The Crowd: President of the Richard Nixon Foundation addresses full house at Balboa Island Museum
How often do you catch a video clip on television of a reporter doing a “man on the street” segment asking a random person, “Who was the first president of the United States?” and the answer comes back with the wrong name? It is astounding how often we witness this. What does this say about education in America?
Recently, Jim Byron, president and chief executive of the Richard Nixon Foundation, addressed a full house at the Balboa Island Museum, Newport Beach as part of the museum’s community guest speaker series. Byron’s topic was “American Civics 101: How Presidential Libraries Teach What the Education System Won’t.”
The upbeat evening event created serious conversation on issues impacting Newport-Mesa families directly. How many high school kids today would be able to share anything about Nixon, a former president of the U.S.? Sadly, not many.
Byron, with the fresh looks of a teen himself, has in fact been associated with the Nixon Foundation for some 15 years since graduating from Chapman University with a degree in business and history. As a protégé of mentor and syndicated conservative talk-host Hugh Hewitt, Byron has risen through the foundation ranks and is also the author of “A President Comes Home,” the official Nixon Library commemorative book and history of the Nixon Presidential Library.
Balboa Island Museum, named in 2023 as one of L.A. Times’ “Best Museums” is led by founder and chief executive Shirley Pepys, who introduced Byron to the local audience. Making the event possible, joining Pepys, and team was Brenda St. Hilarie from the foundation.
Front and center for the lecture series were special guests Alex and Barbara Bowie, Gary Byron, Dalal Momta, Lorraine Leavitt, George Eastman, Robyn Grant, Wayne Graveline, Patricia Huston, Judy Jones and Bob Dennerline. Also in the crowd were Charlie Vandervort, Michelle Lovenduski, Omar Ramos, James Stentz, Robert Ash and Balboa Island Museum Executive Director Tiffany Pepys Hoey.
Speaker events planned for March at Balboa Island Museum will feature the Theodore Robins Ford Family Legacy, honoring a century-long automotive history on the Orange Coast, as well as a salute to our local veterans, honoring those who served in Vietnam with a pinning ceremony set for March 29.
On April 14, Dr. Sandra Morgan will speak and sign her book, “Ending Human Trafficking,” sharing news of the crisis here in the O.C. as well as around the globe.
To learn more about Balboa Island Museum visit balboaislandmuseum.org. All are welcome to attend the upcoming speaker events at no charge. Call the museum at (949) 675-3952 for information and reservations.
Trojan territory
USC’s admired Athletic Director Mike Bohn made a trip south on the 405 to join alumni and friends of the Trojan League of Orange Country for a reception at Newport Harbor Yacht Club, Newport Beach billed as “Game Day by the Bay.” An overflow crowd came to raise scholarship funds for O.C. students headed to USC in the fall.
Co-chaired by Kathy May and Teri Wilhelm, support for the themed evening — which featured appropriate game day food like chili coliseum dogs, hamburgers and BBQ chicken — came from a dedicated committee that included Jill Aschieris, Kim Bernatz, Sally Anderson, Lisa Grundy Johnson, Holly Anderson, Penny McMahon, Kathy Koll Hancock, Diane Heimstaedt and Paula Cargasacchi.
As tradition requires, the event opened with the Trojan Marching Band performing “Spirit of Troy” with USC song girls demanding the crowd to “Fight On.” Bohn shared an insider’s perspective on the USC football program as well as other collegiate initiatives.
Recently named the 2021-22 Football Athletics Subdivision (NACDA) Athletics Director of the Year, Bohn came to USC in 2019 with some 35 years of collegiate athletic administration background. He is credited with the major turnaround for USC football as well as success in other Division 1 sports for men and women.
Major sponsors of the Trojan “Game Day” were Ed and Melanie Fitch, Rod and Liz Maxson, Graham and Anne Tingler, Jeff and Stacey Stone. Also sponsoring were Lido House Hotel, Newport Beach and VEA Newport Beach, among many others.
A salute to veterans
More than 500 active-duty Camp Pendleton Marines and other U.S. vets came together for a Super Bowl party last month hosted by the generous and patriotic Gary and Julie Crisp of Costa Mesa-based Crisp Imaging.
The big event unfolded Super Bowl Sunday at Legion Post 291, Newport Beach. It was the 12th such outing sponsored by Crisp Imaging and other donors including title sponsor Stanley W. Ekstrom Foundation and platinum sponsor Monster Energy. Also supporting the vets were Balboa Bay Resort, Coca-Cola, Burnham Ward Properties and Bank of the West, to list a very partial roster of financial support.
A check for $25,000 was presented to the Dana Point 5th Marine Regiment Support Group with the mission of providing support for the 5th MAR Marines and Sailors deployed from and stationed at Camp Pendleton and their families.
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