“Dorothy Chandler created the Music Center 50 years ago. She knew the hard part would be filling the buildings with performances and sustaining the organizations,” said Carla Sands, president of The Blue Ribbon, at the nonprofit’s 45th Anniversary Luncheon held on Thursday, November 21, at the California Club in downtown Los Angeles. “When I look at you all today, I see the philanthropic powerhouses of L.A.,” she added, noting that Chandler founded the women’s organization to sustain the resident companies of the Music Center. Next, L.A. Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, also on hand for the lunch, said the city had become known for “fostering the cultural arts” and credited the Music Center with jumpstarting the Southern California cultural renaissance that’s been evolving over the past half-century. Past president Nancy Livingston recalled the handwritten letters new Blue Ribbon members would receive from Buff Chandler (Dorothy Chandler’s preferred nickname). “She would always ask about your family, your husband and children by name,” said Livingston, before recounting how she met Chandler at a Dodgers game and attended the Music Center’s opening night concert led by conductor Zubin Mehta. “As he put down his baton after the “Star-Spangled Banner,” he reveled in the acoustics of the hall,” Livingston added. Guests at the luncheon each received a copy of a book documenting the 45-year history of The Blue Ribbon organization that includes a cover of Time magazine’s December 18, 1964 issue with Chandler on the cover.

Pictured: Carla Sands
Photo by Donato Sardella for WireImage