Jewel Ball

The Jewel Ball is the main annual debutante ball held in Kansas City, Missouri, in the United States. It is organized by the Jewel Ball Foundation, which appoints a prominent Kansas City socialite to be the chairwoman. In 2007, it was held on June 9.

Predecessor: The Priests of Pallas

Beginning in 1887, partially in response to the establishment of St. Louis's popular annual Veiled Prophet Fair and Veiled Prophet Ball in 1878, Kansas City held an annual harvest-time, Mardi Gras-style festival called the "Priests of Pallas". It consisted of a public parade and an invitation-only debutante ball (the "Priests of Pallas Ball"), organized by a secret society of prominent Kansas Citians that called itself the Priests of Pallas. The first year, President Grover Cleveland attended. Gradually, however, the public lost interest. The festival was suspended for several years beginning in 1912, began again in 1920, and ended for good in 1924.

Inception and Subsequent History

Other cities' established debutante festivities, such as St. Louis's annual Veiled Prophet Ball, however, lived on. By the 1950s, many prominent Kansas Citians believed that Kansas City again needed some sort of debutante festivities. In 1954, Clara Hockaday and Enid Kemper, prominent Kansas City social matrons, founded the Jewel Ball with help from local businessman Alfred Lighton.

Since its inception, the ball has benefited the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and the Kansas City Symphony. From 1954 until 2000, the ball was held in the main hall of the Nelson-Atkins. A large construction project at the museum forced a temporary move to Swope Park's Starlight Theatre (Kansas City). The Jewel Ball is slated to return to the museum in 2008.