RSVP / THE SOCIAL CITY : Looking Past the Holidays

In the midst of the holidays, a gala celebrating the 85th birthday of former President Reagan is being planned by Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation trustees. It’s Feb. 6 and will be held at Chasen’s, which is reopening for the night. Cocktails will be inside and dinner will be under a tent. An abundance of $1,000 checks have been returned for reservations, indicating that as many as 400 may attend. Invitations were received this past week. Special friends received letters earlier to save the date.

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Computer Glitch: Never mind that Art Center College of Design President David R. Brown’s computer assistants couldn’t reach the Louvre on the Internet the other morning as about 100 of the Art Center One Hundred’s members and guests met for Alyce Williamson’s holiday luncheon.

Brown was a little embarrassed, but he had already told the audience that this computer thing is “more like a blizzard or a spider web than a superhighway.”

He kept asking his computer whizzes, “Is it going to happen?” They couldn’t connect, and the group turned to a tour of the art center, then a magnificent luncheon with ivy topiaries.

Many of the guests were of the younger generation--Robin Williamson, Katy Williamson, Sally Dulin--who Alyce Williamson hopes to unite in a new group for the art center. They probably already know how to connect with the Louvre.

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Bright Red: You might have seen them a mile away, those Luminaires Juniors in bright reds, plaids and greens. They massed at the Peninsula for a Christmas luncheon coordinated by Debra Stephens and Sally Green. President Liz Bishop, in cranberry, wrote poetry to celebrate a year of hard work well done for the Doheny Eye Institute.

Benefit co-chairwomen Paula Bronson (who’s been researching the Hollywood Park Goose Girl history) and Diane Brown, in mint green, touted the upcoming spring benefit May 10 at Hollywood Park. Carolyn Cleator wore a red Moschino suit, Callie Irvin was in red houndstooth checks and Katie Williamson and Connie Van Voorst were in red suits. Katie Darnell (in pink) car-pooled from Pasadena with Vicky Rogers and Debbie Hoffman. The caravan from Orange County--80% in black--included Angela Doheny, Ann Ramser, Shannon Tarnutzer and Mary Buckingham. Emily Gardner, who founded the Juniors 20 years ago, was in the audience.

Catherine Kiek, Chanel general manager, sat at the head table. Chanel will host the patron party in March. Everyone walked out with Paula Bronson’s pumpkin bread.

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Teas Galore: The families of Judith Getto, Carlotta Keely, Julie Russell and Laura Seaver hosted the Children’s Chain for Childrens Hospital Los Angeles tea at the Valley Hunt Club. Homemade cookies--stars, gingerbread boys and hearts--disappeared like magic. In their best black velvet with white lace collars, about 100 children sat mesmerized on the Oriental rug in the ballroom listening to the Los Angeles Childrens Chorus and clapping with glee over magic tricks. Among beaming grandmothers were Louise Griffith, Doreen Hambleton and Janet Stanford . . . Friends of Banning Park, including founder Nancy Call, attended the Victorian Tea at Banning Residence Museum. The mansion was exquisitely decorated for the season. A week before, thousands toured the museum with board members Bette McLaughlin, Caroline Singleton and Kathy Rose giving a hand . . . Angels Attic founders Jackie McMahan and Eleanor LaVove were at the helm for the Victorian celebration and garden tea celebrating the 100th birthday of the Santa Monica home that houses the doll and toy museum. More there: Patsy Austin, Marilyn Burdge, Melinda Conner,q Cindy Hall and Janet O’Neil . . . Anna Maria Alberghetti was the star for the Santa Monica and Westside Philharmonic Committee’s holiday musical and French tea at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Chairwomen were Joan Wertz, Anne Irvine and Beth Jones.

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Seventy-Five for Dinner: Charles C. Reed and his wife, Lorna, hosted cocktails and dinner at the Los Angeles Country Club for his Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce board. Attending were Liz and John Argue, Robin and Peter Barker, Nadine and Ed Carson, Sherrill and Paul Colony, Denise and Tom Decker, and Cheryl and Bill Doyle.

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Highlights: It wasn’t illusion, but reality. At the USC School of Medicine’s “Magic of Medicine” gala at the Beverly Hilton, USC President Dr. Steven B. Sample announced the Weingart Foundation was pledging $3 million to the USC Advanced Medical Research Center to be constructed on the USC Health Sciences campus. Sue Braun, Bobbie Galpin and Olive Varga chaired the black-tie affair featuring magician Harry Blackstone.

Former First Lady Nancy Reagan contributed to the magic of the night when the medical school paid tribute to her and President Reagan. He has Alzheimer’s disease and did not attend. Nancy Reagan said that families of those who have Alzheimer’s “are not alone and must support one another.”

Simon and Virginia Ramo, Earle and Marion Jorgensen, and Mary Jane and Charles Wick were among the guests.

Elsewhere on the Social Circuit

* The Museum of Natural History and its director, James L. Powell, are proud of the Tamkin Foundation gift of $250,000 funded by Jerome and Judith Tamkin.

* Sleigh bells rang, and the Juniors of the Social Service Auxiliary celebrated “The Glory of Christmas” at their 60th Candlelight Ball with 400 guests. The event, one of the city’s oldest balls, raised $120,000 for Regis House. In the crowd were auxiliary president Janie Crane and her husband, Richard, and ball chairwoman Michael Ewing and her husband, James . . . Jayne Mapes and Joan Sherwood attended the National Arts Assn. luncheon fun at the Regency Club . . . Anne Banning Auxiliary members hosted “Ringing in the Holidays” at the Century Plaza, raising funds for Operation School Bell and clothes for needy children.

* The Joffrey Ballet of Chicago (formerly of New York and Los Angeles) is presenting the company’s 39th anniversary season through Tuesday with “The Nutcracker” at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion of the Music Center. Sandra Wisot chaired last Monday’s dinner gala at the costume design studio of John David Ridge . . . The Opera Guild of Southern California acclaimed soprano Carol Neblett at its 51st holiday luncheon at the Beverly Wilshire . . . Della Koenig and Rosalind Millstone headed the opening of the Henry Mancini Music Electronic Laboratory, which will benefit the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts . . . The California Highway Patrol 11-19 Foundation hosted an auction and screening of Paramount’s “Sabrina” at Paramount Studios with Bruce Meyer of Geary’s in Beverly Hills as auctioneer . . . Now Pasadena Symphony supporters can turn to family Christmases after a “Teddy Bear Tea,” a holiday ball, a carol concert and the 28th annual “Holiday Look In” at homes including those of Pati and Steven Bruce, and Cindy and Stephen Hogan.

* Mary Lou Loper’s column is published Sundays.