Angeleno Banking On His New Role

Angelenos Rockwell and Marna Schnabel are celebrating the fact that he’s been confirmed by the U. S. Senate as deputy secretary of commerce (the No. 2 position in the Department of Commerce under Secretary Robert A. Mosbacher).

They’re spending the Easter weekend in Palm Desert in the company of son Evan (who will be a White House intern this summer) and daughters Darrin and Christy.

An international investment banker, Schnabel is undersecretary of commerce for travel and tourism. In recent days in Washington, the Schnabels attended dinners given by the German and Dutch ambassadors, and Marna Schnabel was First Lady Barbara Bush’s guest at a luncheon for spouses of Cabinet members.

STARRING: There’s much ado about this year’s John and Alice Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement. The $150,000 award has come to be seen as the leading international honor for environmental attainments.

Alice Tyler and USC will award it at a black-tie dinner Friday at the Four Seasons.

The event will also be the social debut for Steven Sample, USC’s new president, and his wife, Kathryn.

PAST PERFECT: Town and Gown of USC saluted James and Marilyn Zumberge (he left the USC presidency last week) at a lively luncheon at the Regent Beverly Wilshire.

Town and Gown President Roberta Weaver, Sally Edwards, Jacqueline Connolly and Joanne Koll were among those wishing the Zumberges well and taking part in the fashion show of First Lady inaugural gowns from the Seeley Deer collection.

Town and Gown has accrued a $10-million endowment; it allows members to provide 170 scholarships annually for USC students.

First Lady Barbara Bush was unable to attend. She’ll be invited again, however, and when she accepts, she’ll have a $50,000 scholarship named in her honor, following in the footsteps of Nancy Reagan, Pat Nixon (a USC graduate) and Betty Ford.

DRAWING CARD: Sally Woodward and Maxine Ridgway are ecstatic. They’ve received word that a needlepoint handbag made by Barbara Bush will be a special exhibit in the Golden Thimble XI Needlework Exhibition April 27-May 4 at Good Samaritan Hospital. It’s done on an antique frame that belonged to Mrs. Bush’s mother.

Amie Lu Haake, president of the sponsoring hospital auxiliary, hopes the event will allow the auxiliary to complete its $500,000 pledge to the hospital perinatal center. Susan Blumenthal, Patricia Harker and Peggy McLeod head the sponsors committee.

KUDOS: Donald R. Beall, chairman and CEO of Rockwell International, receives the third Exemplary Leadership in Management Award from the board of visitors of UCLA’s John E. Anderson Graduate School of Management April 15 at the Beverly Hilton . . . .

Gene Autry receives the America’s Star Award from the U. S. Marshals Foundation headed by Winthrop P. Rockefeller on Thursday at a black-tie affair at the Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum. By design, U. S. Marshal Craig Meacham, and Arthur M. Kassel and Leo Jaffe plan a rather intimate evening of only 20 tables, catered by Chasen’s. The occasion marks the opening of the America’s Star Exhibit, developed by the foundation in association with the Smithsonian Institution.

FOND FAREWELL: Roberta Herbison, popular Tiffany vice president, is off to New York as Tiffany vice president of retail administration. Alain M. Longatte, general manager of the Regent Beverly Wilshire, toasted her at a celebration in the hotel’s Le Grand Trianon.

TRA LA, TRA LA: The spring social whirl is in a twirl. Looking at the bright side, UCLA’s Las Donas laughed their way through their annual “Morning at UCLA.� With Times columnist Jack Smith keynoting, the crowd split into divisions, looking at the humor in advertising, mythology, courtship and history. Co-chairs Gale Caswell and Sandy Hubert then led them on to a merry lunch . . . .

Pasadena Beautiful Foundation, big on tree-planting, hosted its awards dinner at the new Ritz-Carlton Huntington in Pasadena with Alice Frost Thomas, Russell Holmes, and Robert and Gwen Cheesewright at the helm . . . .

While mothers bet on horse races on the screen at the Beverly Hilton’s International Ballroom, daughters pulled their shenanigans at games in a side room. Then all united for luncheon and a Saks Fifth Avenue fashion show. (June MacMurray and Sally and Samantha Struthers modeled.) Putting it all together for Wings of Childhelp, USA--the mother-daughter organization founded by Cordella Owens to raise funds for abused children--were chairman Kathy Rebhan and Andrea McCabe.

KEEPING UP: At the Riviera Country Club, Planned Parenthood Los Angeles Guild’s Food Fare headed by Diane Bishop and Diane Cooke brought in 1,400 guests and raised $150,000 . . . .

Delta Burke helped Five Acres Children’s Guild raise $25,000 at its Evening of Miracles for neglected children . . . .

Dress was on the wild side when producer/director Gary Smith and his wife, Maxine, and Grammy winner Quincy Jones--all Buckley School parents--chaired the school’s soiree at the Beverly Wilshire . . . .

Mireya Jone headed the Tamayo restaurant party for the Encore Committee of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Affiliates. Encore members--past presidents of the Affiliates--include Dorothy Stotsenberg, Ginny Cushman, Mary Ann Surprenant, Patty Pillsbury, Marlene Billington and Jan Corey . . . .

Actress Morgan Brittany accepted the Visiting Nurse Foundation of Los Angeles’ “Star Humanitarian Award� Monday at a dinner at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.