The Assembly, established in 1889, held its 133rd annual ball Monday, December 18, at seven o’clock in the evening at Forest Lake Club. Guests were received by Mrs. Shannon Nelson Weston, Jr., president, and Mr. Weston; Mrs. William Austin Bunch, president-elect, and Mr. Bunch, and the debutante daughters and granddaughters.
The debutante daughters and granddaughters presented at the ball were Miss Claiborne Ansel Bunch, daughter of Mrs. William Austin Bunch, granddaughter of the late Mrs. George Henry Bunch, Jr., escorted by Mr. Blake Edmunds IV; Miss Mary Fleming Hampton Finlay, daughter of Mrs. Kirkman Finlay III, granddaughter of Mrs. George Richard Thompson, escorted by Mr. Wade Sullivan Oliver; Miss Francis Brewer LaMotte, daughter of Mrs. Francis William LaMotte III, granddaughter of Mrs. James David McCutchen, Sr., escorted by Mr. Brailsford Yates Reynolds; Miss Katherine Clark Mullins, daughter of Mrs. Edward Wade Mullins III, granddaughter of the late Mrs. Edward Wade Mullins, Jr., escorted by Mr. William Porcher DuBose Tuller, Jr.; Miss Elizabeth Jennings Searcy, daughter of Mrs. Stephen David Searcy, granddaughter of Mrs. Joseph Duffy Jones, escorted by Mr. Duncan McIntyre Moorman; Miss Elizabeth Pennington Thomas, daughter of Mrs. William Graham Thomas, granddaughter of the late Mrs. Alice Marchant Thomas, escorted by Mr. William Graham Thomas, Jr.; Miss Murray McCuen Thompson, daughter of Mrs. Robert Baldwin Thompson III, great-granddaughter of the late Mrs. Edward Wheeler Haselden, escorted by Mr. Jacob Chapman Mann, Jr.; Miss Margaret Sams Walker, daughter of Mrs. Andrew Graham Walker, granddaughter of the late Mrs. Edward Darrell Hopkins, Jr., escorted by Mr. William Ellis McElveen; Miss Avery Appalachian Mooney Cantey, granddaughter of Mrs. William Childs Cantey, Jr., escorted by Mr. William Childs Cantey IV; Miss Sarah Quinn Irby, granddaughter of Mrs. Michael Heniford Quinn, Sr., escorted by Mr. Theron Max Childress.
Miss Elizabeth Jennings Searcy and Mr. Joseph Duffy Beal, senior leaders, and Miss Margaret Sams Walker and Mr. William Walker Laney, junior leaders, led the traditional debutante figure.
The sons and grandsons attending their first Assembly Ball were Mr. Myron Manning Barwick, son of Mrs. Ethredge Myron Barwick, Jr., great-grandson of the late Mrs. James Young Perry; Mr. Blake Edmunds IV, son of Mrs. Blake Edmunds III, grandson of the late Mrs. Blake Edmunds, Jr.; Mr. Anderson Manning King and Mr. Campbell McLain King, sons of Mrs. Robert Christopher King, grandsons of Mrs. William Campbell McLain III; Mr. William Walker Laney, son of Mrs. LeRoy Free Laney, grandson of Mrs. Lafayette Cooper Smith; Mr. William Ellis McElveen, son of Mrs. Earle Sligh McElveen, grandson of Mrs. Christie Benet Hopkins; Mr. Gordon Douglas Danforth McKeehan, son of Mrs. Chad Lee McKeehan, grandson of Mrs. Walter Bellingrath Edgar; Mr. Duncan McIntyre Moorman, son of Mrs. William Talley Moorman, grandson of the late Mrs. John Heslep Moorman, Sr.; Mr. William Graham Thomas, Jr., son of Mrs. William Graham Thomas, grandson of the late Mrs. Alice Marchant Thomas; Mr. William Porcher DuBose Tuller, Jr., son of Mrs. Louis Manigault McElveen, grandson of the late Mrs. William Henry Tuller; Mr. John Cain McKay, grandson of the late Mrs. Charles Summer Haltiwanger.
Guest debutantes attending The Assembly Ball were Miss Mattie Mills McMeekin James, escorted by Mr. Joseph Duffy Beal; Miss Sara MacMillan Kennedy, escorted by Mr. Julian Bonham Owens; Miss Eleanor Townsend Knox, escorted by Mr. Jacob Hall Poythress; Miss Constance Wilbourn McCants, escorted by Mr. William Walker Laney.
Miss Sarah Quinn Irby
The newly married brides and grooms attending The Assembly Ball for the first time were Mr. and Mrs. Angus McKay Brabham V and Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Chandler Tolson.
Out-of-town guests of The Assembly included Mr. and Mrs. Michael Semmes Irby, Jr.; Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Chapman Mann; and Ms. Caroline Head Knox and Mr. Kale Olson.
Joining Mr. and Mrs. Shannon Nelson Weston, Jr. at the president’s table for dinner were the members of the board and their husbands Dr. and Mrs. Richard Taylor Williams, Mr. and Mrs. William Austin Bunch, Mr. and Mrs. William Mace Haselden, Dr. and Mrs. Donald Langston Powell, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Harold Peacock, Dr. and Mrs. William Lynan Otis III, Dr. and Mrs. William Walter Brabham, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Wade Mullins III, Mr. and Mrs. Peter Gregg Shand, Mr. and Mrs. Louis Manigault McElveen, Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert Tennent Powers III, Mr. and Mrs. Stephen David Searcy, Mr. and Mrs. Gustaf Munthe Gudmundson, Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Brooks Allen Brewer, Ms. Helen Lafaye Johnson and Mr. Henry McCullough Mims III, Dr. and Mrs. Harry Simms Hardin IV, Mr. and Mrs. William Lucas Bunch, Mr. and Mrs. Steve Allen Matthews, and Dr. and Mrs. Walter James Bristow III.
The Andrew Thielen Big Band provided music for the grand march, debutante figure, and dancing. Mr. Steve Allen Matthews announced the debutantes, and Mrs. Steve Allen Matthews coordinated the grand march and debutante figure.
Following dinner, Mrs. Michael McNulty Beal, Mrs. Walter Patrick Dorn III, Mrs. James David McCutchen, Sr., Mrs. John Heslep Moorman, Jr., Mrs. Frank Elliott Robinson II, and Mrs. James Field Wardlaw served coffee from The Assembly’s antique coffee service. The Floor Committee members were Dr. William Walter Brabham, Mr. Brooks Allen Brewer, Mr. William Lucas Bunch, Mr. Gustaf Munthe Gudmundson, Jr., Dr. Harry Sims Hardin IV, William Mace Haselden, Mr. Louis Manigault McElveen, Mr. Edward Wade Mullins III, Dr. William Lynan Otis III, Mr. Thomas Harold Peacock, Dr. Donald Langston Powell, Mr. Gilbert Tennent Powers III, Mr. Stephen David Searcy, and Mr. Peter Gregg Shand.
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