From Diana Vance

Monroe 

To the editor,

Hang on to your seatbelts because I am going to take you to Washington D.C. in the 1930s and early 1950s and introduce you to the “hostess with the mostest” on the Washington D.C. social scene, Perle Mesta. She threw the most lavish parties in the nation’s capital.

It all began in Oklahoma City where her father took his family to build a hotel and make his fortune in the blossoming oil fields. Perle enjoyed party giving for the hotel guests but it was later before she dashed onto the Washington D.C. social scene. 

In her mid-20s she married engineer George Mesta who started his own machine company in Pittsburgh. When America entered WWI Perle’s husband was called to government by President Woodrow Wilson as a defense industry consultant. This was also the beginning of Perle Mesta as a Washington socialite for she immediately became active with the Washington Stage Door canteen for service personnel.

Just after this time the couple traveled extensively to many countries in Europe. This trip helped Perle gain a far-reaching knowledge of world business and politics. But then her husband died when she was 36, leaving her a $78 million fortune. When her father died he left her millions as well.

In 1938 she joined the National Women’s Party, rising to its executive council. Throughout the 1930s she lobbied for the Equal Rights Amendment. In 1949 President Truman named her as the envoy to Luxembourg. Reporters asked what to call her. She answered “Call me Madam”. Her life was a zestful life and when she returned to Washington she began throwing parties. Her lavish entertainment was filled with gaiety and informality. She invited senators, Supreme Court justices, congressmen, military leaders and ambassadors. She urged her guests to see each other as people not enemies.

Perle loved to throw these parties — the more lavish the better. One party had a price tag of $5,000. For her, a successful party included cool guests, hot food, cool music and a warm hostess. Over the years President Truman played the piano at several of her parties, Eisenhower sang and diplomat Patrick Hurley gave her a Comanche war hoop. 

Perle had a prominent ally in Bess Truman, who disliked largescale entertaining. So, she called on Perle. Irving Berlin wrote a musical about her titled “Call Me Madam.” Her life continued until 1975.