The 14th annual record of notably social individuals from politics, diplomacy, business, philanthropy, and the arts.
Enrico and Andrea Cecchi (Photo by Joseph Allen)
A
Mr. and Mrs. JAMES ABDO (Mai)
Mr. and Mrs. WILLIAM ABEL-SMITH (Mimi)
The Honorable and Mrs. TYLER ABELL (Bess)
The Honorable DAVID C. ACHESON
Mr. GLEN ACKERMAN and Mr. ERNESTO SANTALLA
Mr. THEO ADAMSTEIN and Ms. OLVIA DEMETRIOU
In a city where influence is everything, these one hundred individuals rise to the top. Some are wealthy, but many are not. They represent a wide variety of professional fields, from faith to finance; but they all share two common traits: They work outside the federal government and hold sway inside the Beltway.
President and Mrs. Obama headline an ‘Enchanted Evening’ of festivities honoring Senator Ted Kennedy
By Kevin Chaffee
Michelle Obama leads the applause for Sen. Ted Kennedy.
Sen. Ted Kennedy didn’t need a cake blazing with 77 candles to illuminate his belated birthday celebration Sunday night. There was enough electricity in the house to make the Kennedy Center visible from Mars.
The ailing Massachusetts senator and Kennedy clan patriarch got a roaring welcome and numerous ovations from his congressional colleagues, friends and family members who turned out for the star-studded “Some Enchanted Evening” musical salute in his honor. Adding further oomph was the presence of First Lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Jill Biden alongside Kennedy and his wife, Victoria, in the Concert Hall’s presidential box.
“I’ve never seen a birthday party like this,” host Bill Cosby told the crowd after the lights dimmed. “I’ve never had this kind of money.”
The aging comedian’s vintage dental office shtick (novocaine! numbness! drills!) might or not have been just what the doctor ordered to lift spirits, but there was plenty more in store for the 2,400-strong crowd who gathered to cheer the “Lion of the Senate” on as he battles brain cancer.
Boldfaced names from the entertainment world who lauded the senior solon for his commitment to children and education included Lauren Bacall, Phyllis Newman and Frederika von Stade. Playwright Hal Prince spoke of Kennedy’s devotion to the arts and James Taylor played “Belfast to Boston” to commemorate his “doing so much to solve the problems in Ireland.” John Williams and Joseph Thalken conducted the Kennedy Center Orchestra in Leonard Bernstein’s “Overture” from Candide; a tap-danced version of “I’ve Got Rhythm” from Girl Crazy; “Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man” sung by opera star Denyce Graves; and “America the Beautiful” by jazz singer Lizz Wright.
President Barack Obama leads the cast in singing "Happy Birthday" to Sen. Kennedy. From left: Bill Cosby, Lizz Wright, Denyce Graves, and James Taylor.
Big-time Show-Stoppers of the Night: Brian Stokes Mitchell’s goose-bump-inducing “Some Enchanted Evening” and “The Impossible Dream” – said to be among the guest of honor’s favorite hits, and a supremely slinky “There Is Nothing Like a Dame” by the pulchritudinous Bernadette Peters that reminded more than one gawker of Marilyn Monroe notorious rendition of “Happy Birthday” to President John F. Kennedy at Madison Square Garden in 1963.
Biggest Laugh of the Night: Caroline Kennedy telling the audience that “I never thought I’d be in a room with so many senators” before presenting her uncle with the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation’s “Profiles in Courage” Award.
Biggest Birthday Surprise: President Barack Obama’s 90-second cameo appearance to greet the cast and wave to the man who did so much to help him win the highest office in the land. His equally brief appearance in the presidential box included the usual smiles and handshakes plus a truly special treat when he briefly boogied in place to the gospel sounds of the NEWorks Tribute Choir.
The several hundred guests who attended the reception on the box-tier level of the Concert Hall were mostly disappointed if they hoped to greet Sen. Kennedy after the show. He remained sequestered in the presidential box alongside family and close friends with a velvet rope drawn across the closed door. “You know it’s a Kennedy party if there’s a VIP event within the VIP event,” one guest noted.
Among those spotted in the crowd were about 30 members of the U.S. Senate, two of whom were event sponsors along with their spouses (Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Richard Blum and Sen. John Kerry and Teresa Heinz) plus Sens. John McCain, Harry Reid, Christopher Dodd, Thad Cochran, Daniel Inouye, Daniel Akaka, Pat Roberts, Orrin Hatch, Olympia Snowe, Herb Kohl, Max Baucus, Susan Collins, Carl Levin, Frank Lautenberg, Lindsay Graham, Benjamin Cardin, Barbara Mikulski, Mark Warner, Kent Conrad, Tim Johnson, Mary Landrieu, Patrick Leahy, Joe Lieberman, and Claire McCaskill. Former Senate colleagues included James Sasser, Tom Daschle, Tom Harkin, Pete Domenici, and John Culver.
The Obama Administration was represented by Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Senior Advisors David Axelrod and Valerie Jarrett, Budget Director Peter Orczag, White House Communications Director Ellen Moran, Domestic Policy Council chief Melody Barnes, and White House Social Secretary Desirée Rogers.
Media guests included Mark Shields, Al Hunt, Chris Matthews, Christopher Wallace, Cokie Roberts, Eleanor Clift, and Wolf Blitzer.
Among the Kennedy family members present were the senator’s sister, Jean Kennedy Smith, and sister-in-law, Ethel Kennedy (both in the presidential box); his children Kara Kennedy, Edward M. Kennedy Jr., and Rep. Patrick Kennedy; nieces and nephews Christopher and Victoria Lawford; Timothy, Mark, and Maria Shriver; and Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Douglas Kennedy, Kerry Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Joseph Kennedy, Matthew Kennedy, Courtney Kennedy, and Christopher Kennedy.
Other guests included Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Adm. Michael Mullen, Gen. Colin Powell, Rep. John D. Dingell and Deborah Dingell; Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, Kennedy Center Chairman Steve Schwartzman, former Kennedy Center Chairmen James Wolfensohn and James Johnson, Richard Holbrooke, Nina Auchincloss Straight, George and Liz Stevens, and William vanden Heuvel.
Amy Goldson and Vernon Jordan
Location: David and Katherine Bradley Residence
Photos by Kyle Samperton
A SPELLBINDER’S SPEECHES: Vernon Jordan confounded expectations when he vowed to become a lawyer after hearing Thurgood Marshall speak. Years later, the wheel came full circle when he spoke at Marshall’s funeral. Since his own career has featured many important speeches, it was only fitting that friends would celebrate their collection in Make It Plain: Standing Up and Speaking Out – especially since the author promised to sign a gratis copy for every guest. AN ADMIRING CROWD: Given the Jordans’ social cachet, it wasn’t surprising that the crowd invited by co-hosts David and Katherine Bradley and Jim Johnson and Maxine Isaacs was a notably diverse mix.
MAXINE ISAACS
The press secretary for the Mondale campaign (where she met husband Jim Johnson, who served as campaign chairman) Isaacs is still very much involved in politics and political giving. The Harvard Kennedy School lecturer wrote her dissertation on the relationship between elite and mass opinion on American foreign policy.
JIM JOHNSON
The prominent Washingtonian and former chairman of Fannie Mae, was an Obama bundler, and was involved in the VP selection process. He stepped down after questions were raised about favoritism he may have received from Countrywide Financial Corporation, though the Obama campaign staunchly defended him.
KEVIN DOWNEY
The Williams & Connolly partner with a focus on criminal and civil litigations was, like Obama, an editor of the Harvard Law Review. Previously a professor at George Washington and Georgetown law schools, Downey clerked for Judge Edward Becker, and the United States Court of Appeals before going into private practice.
SCOTT HARRIS
Managing partner of Harris, Wiltshire & Grannis, Harris withdrew as a lobbyist for Microsoft and Cisco in June, but his partners still lobby. The former chief counsel for export administration at the Department of Commerce, he represents clients before the FCC, the courts, the Executive Branch, and foreign regulatory agencies.
GEORGE STEVENS
Co-Chairman of the Obama arts policy committee, the award-winning writer, director, producer and founder of the American Film Institute, has received 11 Emmys, two Peabody Awards and eight Writers Guild of America Awards for his television productions, including the Kennedy Center Honors.
ROBERT & SARAH NIXON
Bob Nixon and his wife Sarah moved to Washington from Los Angeles in 1992 to found Earth Conservation Corps, a non-profit devoted to engaging the city’s youth in efforts to cleanup the Anacostia River. Nixon has won five Emmy Awards, and was a strong supporter of Barack Obama’s throughout the campaign.
ANN JORDAN
Co-chairman of the 1996 Clinton inauguration and the first African-American to ever chair an inauguration, Ann and her husband Vernon are a formidable duo in Washington politics. Formerly a professor and social worker, Jordan is a civic leader, who champions women and minorities across the nation.
WILLIAM EACHO
Eacho made a fortune in the food distribution business in the 1990’s, and along with his wife, Donna, has been an active fundraiser in Democratic circles, bundling more than half a million dollars for Obama. Eacho is currently the CEO of Carlton Capital Group, a private wealtht management fund in the Washington area.
SUSAN EISENHOWER
Ike’s grand-daughter is an international security expert and frequent political commentator, but the lifelong Republican recently switched her party affiliation to Independent, and passionately endorsed Obama in a speech at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.
SPENCER OVERTON
This law school prof is one of the nation’s leading experts on election law, and a frequent commentator on issues of voting rights, voter suppression, and campaign law. Overton was two classes behind Obama at Harvard Law, and has worked for the DNC, NAACP, and a few prestigious “white shoe” law firms during his career.
HOWARD GUTMAN
An original member of Obama’s national finance committee, this Williams & Connolly partner has advised Democratic candidates for president, Congress, and governor. He also went K Street on the HBO series of the same name, playing (what else?) a well-connected Washington attorney.
WILLIAM KENNARD
This managing director at the Carlyle Group and former FCC chairman was a tech advisor to Obama’s campaign, working alongside such fellow techies as Julius Genachowski and Google’s Eric Schmidt. Obama has promised to appoint the first ever chief technology officer, part of a broader initiative to create a more efficient, transparent government.
STEWART BAINUM JR.
A former Maryland state senator and chairman of Choice Hotels International, Inc. (Comfort Inn and EconoLodge), Bainum’s father was a former plumber who opened a nursing home business and took it public in 1969. Partly, as a result, Bainum Jr. has twice made the Forbes “400” list.
TIM BROAS
This Winston & Strawn securities litigation attorney co-hosted one of the first D.C. fundraisers for Obama with fellow inner-circle allies Greg Craig and Kevin Downey. A veteran of both the Kerry and Bradley campaigns, Broas, an avid marathon runner, said recently that his claim to fame is, “that I’ve been to 74 Bruce Springsteen concerts.”
SHEILA JOHNSON
Black Entertainment Television co-founder and billionaire Sheila Johnson was one of Obama’s earliest backers, and continued hosting fundraisers for him throughout the campaign. Already a global ambassador for the non-profit CARE, there is speculation that she may be offered one of a handful of prestigious diplomatic posts in the Obama administration.
JULIUS GENACHOWSKI
A friend of Obama’s since their days at Harvard Law, this tech guru who will serve as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission has Washington pundits speculating about the larger role technology will play in the new administration. Genachowski has also served on the boards of Expedia, Hotels.com, and Ticketmaster.
Next up: Champions of the Campaign
The 13th annual record of notably social personalities from the worlds of politics, diplomacy, business, philanthropy, and the arts.
By Kevin Chaffee
John Pyles and Barbara Harrison
This roster is neither the first, nor will it (inevitably) be the last to single out certain individuals, who, by virtue of birth, rank, wealth or accomplishment, take part in the social life of the nation’s capital. Estimable precursors – drumroll here – include The Green Book,” so-called for its faux green suede cover, which has appeared continuously since 1930; and the Blue Book of Washington, D.C., which ceased publication around 1990 after a century in print. The Social Register, sometimes called the “Black Book,” also contains the names of numerous prominent local figures, many hailing from so-called “blue blood” families, although it merged its thin Washington volume into a much larger 12-city national version back in the 1980s.
A major difference separating Washington Life’s list from the others – apart from having no discernible color – is that we do not publish a “phone book” containing addresses and contact information, much less schools attended, club memberships and yacht listings. Ours is merely an alphabetical nomenclature of people who make a difference by adding immeasurably to their city, and by extension, their country and the world. Another point of contrast is size. Compared to the many thousands of entries contained in other directories past and present, WL’s Social List, currently about 700 names and counting, is relatively small. We do not see the need to include every member of the Congress, Cabinet or Court (i.e., Supreme), much less all those with top jobs listed in the “Plum Book” of political appointments.
WL Photos WLTV
