Chancellor Associates Recognized by UCSD

One of the prettiest early-summer perennials bloomed Saturday at UC San Diego.

The ever-expanding group of heavy spenders, known as the Chancellor’s Associates, met before sunset on the terrace of the university’s main refectory for the 15th annual UCSD dinner-dance, a formal but gala occasion for those who contribute $1,000 or more to the chancellor’s discretionary fund. This year, nearly 300 supporters turned out for the event.

Chancellor Richard Atkinson was on hand early to welcome the Associates’ president, Dean Dunphy and his wife, Marie, and evening chairman Dixie Unruh and her husband, Ken.

Atkinson said that his role was relatively minor, because the evening was meant to honor the benefactors. Other than making a few introductions, he announced himself absolved from the role of speechifying, a circumstance Atkinson admitted suited him as comfortably as a Saville Row dinner jacket.

He did have a word or two to say in praise of the associates, of course. “The associates’ contributions are financial in one sense, and that is very important,” said Atkinson. “But even more important is the second sense in which they contribute, by immersing themselves in the university and then communicating all the good things we’re doing to the community at large.”

Associates President Dunphy seemed ready to continue his role as one of the university’s chief yea-sayers. “UCSD has grown marvelously in its 26 years to be an incredible research institution, as well as a real economic dynamic for the community,” he said.

Despite the setting, the evening was anything but academic in either intent or demeanor. Chairman Unruh arranged for a classy moveable feast that started with toasted lobster “sandwiches” and other fancy hors d’oeuvres on the refectory terrace and moved inside to the cafeteria for a multi-course feast, a brief formal program and dancing to the Bill Green Orchestra.

Surveying the enthusiastic crowd during the cocktail hour, Unruh said, “Thank God it didn’t rain. When I read the weekend weather forecast that predicted possible wintry conditions, I was afraid of another hurricane.”

Her fears were well-grounded--when Unruh chaired the 1983 Jewel Ball, a freak August thunderstorm nearly made a shambles of the summer classic; the storm, which dissipated just in time, was nicknamed “Hurricane Dixie” in her honor. (Much to the surprise of all, including Chancellor Atkinson, the name of the cafeteria recently was changed from Revelle Commons to Anchor View--in honor of a nearby sculpture--by the food service management. Unruh saw to it that roses and soft lighting lifted the place well above its typically mundane attitude, but guests were reminded of just where they were by the hard plastic cafeteria chairs.)

The honors at this party, though, belonged especially to George Gildred and Richard Levi, who were awarded the Chancellor’s Associates Distinguished Service Medal. Both were on hand for the presentation. Levi said that he was thrilled to be honored but added that, in his opinion, “People don’t do community work to be recognized, but because they love the community.”

Levi’s wife, Harriett, found her husband all too modest. “He does a lot for this town,” she said. “Every night when I kiss Richard good night, I kiss San Diego.”

Among other honorees were Abe Ratner and Larry Cox, both toasted for their 20-year membership in the Associates, and 10-year members Phyllis Ferry, James West, Lewis Silverberg, Charles Taubman, Thomas Flanagan, Armistead Smith, and Joanne and Frank Warren.

The guest list included Jane and John Barrons, Pat and Hugh Carter, Gina Dronet, Marla and Clayton Anderson, Jeanne and Dianne Brace, Dottie and David Garfield, Muffy and Quinn Martin, Aline and Quinn Hornaday, Darlene and Donald Shiley, Margaret and Laird Landon, and Linda Smith with John Wheeler.

RANCHO SANTA FE--The San Diego Museum of Art has been giving bigger and better parties lately--so big and so grand, in fact, that other institutions vying for the support of deeply pocketed benefactors are starting to ask, “How are you going to keep them down on the farm, after they’ve seen the museum?”

The latest art museum fete champetre was given Friday at the home of Rea and Lela Axline in honor of Gordon Luce, who handed the board of trustees president’s baton to Joseph Hibben the other week after spending two years at the helm of San Diego’s leading visual arts organization.

About 100 guests--all invited in recognition of their membership in the museum’s top donor category--turned out to applaud Luce’s numerous accomplishments in office. As a side benefit, the guests were treated to a balmy evening at a handsome country estate, accompanied by an elaborate dinner and a methodical, painstaking, deliberate absence of formal speeches.

There was a certain, deliberate artsy tone to the evening, though: the enormous staff stressed formality; a dramatic and hem-endangering V-shaped wedge of candles was arranged on the steps leading down from the terrace (where dinner was served), doubtless as a victory tribute to the museum’s latest exhibits, and many guests paused in the drawing room to admire the massive abstracts painted by hostess (and noted arts patron) Lela Axline.

Dolly Maw was particularly taken by the hostess’ paintings. “Can you imagine that a little, tiny woman like Lela, who wouldn’t cast a shadow at high noon, would have the force to paint such powerful paintings?” she asked.

Luce, the guest of honor, did his best to keep a low profile, although he ultimately found his position as the center of attention inescapable. Asked what legacy he left the museum, he said that the endowment campaign, founded during his tenure, is halfway toward its goal, and that the museum recently has acquired several important works of art. He added that his major achievement may be the new supporters he attracted to the institution.

“Best of all are the great new friends who have come to support SDMA,” said Luce. “They all make me look good.”

Museum director Steven Brezzo was unrestrained in his praise of his former boss.

“Gordon has been a true friend and a great leader,” he said. Following these comments, he presented Luce with a farewell gift, a watercolor by the early-20th-Century artist Cyril Ward. The gift was not, Brezzo noted with a straight face, from the museum’s permanent collection.

The museum, as has become its habit, paid a great deal of attention to the meal. The dinner commenced with fonds d’artichauts au crabe and continued with veal aux chanterelles and fantaisie des fruits aux truffles au chocolat, a meal replete with so many “aus” that one Francophilic guest, upon finally surrendering his fork, was moved to remark “Ooo, la la!”

New museum President Joseph Hibben welcomed the crowd by informing it that it was “la creme de la creme,” adding that without the group’s support “we wouldn’t have a museum.”

And the cream of the institution’s supporters was present, including former presidents Frank Kockritz, Lois Roon, Ed Muzzy and Louis Metzger.

The guest list included the honoree’s mother, Carma Luce, and his wife, Karon, who celebrated her birthday that day. Karon is chairman of the upcoming THE COMMITTEE dinner-dance, to be given July 31 at the Gene and Joyce Klein estate for the benefit of Scripps Clinic & Research Foundation. The Kleins and clinic head honcho Charles Edwards and his wife, Sue, were present for the tribute.

Others in attendance included Barbara and Karl ZoBell, who returned earlier in the week from a long sojourn in the south of France; San Diego County Supervisor Brian Bilbray, head of the San Diego America’s Cup Task Force, of which Luce is a guiding light; Alice Cramer; Lee and Larry Cox; Katy and Mike Dessent; Helen and Bennett Wright; Norma and Ollie James; Charmaine and Maurice Kaplan; Tisha and Donald Swortwood; Joanne and Frank Warren; Agatha and Jim Youngblood, and Beverly and Bill Muchnic.