MD MD - Judith 'Judy' O'Donnell, 19, Baltimore, 30 Nov 1980

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Here is a blow up version of the picture that JeannieC provided - have placed an arrow to the person whom you have indicated may be Judy. I swear some of these faces look familiar to the folks that were in that Studio 54 picture. If this picture "blows the margins" then I will edit and resize it.
 

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Here is a blow up version of the picture that JeannieC provided - have placed an arrow to the person whom you have indicated may be Judy. I swear some of these faces look familiar to the folks that were in that Studio 54 picture. If this picture "blows the margins" then I will edit and resize it.

thanks for doing that-- but that's not her. Her hair would never hold that much curl, no matter how strong a perm. The one that makes sense is the one with straight hair, diagonally next to the woman you had the pointer pointing toward before. :) And yes, the fashion makes them all look the same, doesn't it?
 
Oh my but looking at a crowd of people like that is like looking for things in a hidden object game to me. Think we have this narrowed down now - if I had followed your instructions to begin with this would have been easier:crazy:.

Here we go:
 

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Oh my but looking at a crowd of people like that is like looking for things in a hidden object game to me. Think we have this narrowed down now - if I had followed your instructions to begin with this would have been easier:crazy:.

Here we go:

funny, those are among my favorites. :D :D And, THANK YOU!
 
I'm so, so glad that this event was held at the Smithsonian. I'd be shocked if they didn't have a guest list for this event. They are all about preserving records and keeping historical artifacts. If this event had been held at a hotel, the records might not be available, but I'd be really surprised if the Smithsonian didn't have the records. Contact the Smithsonian and ask to speak with an archivist. You might also try the National Archives or the Library of Congress. I know that the Library of Congress will allow you to hire a librarian. I don't know what the fee will be, but they might be willing to waive it since you're trying to find a missing person. Great finds, Jeannie and Eleph!
 
Once you get the list, we should be able to see who was a single male attendee. We can go from there.
 
MESSAGE SENT (to the senior archivist - I don't mess around!) Thanks for the idea!!

:woohoo: I'm so glad you sent that message. Let me know what they say. If they give you a list (and if you feel comfortable in sharing it with us), post it or PM it to us and we'll go through the names together to try to figure out who she was with. My guess is that we'll need to look at all single male attendees and/or male/female pairs with different last names (in case she was listed under an alias for some crazy reason).

You should also send a message to the Library of Congress. I'm sure they'd have records too.
 
MESSAGE SENT (to the senior archivist - I don't mess around!) Thanks for the idea!!

Whoot ... you are not fooling around at all. Awesome! Will not get a chance to do any digging tomorrow as a road trip is planned with family but will be able to do some more researching after that.

If there is anything that you want found or any other directions you feel should be explored just post it and we shall fly in that direction as well.

eleph
 
:woohoo: I'm so glad you sent that message. Let me know what they say. If they give you a list (and if you feel comfortable in sharing it with us), post it or PM it to us and we'll go through the names together to try to figure out who she was with. My guess is that we'll need to look at all single male attendees and/or male/female pairs with different last names (in case she was listed under an alias for some crazy reason).

You should also send a message to the Library of Congress. I'm sure they'd have records too.

Don't forget the Reagan Library.
 
I'm so, so glad that this event was held at the Smithsonian. I'd be shocked if they didn't have a guest list for this event. They are all about preserving records and keeping historical artifacts. If this event had been held at a hotel, the records might not be available, but I'd be really surprised if the Smithsonian didn't have the records. Contact the Smithsonian and ask to speak with an archivist. You might also try the National Archives or the Library of Congress. I know that the Library of Congress will allow you to hire a librarian. I don't know what the fee will be, but they might be willing to waive it since you're trying to find a missing person. Great finds, Jeannie and Eleph!

This event took place at the Rotunda of the National Museum of Natural History. The picture is preserved at the Smithsonian.
 
This event took place at the Rotunda of the National Museum of Natural History. The picture is preserved at the Smithsonian.

I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that this museum is one of the Smithsonians. It's on the Smithsonian mall next to the Air and Space Museum and the American History museum. It's the one that has the Hope Diamond. If you can't find anything at the museum itself, check with the Smithsonian Institute itself (it's the building at the end of the mall known as the castle). They would most likely be the ones who would have all the records for all of the events held at any of their museums. Here's a link for all the Smithsonian museums:

http://www.si.edu/Museums/natural-history-museum If this museum itself doesn't have the records, try the American History museum (they keep all materials related to all the presidents) or just the Smithsonian headquarters.

The National Archives and the Library of Congress should also be contacted if you can't get what you need from the Smithsonian.
 
Which person? The one with the cigarette or the one in the back? I recognize Bianca Jagger in the front of the photo and Warhol near the woman with the cigarette (she looks a little too old to be your sister, but you know your sister's profile far better than I do).

I put a few pictures together earlier.
 

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Your inquiry concerning inaugural celebrations at the Smithsonian Institution on January 20, 1981 was forwarded to me for reply. Presidential galas and balls are coordinated by the Presidential Inaugural Committee and, in turn, each gala, ball, event is sponsored by an individual organization. In 1981, there were three inaugural balls held at Smithsonian facilities on January 20th, at the American History, Natural History and the Air and Space museums. Although the Smithsonian Institution provided the event venues, it in no way was associated with guest lists, ticketing, catering, entertainment, publicity, etc. These records would have been generated by the organizations that sponsored these events. The Hoover Institution Archives at Stanford has a collection of Presidential Inaugural Committee materials – [Collection # 81142] http://www.oac.cdlib.org/view?docId=kt6779r7dg;query=;style=oac4;view=admin I suggest contacting Carol Leadenham, Reference Archivist carol.leadenham@stanford.edu at the Hoover institution Archives for further assistance in determining if this collection contains information concerning organizations that sponsored various galas in 1981 at the Smithsonian Institution and elsewhere in the city on that night. I would then try and locate those sponsoring organizations and make inquiries regarding ticketing and/or guest lists for their inaugural events. I hope this is helpful to your search. Regards, Ellen AlersAssistant Archivist
 
The Presidential Inaugural Committee Collection in the Hoover Institution Archives only consists of 3 manuscript boxes, 1 cubic foot box, 3 oversize boxes, 1 card file box, and 1 oversize folder. The collection consists of reports, memoranda, press releases, programs, guides, and memorabilia, relating to the inauguration of Ronald Reagan as president of the United States in 1981. There is no more detailed description of the collection available, but it is likely that if guest lists were included, the person preparing the brief summary would have noted that in his summary.

You would be welcome to come to the Hoover Institution Archives to look through the Presidential Inaugural Committee Collection. A full day should be more than enough to see the whole collection, since it is not large. We are open 8:15 am-4:45 pm Monday-Friday year-round, except for a few holidays (we will be closed Labor Day, for instance) and the period between Christmas and New Year's each year (this year we will be closed December 18, 2011-January 2, 2012). When you arrive you will be asked to fill out a registration form and show photo id, such as your driver's license. The Hoover Institution Archives is located in the Herbert Hoover Memorial Building, next to the Hoover Tower on the Stanford University campus.
 
Your inquiry concerning inaugural celebrations at the Smithsonian Institution on January 20, 1981 was forwarded to me for reply. Presidential galas and balls are coordinated by the Presidential Inaugural Committee and, in turn, each gala, ball, event is sponsored by an individual organization. In 1981, there were three inaugural balls held at Smithsonian facilities on January 20th, at the American History, Natural History and the Air and Space museums. Although the Smithsonian Institution provided the event venues, it in no way was associated with guest lists, ticketing, catering, entertainment, publicity, etc. These records would have been generated by the organizations that sponsored these events. The Hoover Institution Archives at Stanford has a collection of Presidential Inaugural Committee materials – [Collection # 81142] http://www.oac.cdlib.org/view?docId=kt6779r7dg;query=;style=oac4;view=admin I suggest contacting Carol Leadenham, Reference Archivist carol.leadenham@stanford.edu at the Hoover institution Archives for further assistance in determining if this collection contains information concerning organizations that sponsored various galas in 1981 at the Smithsonian Institution and elsewhere in the city on that night. I would then try and locate those sponsoring organizations and make inquiries regarding ticketing and/or guest lists for their inaugural events. I hope this is helpful to your search. Regards, Ellen AlersAssistant Archivist


so, I have a cousin that lives in the bay area. He and his wife will go to the library at Stanford for me. I hope this goes somewhere - I'm not even sure where, but it's thrilling to finally get some information about that night. Thanks, guys and gals, for your continued support and inspiration.
 
Very disappointing but just another detour in the road. When one door closes we just have to look for another! I wish we had someone from LE who could maybe offer some suggestions or throw out a few ideas...........

It has been a long time Maureen but don't give up now.

:waitasec:
 
What about Secret Service? I wonder if they'd have the lists, since they would have been the ones providing the security for these events. I read somewhere that the Reagan inauguration had been the most expensive inauguration in US history. It seems strange to me they wouldn't have kept records of such an unprecedented event. I've heard before that there are extensive records kept by the White House of every single meal served at almost every single state dinner they've hosted throughout the years. If those records are around, then I would think that guest lists would also be around, especially since security was involved. They wouldn't just let anyone show up at the door. Look at the huge fuss that was made when those people, the Salahis showed up uninvited to a state dinner. It resulted in congressional hearings.

Here's a link to the Secret Service:
http://www.secretservice.gov/

If your cousins can't find anything at Stanford, this might be another avenue to check. If you're uncomfortable contacting them, let me know, and I'll send an email on your behalf.

Just as a side note, in 1987, I went to a summer camp in the Sierra Nevada mountains that I had been attending for a few years. That summer, Reagan's grandson, Cameron attended the camp too. He had Secret Service protection around him 24/7 and there were rumors that all of our parents had been investigated beforehand without their knowledge. If there was a camper who had parents who were felons, or members of anti-government or terrorist groups, that camper would have not been allowed to go to camp. I don't know how true these rumors are, but I can kind of see how the list of campers' names would have been looked at closely. That poor kid-he could never shake his Secret Service detail. We'd all be in the pool doing an activity or whatever, and these random guys would be standing around the edges of the pool watching in case one of us "non-presidential" kids tried to harm him. If they went to all that trouble for a grandchild, then I'm sure they had a guest list for each event during the inauguration that they went over with a fine-tooth comb. They probably also have a lot of photos from the inaugural events. Now whether or not they'll share that info is another story; but it's worth checking into.
 

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