ACS History

The Life of Elizabeth Bemis "Bemi" DeBus

by her daughter, Maya

Bemi DeBus (far right) with friends - photo courtesy John Olguin

Bemi was born Elizabeth Louise Bemis in Littleton Colorado on August 5, 1916. Her father was publisher of the town newspaper, the Littleton Independent. He was a famed historical storyteller, and could improvise beautiful music on the piano although he could not read a note. Her mother was grand dame of local society, and was a noted singer, artist, and poet. Her grandfather was a judge. Her younger brother, Edwin Jr., was called Beeze, a variation on "Bemis."

She was called "Betty Lou," which explains why she renamed her self "Bemi" in her late teens. She skipped two grades in school. One class trip took her to Denver where she was introduced to (the Unsinkable) Molly Brown. She graduated from the University of Colorado with degrees in zoology and psychology. Her life-long dream had been to be a doctor, and in 1938 she received a full scholarship to study medicine at the University of Paris. On the crossing, she befriended a fellow voyager named Fats Waller. On a later side trip to Morocco, she was arrested for being a spy. They decided she wasn't one, so they released her the next day.

Unfortunately for everyone, Hitler was threatening Europe, so she returned home.

Back in Denver, she began working as a newscaster for a local radio station. This was unique for a woman, since previously women's domain extended to "children, cooking and church." This was not her style. She then transferred to station WLW in Cincinnati, where she convinced them to let her do interviewing and on-air news analysis, using the name, "Elizabeth Bemis." Bill Paley, head of CBS, later heard her and asked her to come to New York where she became the first nationally broadcast female news analyst. Among those she interviewed were Gertrude Stein, Wendell Wilkie, and Eleanor Roosevelt.

While still in Cincinnati, a friend named Martha arranged a blind date for Bemi with her brother, Louis. Bemi opened the door, took one look, and knew he was the one. On their first date they realized they had memorized the same favorite poems as children. Eight days later, Louis proposed. She waited until the next day to say yes. They were married on September 22, 1941. WW II erupted, and Louis enlisted and taught glider pilots. He was eventually shipped to New Guinea. When Louis returned, Bemi was living in New York. When he finally located her, she was attending a party at the apartment of Irving Berlin.

They settled into a trailer park overlooking the ocean in Pacific Palisades, where Louis recovered from the war and attended UCLA on the GI Bill. They took up the hobby of flying, and Bemi earned her private pilot's license. Then they moved to Santa Monica and David was born in 1948. Soon Louis was working for the Los Angeles Probation Department, where he worked until his retirement. Edwin was born in 1950 and Maya was born in 1953.

Louis' job in the Probation Department provided an interesting prospective on humanity, from which the entire family benefited. When actress Lana Turner's daughter killed lover Johnny Stompanato, Louis was the media contact and the AP sent his quotes on the case nationwide. Lana Turner would call the house at all hours, to Bemi's dismay.

As the children were growing up, she devoted herself to the PTA, Boy Scouts, and Girl Scouts in her inimitable style. The PTA tried to oust her, labeling her a communist. She wasn't, and they didn't.

Bemi's imaginative and creative view of life's possibilities has led her to help spearhead many unique projects. With the help of her friend, she transformed the local school's "Christmas Pageant," into the "Holiday Workshop" (renamed out of respect for the Jewish families) which eventually grew into a yearly event filling the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium.

In 1967, while looking for a cure for world hunger, (she was never one to think small) the idea of using whale meat was suggested. After all, they were large and plentiful, weren't they? This led to her awareness of the preciousness and importance of whales and dolphins, and the need for public education and action. When she couldn't find an organization with such a focus, she and some friends started the American Cetacean Society, which eventually grew nation-wide. She has shared her enthusiasm for marine mammals with thousands of adults and children. She helped plant seeds of awareness, appreciation, and wonder, the results of which can be seen all around us today.

In the early '70's, she convinced Goodyear to donate Blimp time each year for dignitaries to ride and see the annual gray whale migration. (The blimp is the ideal platform for observing whales and dolphins, since it can hover yet not disturb the water.) She arranged for an interesting cross-section of people to share the experience, including Walter Cronkite, Ray Bradbury, and Doris Day, as well as reporters from Time and Newsweek.

She has devoted her energy to numerous projects through the years. Among them: Music and Dance on the Grass with the Associates of Ethnic Arts at UCLA, delivering library books to shut-ins, Nursing Home Ombudsman, Stevens House (minority student housing at UCLA) and teaching horticulture to psychiatric patients, to name just a few. For 16 years she took groups to Hawaii to share her knowledge of nature and culture. She has traveled to China, Tibet, Thailand, the Galapagos Islands, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Argentina, Mexico, Tahiti, and Antarctica. Her hobbies have included sculpture, Japanese flower arranging, and playing the recorder. Folk Dancing was a particular passion which she enjoyed for many years with husband Louis.

Louis was influential in his own realm, but was always emotionally and intellectually supportive of Bemi. He used his compassion and wit to temper her optimistic assertiveness. Bemi in turn, imbued him with her energy and curiosity about the world. They were a team, and remained passionately in love throughout their 47 years of marriage. When asked what was the core of his relationship with Bemi, Louis replied, "She has made my life so interesting!"

Bemi showed us that one person can make a difference; she challenged us to think in new ways; she encouraged us to appreciate the beauty in the world around us; she taught us to do what is right and most of all, to approach life with enthusiasm.

Hers was a life passionately lived.

Her daughter's arms were around her when she died peacefully on November 4, 2004.