A First-Rate ‘Swing Into Spring’

California First Lady Gayle Wilson was about to be honored by Town and Gown of USC at its “Swing into Spring” luncheon last week at the Regent Beverly Wilshire when who should surprise her but the governor. He gave her a sweet smack that could be heard a table away and stayed for lunch, but not for the David Hayes fashion show.

Town and Gown President Ruberta Weaver was ecstatic about the day planned by Eloise Siskel and Yvonne Biller. The California First Lady announced that the scholarship in her name will go to USC’s School of Education. Pat Haden also rated a scholarship in his name. Town and Gown boasts an endowment of $12 million and gives grants to 197 students.

SPRING WHOOSH: The social calendar is bunching up. Knights, trumpeters and dinosaurs will greet patrons at the Dinosaur Ball April 4 at the Natural History Museum. The black-tie tradition is being planned by chairman Maryann Rinsch, aided by Kay Dale and Debbie Diamond.

The same night, the whole John Wayne clan will be honored at the John Wayne Cancer Institute Auxiliary’s “A Nostalgic Odyssey” at the Beverly Hilton. Invitations--black plastic facsimiles of records--say “Let’s Twist the Night Away with Frankie Avalon.” Of course, Frankie’s in the family, too: He’s married to Gretchen Wayne’s sister Kay.

Next Thursday at the Beverly Hilton, Leslie and Susan Gonda will be honored as the House Ear Institute’s Humanitarians of the Year. Marlee Matlin will receive the Media Award for her role in “Reasonable Doubts.” Benefit chairs Peggy Edwards of the Associates support group and Nina O’Hern of Sonance are staging luncheons to engage support.

RISING STARS: The spotlights were on the new generation twice this week at the Music Center.

Sunday evening, the mood was upbeat as octogenarian conductor Mehli Mehta inspired the American Youth Symphony to excellence. With concertmaster Bing Wang up front, the orchestra was dashing. Pianist Gary Graffman (who debuted at the age of 18 with the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra and now is director of the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia), performed Ravel’s Concerto in D Major for the Left Hand.

Then actor Werner Klemperer narrated the Canto Five of Dante’s “The Divine Comedy,” performed with Tchaikovsky’s symphonic poem “Francesca da Rimini.”

At the gala dinner for 650, praises were going to president Norma Brecher and to the symphony founder Mildreth Sheinkopf Samson.

On Tuesday night, Walter Grauman, founder and executive producer of the Music Center’s Spotlight Awards, kept a low profile during the stage show at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion but starred later at the Grand Hall gala for 550 by his wife, Peggy.

In the Pavilion, a multi-generational crowd cheered 12 young finalists who were judged by a panel that included Bill Conti, Gerald Arpino, Hal Davis, David Alan Miller, Paul Kelly and Marvellee Cariaga. The winners: Linda Martinez, jazz instrumental (piano); Amy Janel Carter, ballet; Adrienne Stiefel, pop vocal; Gregory Jefferson, classical instrumental (flute); Jeff Daurey, modern dance, and Joshua Lee, opera.

Daurey told the audience: “Sit back and watch me, because it’s taken me a lot of work to get this far.”

At the dinner, Fraternity of Friends President Tom Tellefsen thanked supporters. In the crowd: Sam Ginn, chairman of the sponsoring Pacific Telesis; Robert Mettler, head of corporate sponsor Robinson’s, and major supporter Helen Bing, who was a co-chair with Anne Johnson and Fredric Roberts.

BOOK FETE: Bob and Donna Tuttle (she’s the former Deputy Secretary of Commerce), Tom and DeeDee Keene and Crown Publishers Inc. will host a book party at the Tuttles’ Beverly Hills home April 2 to honor Marilyn Quayle and her sister, Nancy Northcott. It’s to celebrate the publication of their novel, “Embrace the Serpent.”

The sisters will stay with the Keenes (longtime friends) in Pacific Palisades.

KUDOS: To Joann Hale, Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum executive director, honored by Valley Presbyterian Hospital and the John Wayne Cancer Institute. . . .

To Stephanie Edwards and First Federal Bank, saluted by the Santa Monica YWCA for achievements for women. . . .

To Jane Andreson, new president of Angels for Autistic Children. . . .

To Carl E. Hartnack, recipient of the USC General Alumni Assn.’s Asa V. Call Achievement Award for leadership in USC’s recently completed $641-million campaign. . . .

To singer Dionne Warwick, equal rights activist Dorothy Jonas, La Opinion editor/associate publisher Monica Lozano-Centanino and attorney Debbie Leilani Shon, all honored with Buddy (Bringing Up Daughters Differently) Awards by the NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund.

PAST PERFECT: Jean Higgins chaired Pasadena Beautiful Foundation’s dinner at the Ritz-Carlton, Huntington. Community leaders Alice Frost Thomas, Peter Adams, Tim Matthews and Robert Cheesewright lauded the Crown City’s architectural galaxy--including the stunning new police building, the Ritz-Carlton itself, Beckman Institute on the Caltech campus and the trendy Roxxi Restaurant. . . .

Footlighters cut up in “Goodbye Hollywood and Hello Broadway” shenanigans on stage at the Beverly Hilton. Ball chair Joyce Ward hopes for $120,000 for the Footlighter Child Life Center at Harbor/UCLA Medical Center in Torrance. . . .

The Wild Beast Society greeted Dr. Mark A. Goldstein, new director of the Los Angeles Zoo, and his wife, Kris, at a reception at Amy and Robert Bookman’s home in Hancock Park.

BUSY LEAGUE: The Los Angeles Junior League has just published its updated version of “Around the Town with Ease,” the guide to aid those with disabilities. It expects 2,000 people to buy 500,000 articles at its rummage sale Saturday in the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. The league sale raised $100,000 last year.