Saturday, March 24, 2012 | Six O'Clock | Washington Hilton, Washington, DC
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Ball of 2012 |
Event HistoryThe Start of the First BallOver ninety years ago, in 1914, the Washington auxiliary of the Navy Relief Society held its first “Navy Ball”. This event was one of the premiere social events of the year, attended by government, diplomatic and society leaders of the time. Franklin D. Roosevelt, Assistant Secretary of the Navy and Admiral George Dewey were guests at this first Ball. Throughout the years, the Navy Ball became known as a glittering social event where screen stars and entertainers from Hollywood and New York could be seen. Changes with World War IIWith the onset of World War II, the Navy Ball was cancelled for the duration of the war. The annual fundraising event resumed on January 22, 1948 and was described by a Washington columnist as follows: “The brilliance of the Navy Ball last night was dazzling. Rarely has Washington seen a more glittering assemblage than that which gathered in the Mayflower Ballroom for the first big party the Navy Relief Society has given since the war began. It was the first party, too, in eight years at which hundreds of officers appeared in resplendent full dress uniforms with full array of miniature medals.”The guest list that evening included Fleet Admirals Chester Nimitz and William Leahy, General Omar Bradley, Admiral Thomas Kincaid, Mrs. Harry Truman and her daughter, Margaret. Robert Taylor, the film star, acted as Master of Ceremonies and events of the evening included awards given to World War II heroes. Subsequent balls saw such luminaries as Julius LaRosa, Jonathan Winters, Ed Sullivan and Melina Mercouri, who sang “Never on Sunday” in Greek to the audience. Recent ChangeIn 2000, the Navy Ball became known as the Navy-Marine Corps Ball to reflect the joint participation of both services in this worthy endeavor. Navy-Marine Corps Ball Committee Mission >>More about the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society >> |
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