The Gloved Ones
The Debutante Club
When Miss Caroline Whittington Casey, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Alcade Casey Jr., appeared in the New Orleans Country Club’s ballroom for the evening, the official presentation of the Debutante Club of New Orleans began. Her accompanying song, as played by the Jimmy Maxwell Orchestra (and led by him), was “Fly Me to the Moon.” With that buoyant suggestion, a lovely lift into legacy, family tradition and the delights of the debutante season came into focus, not only on Miss Casey, but on the young women, the new members of the Debutante Club, who followed in her immediate footsteps that Friday evening. All were escorted by their fathers.
In succession were Misses Adair Guion Cook, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lynton Guy Cook III; Frances Villere Currence, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Morrison Currence Jr.; Olivia Marie Gaines, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. David Michael Gaines; and Kathleen Pierce Gibbons, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. David Cartan Loker Gibbons Jr. Their respective songs were “Had to Be You,” “Ice Castles,” “Unforgettable” and “If I Had You.”
A tune that reflected all 18 presentees came next: “Isn’t She Lovely.” It introduced Miss Allison Marie Loker Hughs, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Denson Hughs III. Most timely, as the next debutante, was Miss Emily Baldwin Johnson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Noel Johnson Jr., to “Just in Time.”
A winning fivesome then followed: Misses Marian Barkley Laing, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Caulkins Laing; Claire Louise Moffett, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Harry McClellan Moffett IV; Elizabeth Brent Montgomery, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Bullard Montgomery IV; Jane Elizabeth Murphy, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Spencer Murphy; and Elizabeth Downing Petagna, daughter of Mr. Stephen Price Petagna and Ms. Elinor Spicer Bright. They processed to “If,” “Zing Went the Strings,” “I Just Called to Say,” “S’Wonderful” and “My Cherie Amour.”
To “Where or When,” Miss Caroline Ott Pitalo, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Donald Anthony Pitalo, strode forward. The concluding five debutantes were Misses Margot Marie Roussel, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Hayward Roussel Jr., to “Some Enchanting Evening” — which it was; Marguerite Conery Schmidt, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Justin Burton Schmidt, to “Way You Look Tonight”; Grace Marie Waguespack, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. David Felicien Waguespack, to “What I Did for Love”; Charlotte Conway Williams, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Claude Somers Williams IV, to “On the Street Where You Live”; and Helen Elizabeth Wisdom, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Bell Wisdom, to “Traces.” A debutante of last year, Miss Laura Morgan Butcher, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Kimberlin Price Butcher, was the last to appear. She is the 2023 president of the club.
As anticipated, two debutantes of the season, also new Debutante Club members, were unable to be present: Misses Sophie Wilson Brewer and Rebecca Patout Walk. Their parents are Mr. and Mrs. Craig Wren Brewer and Mr. and Mrs. Wesley Albert Walk.
When the 18 lovelies were assembled on the stage, they curtsied collectively under the cue of Miss Butcher to the warm applause of the audience. A royal blue backdrop was centered with a large, ornate gold crest of the Debutante Club. Flowers in large planters and topiaries embellished the stage area, along with twinkling white lights.
After the presentation and the father-daughter first dance — and before everyone partook of the delicious breakfast buffet fare (with spinach ricotta crepes as an addition to scrambled eggs, sausages, and grits and grillades) — the honorees and their parents mingled on the ballroom floor with their guests. Later, the ballroom of the newly redecorated New Orleans Country Club welcomed the happily-nourished throng, who made animated night moves to the Maxwell music.
The Bachelors’ Club
In 1939-1940, Mr. James E. Gavin became the first president of the Bachelors’ Club of New Orleans, an office that is now held by Mr. William Taylor Anderson. The current officers are Messrs. William Henry Breaux, Sean Michael Cremaldi, Alexander William Kleinman, Matthew Brady Wolf, Blake Lawrence Ecuyer, William Watson Ellinghausen and Cooper Hughs Jordan.
They, and additional members, including brothers or relatives of the coterie, assembled as the hosting force for the annual debutante presentation at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside. Prior to the entrance of the “dizaine” debutantes, a reception unfolded in the hotel’s St. James Room. There, the tables were decorated with white candles; roasted tomato crostini, spinach and feta phyllo dough, and bacon-wrapped shrimp figured as tasty treats; and the New Orleans Banjos + 2 added the musical noteworthiness. President Taylor Anderson offered a Champagne toast to the young ladies.
The first to enter the spotlight in the ballroom was Miss Chloe Clare Beals, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Willard Chester Beals, and escorted by club member Alex Kleinman. She, as were the others, was announced by Mr. William Howard Thompson. The cotillion of 10 held Steve Baker-created bouquets of red roses tied with gold ribbons.
A foursome followed: Misses Abigail Sloan Fort, daughter of Mrs. Arthur Tomlinson Fort IV and the late Dr. Fort; Emma Kate Hattier, daughter of Mr. Donald David Hattier Jr. and Ms. Erin Clancy Devlin; Kathleen Loretta Keen, daughter of Mr. Steven Edward Keen and Ms. Leslie Susan Louviere; and Shannon Quinn Plough, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Francis Plough. Their escorts were Messrs. Ellinghausen, Quentin Bernos, Breaux and Jordan. A few days after the gala evening, Miss Plough commented on how nice and helpful the escorts were, adding what fun they all had.
Miss Margaret Godchaux Roos, escorted by Mr. Leo Roos, then proceeded. Her parents are Mr. and Mrs. Christopher James Roos. The final foursome, and escorted in turn by Messrs. Ecuyer, Harrison Trepagnier, Howie Weinstock and Charles Childress, were Misses Bailey Victoria Shofstahl, daughter of Mr. Tyson Brahm Shofstahl and Mrs. David S. Thornsberry; Marin Elizabeth Trepagnier, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. David Gerard Trepagnier; Kelly Ann Weinstock, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Andrew David Weinstock; and Catherine Marie Zimmermann, daughter of Mrs. Paul Michael Zimmermann and the late Mr. Zimmermann. A joint curtsy concluded the formalities.
Post presentation, the movement was first to the tables, round ones for ten and decorated by Steve Baker with gold ash in red glass containers. Then it was to the dance floor for such signature numbers as “Sweet Caroline” and “Johnny B. Goode,” as played by the BRW band, which energized the lively lot for hours.