L.A. Honors Its Own ‘French Connection’

In a Los Angeles that dwells on the present, First Century Families plots to keep the city’s history fresh.

“The French Connection” luncheon last week at the Regent Beverly Wilshire--chaired by Alyce de Roulet Williamson, organized by Christine Shirley and addressed by Jean Bruce Poole, senior curator of El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Monument--could do nothing but compel listeners to dive into the city’s past.

First Century Families is made up of descendants of Los Angeles pioneers who were in Southern California during the first century after the founding of our city, the period between 1781 and 1881.

On this occasion, the French were in the spotlight, with the focus going to the French Vignes and Sainsevain families, who brought cuttings from grapevines of their homeland for the early wine industry.

Other industrious French pioneers brought mansard roof design, constructed business blocks, built our first hotels, operated our first restaurants, served as early mayors and introduced fruit, citrus and nuts that had been developed in France.

Inez Viole O’Neill, who sat on the dais, is a descendant of the French family that began a pharmacy near Olvera Street. Relatives of Alyce Williamson erected blocks of buildings along Wilshire, including the famous Pellessier, housing the Wiltern Theatre, now a national historic landmark. The building and theater were opened in 1930 by her father, Henry de Roulet.

In the audience were David and Howard Cunningham and their sister, Marie Jones, descendants of the Henry Hammel and Andrew Denker families, who developed bean fields at Rancho Rodeo de las Aguas--Beverly Hills.

“If we’d only kept some of that land,” David Cunningham said with a wince.

MORE HISTORY: Joseph Cesare, patriarch of the Sepulveda family, regarded as “first family of California” in some circles, got the spotlight as emcee Burt Reynolds recognized the family before 900 guests at the Spirit of Discovery fifth annual Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum gala at the Century Plaza.

It was a night for crowns: Gene Autry and museum CEO Joanne Hale presented Roy Rogers, “The King of the Cowboys,” and Dale Evans, “The Queen of the West,” with the Western Heritage Award.

Then country superstar Kenny Rogers and comedian Norm Cosby turned on for one big fun jam, with some good auctioning by Bernard A. Osher, chairman of the board of Butterfield & Butterfield. EuGene L. Falk, Los Angeles Times vice president, administration, chaired the gala with co-chairs Sandra Ausman (Where does she get the energy to do it all?), Zelda A. (Zee) Marzec and Jackie Autry.

AU COURANT: Performing Tree’s group, headed by David M. Daley, is on an upward spiral. It was founded several years ago to bring L.A.s twentysomething young business and community leaders, writers and performers into the habit of supporting Performing Tree.

The organization, founded in 1973 by the Junior League, schedules nearly 10,000 arts events in 500 classrooms, libraries and youth clubs.

Much of the credit goes to the strong patronage and motherly coddling of community leader Beth Lowe. It’s not too late to note that the creative types turned out for the group’s Masquerade Ball, chaired by Carol Watkins and Ranlyn Hill at the Bel-Air Bay Club. This group has spirit.

INPUT/OUTPUT: At the Los Angeles Founder Chapter and the Los Angeles Auxiliary of ARCS (Achievement Award for College Scientists) Foundation annual science award luncheon Monday, Lana Yarymovych of Palos Verdes reported that the two groups had raised $441,000 this year for ARCS science scholars at such schools as Caltech and Harvey Mudd College. The 14 ARCS chapters nationwide have raised more than $14 million since 1958.

Guest speaker Ronald K. Linde, founder of Envirodyne (which he helped build into a Fortune 500 company before he sold it) was an ARCS scholar at Caltech, and speaker Gina R. Poe, who is working on the development and implementation of a sub-cortical imaging device, was another former scholar. Avid supporters Lee and Arrola DuBridge were honored for their ARCS Endowed Scholarship annual gift. He’s the former president of Caltech.

LIVELY TOWN: New York’s Sardi’s--complete with restaurant host Vincent Sardi and more than 100 of the famous Sardi’s caricatures--will be in the spotlight at the Regent Beverly Wilshire next Thursday when the Alzheimer’s Assn. hosts its first annual Los Angeles gala.

They’ll top the fun with Peter Gallagher, star of Broadway’s “Guys and Dolls,” and Dinah Shore and the McGuire Sisters. Honors go to Shelley Fabares for her work on public awareness of Alzheimer’s.

ESCALATION: Dr. Franklin D. Murphy, chairman emeritus of the Times Mirror Co., parent company of the Los Angeles Times, will be honored Friday evening at the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, and Vartan Gregorian, president of Brown University, will speak on “The Book and Reading in the Age of Information” at the black-tie dinner hosted by Robert F. Erburu, chairman of the board of trustees of the Huntington and chairman of the board and CEO of Times Mirror, and Loren R. Rothschild, chairman of the Overseers’ Library Committee. . . .

The Mannequins Auxiliary of the Assistance League of Southern California will take over the St. James Club Sunday evening for their 50th anniversary “Affaire Extraordinaire” honoring patrons. . . .

About 600 Special Olympics California leaders, including Rafer Johnson and Stephen H. Ackerman, backed the Spirit of Friendship Award gala auction and dinner at the Beverly Hilton. The event will help support competition in 19 sports for 25,000 children and adults with mental retardation.