An off-the-record speech at a university commencement?...

An off-the-record speech at a university commencement? You know, a public gathering?

Could be another world first for L.A.

The speaker is Peter S. Watson, director of Asian affairs for the White House’s National Security Council. He will address the students of West Coast University on Saturday at the Wilshire Ebell Theater.

“He told us that he can only be quoted by the media as ‘an unidentified Administration official,’ ” said Lee Preble, a spokesman for the downtown night school.

Only in L.A.’s spies were able to obtain a copy of the program schedule, which indicates that Watson’s appearance won’t be shrouded in total secrecy. For instance, he will be introduced by name.

The odd thing is that Preble says he was told that Watson “won’t talk on anything controversial.”

We can envision how Watson’s address will be reported by the local newspapers:

“Work hard and you can succeed in life,” an unidentified Administration official declared Saturday. . . .

Remember when New York City was the symbol of municipal uglification? Nowadays, L.A. seems to be setting the standard.

In San Diego, “Los Angelization” is a scare term. In Fresno, some homeowners vowed that they didn’t want “to live in a little Los Angeles”--this from the city rated the least livable in the nation in a poll of a few years ago.

The latest thumbs-down salute comes from the Arizona Republic, which this week ran a three-page package of stories, graphics, maps and photos whose theme was summed up by the doomsday headline:

“Phoenix of the Future: It Could Be Another L.A.”

A Republic poll found that 90% of its readers felt “it would be bad if Phoenix became more like Los Angeles. . . . They worry that development here will mirror the worst aspects of growth in the Big Orange: thick smog, gridlocked freeways and endless sprawl.”

We hate to be critical, but the Republic’s package was incomplete. It neglected to mention that an L.A. developer has announced plans to build a complex of government office towers, hotels, entertainment centers and retail outlets on a 52-acre site just east of L.A.’s City Hall.

In other words, if Phoenix thinks the Big Orange is Los Angelized now . . .

Bob mania is the current rage--inspired by the instant literary classic: “The Bob Book: A Celebration of the Ultimate Okay Guy.” But a half-century ago, the illustrious name in vogue was Fred Smith.

A group of men with that name formed the Original Fred Smith Society of L.A. out of frustration over receiving each other’s phone calls. A 1937 Times article said that the F.S.’s agreed to honor each other at a dinner every year. That’s the last record we have of the Original Fred Smith Society. Enjoy it while you can, Bobs.

miscelLAny: Marilyn Monroe, who would have been 65 Saturday, attended these L.A. schools, according to author Ken Schessler: Washington Elementary School, Vine Street Elementary School, Lankershim Elementary School, Sawtelle Elementary School, Emerson Junior High, Van Nuys High and University High.