping carts put us in line for the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce’s 102nd Inaugural Ball Friday at the Century Plaza. The ball is a salute to the incoming slate of officers: James P. Miscoll, chairman of the board; Byron Allumbaugh, first vice-chairman, and Betsy Sanders, second vice-chairman.

The brown bags indicate that the event will honor the food retailers and wholesalers industry. In the spotlight: Albertson’s, Certified Grocers of California, Hughes Markets, Lucky Stores, Ralphs Grocery and the Vons companies.

OLE! Joan Irvine Smith’s The Oaks ranch is going Southwestern for the American Horse Shows Assn. “Fiesta” winter fund-raiser Jan. 19 in San Juan Capistrano. Joan and chairman Judy Fluor Runels are talking ribs and barbecue with some hot dancing. The country’s top equestrians will be partying to raise funds to maintain safe and fair practices in the show ring.

PLAUDITS: To Linda Cantwell and Patty Pillsbury, who will chair the Los Angeles Music Center Opera League’s raffle committee. Last year’s event, says Joan Thompson, president, turned over $144,000 to L.A. Opera General Director Peter Hemmings . . .

To the Pasadena Junior Philharmonic Committee and its president Susi McConaghy, adding $134,000 to bring donations from the 1989 Pasadena Showcase House of Design to $400,000.

KUDOS: To Dorothy Collins Brown, new trustee of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art . . .

Lee Graff, honorary vice chairman for life of the City of Hope board of directors . . .

Roy Disney, chairman of the alumni fund at Buckley School . . . Barbara Sinatra and Patty Newman, co-chairing the launch of Friends of the Children for the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center at Rancho Mirage . . .

Sherwood C. Chillingsworth, named to the Oak Tree Racing Assn. board . . .

Betsy Palmer, 1990 spokesman for the Visiting Nurse Assn.--L.A.. . .

Edwin C. Johnsen, honorary chairman of United Cerebral Palsy’s Star-athon ’90 Jan. 20-21 . . .

Star Glenda Jackson, receiving Claremont Graduate School’s highest honor, the President’s Medal . . .

Murray Korda, head of the Monseigneur Strings, given a proclamation by Mayor Tom Bradley . . . To ABC’s (Associates for Breast Cancer Studies) first holiday party at Jimmy’s . . .

To UCLA senior Ashley Bren (daughter of Donald Bren, granddaughter of Marion Jorgensen), hosting Christmas dinner for 90 veterans at Wadsworth Veterans Hospital.

TOASTS: Happy memories of those launch-the-New-Year festivities: Warren and Alyce Williamson’s magnificent soiree . . .

Fielding and Lotsie Websters’ gathering of friends around a heaped-up buffet New Year’s Day . . .

Janie and Joe Messlers’ and Ellen and Berny Byrens’ welcomes to 1990.

PUTTIN’ ON THE RITZ: Opera star Allan Keller, honored in Palm Springs in December for his philanthropy, stages a glamorous weekend of parties next week for the Palm Springs Youth Center. One highlight will be the dinner Friday at the Radisson Hotel in Palm Springs.

APOLOGIES: Blame it on gremlins. We know and knew all along that the Orange Bowl was Monday, not last Sunday, as in On View Dec. 31.