holds 116th annual ballElizabeth Davies GibbesAnn King AustinEmily Diana BreibartEleanor Voight StanleyJewell Younger GibbesAbbot Land Bristow

The Assembly held its 116th annual ball Tuesday, December 21, 2004, at eight o’clock in the evening in the ballroom of the Adam’s Mark Hotel. Guests were received by Mrs. Angus Bird Lafaye, president, and Mr. Lafaye; Mrs. William Perry Cate, president–elect, and Mr. Cate; and the debutante daughters and granddaughters of the members:

Elizabeth Davies Gibbes, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Mason Gibbes Jr., escorted by William Henry Daniel V; Ann King Austin, daughter of Mrs. Marion Austin, escorted by Christopher Brent Walsh; Emily Diana Breibart, daughter of Mrs. Mary Thomas Breibart and Mr. Richard Jerome Breibart, escorted by Garron Thomas Michael; Eleanor Voight Stanley, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. James Cleatus Owens, escorted by William Douglas Heinitsh; Jewell Younger Gibbes, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Felder Gibbes, escorted by Brian Emerson Smith; Abbot Land Bristow, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Walter James Bristow III, escorted by William Hammond Bowman IV; Miss Amanda Caldwell Reading, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Theodore Harold Reading II, escorted by Mr. Ansel Claiborne Bunch Jr.; Elizabeth Dial Jenkins, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Michael Jenkins, escorted by Mark Joseph Williams Jr.; Laura Frances Shapiro, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Steven Dennis Shapiro, escorted by Richard Whitfield Slocum; Rachel Katherine FitzSimons, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Christopher FitzSimons IV and granddaughter of Mrs. Christopher FitzSimons III, escorted by Mr. Christopher FitzSimons; Amy Elizabeth McEachin, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Mallory McEachin Jr., and granddaughter of Mrs. Amy Edmunds Bramlett, escorted by Mr. Llewellyn Gregory Pearce.

Miss Marie Gillespie Stitt, daughter of Mrs. Frances Weston Bramlett and Mr. Frank Stitt, and granddaughter of Mrs. Amy Edmunds Bramlett, escorted by Mr. Fitz Lee Howard McEachin.

Miss Elizabeth Christian Pope, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Gary Tusten Pope and granddaughter of Mrs. Thomas Harrington Pope Jr., escorted by Mr. Belton Townsend Zeigler Jr.

The traditional debutante figure was led by Miss Elizabeth Davies Gibbes and Mr. William Lucas Bunch, senior leaders, and Miss Ann King Austin and Mr. William Tennent Manning, junior leaders.

The sons and grandsons attending their first Assembly Ball were Ansel Claiborne Bunch, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ansel Claiborne Bunch; Adger Gaillard Ellison, son of Mr. and Mrs. James Hagood Ellison Jr.; William Hastings Hensel Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. William Hastings Hensel; William Tennent Manning, son of Mr. and Mrs. Burwell Deas Manning Jr.; William Benitez Shand, son of the Reverend and Mrs. William Munro Shand; Robert Lauren Shapiro, son of Mr. and Mrs. Steven Dennis Shapiro; Belton Townsend Zeigler Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Belton Townsend Zeigler; Christopher FitzSimons, grandson of Mrs. Christopher FitzSimons III; William Douglas Heinitsh, grandson of the late Isabel Sloan Heinitsh; Fitz Lee Howard McEachin, grandson of Mrs. Amy Edmunds Bramlett; and Gary Tusten Pope Jr., grandson of Mrs. Thomas Harrington Pope Jr.

Guest debutantes attending The Assembly were Miss Margaret Burnet Brunson, escorted by Mr. Joshua Warren Lemon; Miss Mason McNulty Hubbard, escorted by Mr. Joseph Anderson Halligan; Miss Katherine Helen King, escorted by Mr. Leland Paul Howard; Miss Sarah Belser Lamb, escorted by Mr. James Andrew Daniel; Miss Laura Cole Miot, escorted by Mr. Thomas English McCutchen IV; Miss Irene Pinckney Simons, escorted by Mr. William Frederick Lamb Jr.; Miss Margaret Hall Smith, escorted by Mr. Phillips Lancaster McWilliams; Miss Julia Heyward Stirling, escorted by Mr. James Cranston Gray III; Miss Catherine Chalk Walker, escorted by Mr. Zachary James Thompson; and Miss Sarah Jernigan Weston, escorted by Mr. William Tennent Manning.

The brides and grooms attending The Assembly were Mr. and Mrs. Robert Lafaye Morgan; Mr. and Mrs. John LeRoy Nichols III; Mr. and Mrs. John Samuel Hesley; Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Christopher Smith Jr.

Out of town guests were Mr. and Mrs. Christopher FitzSimmons IV of Chapel Hill, NC; Mr. and Mrs. Steven Sykes of Elizabethton, TN; Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Malloy McEachin of Florence; Mrs. Frances Bramlett and Mr. Steve Jackson of Mt. Pleasant; Mrs. James Douglas Stirling of Mobile, AL; Mr. and Mrs. Kendrick Ware Mattox, Jr. of LaGrange, GA; Mr. and Mrs. Richard Odon Von Werssowetz of Charleston, and Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Robb Walter of Danville, KY.

Joining Mr. and Mrs. Lafaye at the President’s Table for dinner were members of the executive board and their husbands: Dr. and Mrs. Edward W. Haselden, Jr.; Mr. and Mrs. William P. Cate; Mr. and Mrs. William H. Theus; Mr. and Mrs. Julian B. Shand Jr.; Mr. and Mrs. George H. Bunch III; Dr. and Mrs. Walter J. Bristow III; Mr. and Mrs. John K. DeLoach III; Mr. and Mrs. David O. Williams; Mr. and Mrs. Ansel C. Bunch; Mr. and Mrs. Richard G. Hepfer; Dr. and Mrs. William F. Crosswell; Mr. and Mrs. Edward C. Mann III; Mr. and Mrs. James F. Wardlaw; Mr. and Mrs. Michael M. Beal; Mr. and Mrs. Joseph D. Jones; Mr. and Mrs. John W. Morgan III; and Mr. and Mrs. Ronald M. Falls.

Dick Goodwin and his orchestra provided music for dancing and the debutante figure with Mr. Joseph Duffy Jones announcing the debutantes.

Following dinner, coffee was served from the Assembly’s antique coffee service by Mrs. Charles Warner Alexander, Mrs. Nathaniel Heyward Clarkson, Mrs. Christopher FitzSimons III, Mrs. Alexander Mason Gibbes, Mrs. John Robert Turner Major, and Mrs. Wyndham Meredith Manning.

The floor committee members were Mr. Julian Bonham Shand Jr., chairman; Mr. Thomas Bryant Edmunds; Mr. Richard Ellis Brown Floyd; Dr. Archibald Hardy III; Dr. Edward Wheeler Haselden Jr.; Mr. George Eugene Lafaye III; Mr. Francis William LaMotte Jr.; Mr. Thomas Otto Milliken; and Mr. William Ray Weston Jr.

Amanda Caldwell Reading

Elizabeth Dial Jenkins

Rachel Katherine FitzSimons

Amy Elizabeth McEachin

Marie Gillespie Stitt

Elizabeth Christian Pope