Hawaii’s World
THE grandest party of the 20th century is one I know a wee bit about because it had a few Hawaii connections. Shah of Iran threw
party of centuryShah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi and the empress of Iran threw it for nine days -- Oct. 12-20, 1972 -- at Persepolis, their ancient capital, to glorify the 2,500th anniversary of the Persian Empire.
What had become a ghost town in the desert was transformed into Scheherazade city for the occasion, with "A Thousand and One Nights" atmosphere of air-conditioned tents, magic fountains and ambrosia by Lanvin of Paris.
A new highway, a reservoir and a heliport were among the support facilities built especially for the event in the dry desert, once covered by cedars.
Sixty crowned and uncrowned heads of state headed the guest list for this pageant of pageants. Each sat on a velvet throne for many events. Waiters for the caterer, Maxim's of Paris, wore $800 uniforms. The food was mostly French except for a ton of Iran's best Beluga caviar.
Among the attendees were Ambassador and Mrs. Juan Dionisio, representing the Philippines, who were previously assigned to their nation's consulate general in Honolulu. When they retired here, I saw some of their film of the dignitaries and of parades of festively attired tribesmen on camels or horseback plus mounted sports. Awesome, as intended.
Both Dionisios are deceased, but still living is Mrs. Jean Cornuelle of Honolulu, who with her husband, the late Herbert Cornuelle, a prominent Hawaii business leader, was invited to an Aspen Institute conference at the site in 1975.
The air-conditioned tents were still there. They stayed and ate in them. A very large one, their meeting place, was wholly lined inside with red silk and "Christmas red" Persian carpets.
THE eating tent was blue-lined, with blue velvet banquette seating and elaborate lighting. "It just took your breath away," Mrs. Cornuelle recalls. The shah did not attend but his empress did -- a beautiful woman with dark hair and big, almond-shaped eyes -- "what the queen of Sheba should have looked like."
The meeting was with some of Iran's top scholars and government leaders to talk about modernizing Iran with vastly improved schools, hospitals and living conditions in a nation ridden with squalor.
The shah, an absolute dictator, retained his power with fear that stifled political talk. His good intentions, which would have meant westernization and more urbanization, ran afoul of rural and religious opposition to change. He was overthrown and sent into exile in 1979.
The Cornuelles were not surprised but retained respect for his hopes for his country. Herbert Cornuelle said in an essay a year before the overthrow that the shah was trying to go too far, too fast and relying too much on central planning.
In 1958, on a world trip, the shah socialized with guests at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel and got a special dispensation to water ski immediately off the hotel. He was described as very charming.
The tents apparently are gone from Persepolis today, but the ruins of the ancient palaces at the foot of a mountain in what was once lush countryside remain a great attraction.
Since the U.S. and Iran have no diplomatic relations, the best way for Americans to get there is with a foreign travel group. Mr. And Mrs. Lawrence Fung of Honolulu were able to arrange such a visit two years ago. They got to Persepolis via a one-hour drive from Tehran and were immensely impressed.
A.A. Smyser is the contributing editor
and former editor of the the Star-Bulletin
His column runs Tuesday and Thursday.