Evening star., 1963-05-20
BY PHILIP H.LOVE

goes as planned, President
Kennedy will sit down with
several hundred newspaper
men and women and their
other distinguished guests
for an evening of jollifica-
tion.
From 1914 to 1861, this
somewhat annual event was
the stag dinner given by the
White House Correspondents
Association in honor of the
President of the United
States. Somewhere in be-
tween the White House News
Photographers and the Radio
and TeleviSion Correspond
ents got to having similar
banquets, and these, with the
Gridiron Club dinners, some
times added up to more
tollification than some Pres
idents could stand. Hence
the seemingly contradictory
term, somewhat annual"
In his last year in office,
President Eisenhower ac-
cepted the White House Cor
respondents invitation but
changed his mind after all
arrangements had been made.
The newsmen found consola-
ton, however, in the thought
that, with Vice President
Nixon at the head table, they
were, after all, entertaining
the next President of the
United States.
Last year, the correspond
ents and photographers COM
bined their banquets. The
double-barreled party began
with a reception in the
Sheraton-Park Hotels Cotil-
lion Room. moved into
Sheraton Hall for dinner and
a stage show, and wound up
Officially, at least-with
another reception in the
Burgundy Room.
In the Dog House
So far as the jollification
was concerned, the evening
was a great success. 1t was,
however, the first time wom-
en- had ever been permitted
to attend the correspond
ents' dinner, and this re-
suited in another first:
Some members, Injured to
being in the dog house with
their wives after the party,
found themselves in it even
before. This years affair
promises to have the same
effect on domestic tram
guilty.
This is because members
Of the two associations are
permitted only one guest
each, and their wives and
husbands are specifically
barred. A guest may be of
either sex, however, pro-
vided he or she is, as the
invitation puts it, "in high
official position"
So how does a man explain
to his wife why he can't take
her to a dinner attended by
other ladies? How can he
make her understand that
he's spending the price of,
say, a beautiful new hat on
another woman only because
her high official position"
makes her a prime news
source? A woman member
wouldn't have this problem,
of course, because-aS every
married man knows - hus-
bands are more understand
ing than wives.
Some distinguished guests
are invited by the associa-
tions themselves to lend
glamor to the head table.
These include the Vice Presi-
dent. the Chief Justice, the
Associate Justices of the
Supreme Court. cabinet
members, important Senators
and Representatives, and top
officers of the armed services.
Last year. British Prime
Minister Macmillan was
present.
Outstanding stars of the
entertainment world put on
an excellent show each year,
vying with one another to
please the President. Dorothy
Shay, the Park Avenue
Hillbilly," told me, "The big
gest thrill I've had in show
business was seeing President
Truman enjoy my songs"
I've heard similar sentiments
expressed by Tennessee Ernie
Ford. Dorothy Provine, Dizzy
Gillespie and others.
At one ost-dinner recep-
ton, bandleader Gillespie and
a transplanted Alabama
newSman were standing side
by side in a convivial group,
each with an arm draped
around the other. Somebody
asked kiddingly, Dizzy, did
you know that fellow you're
so chummy with is from
Birmingham" With a broad
grin, the musician replied:
"Of course-I'd know an
Alabama boy anywhere. And
us Southern boys have got to
stick together"
Handsome SOn-in-Law
A middle-aged correspond
ent. giving in to a crazy i'm
pulse, introduced his young
guest 10 Ethel Norman as
my faith er-in-law. Ed
Greene" Without batting an