Jan 28, 2008

Exhibit honors Packards' local contributions

By Janet Duca Norton / Society Columnist

Known as Lu and Dave to their friends and neighbors, the city girl English major from San Francisco and the outdoor country boy, engineering major from Colorado met at Stanford on a blind date and became lifelong partners. Their story of Silicon Valley business success and community philanthropy is chronicled in the new exhibit at the Los Altos History Museum titled "Lucile and David Packard: Valued Partners."

The handsomely mounted exhibit includes a video featuring 17 friends and business associates, a replica of the Hewlett-Packard garage on Addison Avenue in Palo Alto, personal scrapbooks, a pair of David's boots, Lucile's Delta Gamma sorority pin and photographs. The exhibit of course also highlights their major legacies, including the Packard Foundation, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Packard Children's Hospital and the endowment for engineering education at Stanford University.

Exhibit chairwoman Nan Geschke spoke for her co-chairs Judy Dahl and Irene Sasaki when she described the almost three-year project as "a labor of love."

Geschke said the Packards chose to lead purposeful lives. "The story of Lu and Dave is a compelling story for Los Altos Hills," she said. "We were so fortunate to have them touch our lives." The aim of the exhibit is to honor the Packards and encourage visitors to think about how they can make a difference in their own communities.

The Packards shared the same values: personal integrity, respect for the individual, a belief in leadership, a commitment to effectiveness and faith in thinking big. These values were the core of "The HP Way," and the Packards led by example.

They were hands-on people in all areas of their lives. One of the most interesting documents in the exhibit is the two-page business plan typed by Lucile. She played an important role in the creation of the company, not only baking the wafers in the kitchen oven for their first product, the oscillator, but doing all the bookkeeping and coordinating of employee carpools during World War II.

Their philanthropy was based on lifelong interests, including love of the land and preservation of open spaces. The realization of Dave's dream of owning a ranch brought enjoyment to the whole family and encouraged involvement in conservation.

Lucile always liked the sea and envisioned the Monterey Bay Aquarium as a family project. Although the Packard Foundation is named for both of them, it was Lucile's idea. In the beginning, she selected the projects, kept all the donor records and selected Cole Wilbur to be the first president.

Lucile's interest in children dated back to her days volunteering at the Stanford Convalescent Hospital and her participation in the founding of a nursery school in Palo Alto.

Dave served on the Palo Alto School Board and was U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense. He later studied marine biology in order to help with the design of the Monterey Bay Aquarium and also engineered its wave machine.

According to the exhibit, David once said, "I think you get your most satisfaction after you've done something, and then you ought to do something else."

A record-setting 450 museum supporters attended the opening reception on Jan. 20. The event could be described as living history, with many contributors to the exhibit in attendance. Guests included Susan Packard Orr and her daughter Katherine; early employees and video participants Al Bagley, Bill Terry, Bob Grimm, Chuck House and Art and Mary Fong; former Agilent Technology President Ned Barthold; Delta Gamma sorority sisters and lifelong friends, Packard Children's Hospital volunteers Delores Fuller and B.J. Sorensen (who both wore their sorority pins); and Dr. Robert Glaser.

This exhibit continues until June 22. A series of special programs is planned. Museum hours are Thursday through Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. For information call 659-948-9327.



THEATREWORKS' "THIRD" PREMIERES

TheatreWorks presentation of Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning playwright Wendy Wasserstein's last play, "Third," featured interesting characters, smart dialogue and stylish sets.

The Jan. 19 opening at the Mountain View Performing Arts Center was the regional premiere of "Third." Guests at the VIP reception had the opportunity to meet the talented cast and join the actors in a celebratory post-performance toast. Season ticket holders, board members, guests and fellow actors gave the play rave reviews.

"On a personal note," artistic director Robert Kelley said, "I'm dedicating the show to the late great Wendy Wasserstein."

The thoughtful and clever comedic drama about a successful female college professor's midlife challenges is much more than a lecture on seeing people as individuals, and not as stereotypes. The play's momentum is sustained with several surprise twists.

In the play, famous liberal professor Laurie Jameson (Broadway's Elizabeth Norment) is forced to look at her beliefs and biases toward a conservative student jock named Woodson Bull III (TheatreWorks' Craig Marker), who likes to be called "Third." The professor's daughter Emily (Emilie Miller), her friend and colleague Nancy (Amy Resnick) and her father Jack (Gerry Hiken) were colorful characters who added depth to the production.

Applauding the show were Mike and Martha Kahn, Loren and Shelley Saxe, Anne and Larry Hambly, Julie Simmons, Joe Bailey, Jackson Davis and Maureen McVerry.

The show continues through Feb. 10. For information, visit www.theatreworks.org.


Janet Duca Norton's society column appears every Sunday in the Daily News. Send event information to 324 High St., Palo Alto, CA 94301 or e-mail society@paloaltodailynews.com.