On the day Chevy Chase was originally scheduled to visit Harvard last month, he was caught in an 18-inch snowstorm.

But bathed in balmy weather and sunny skies yesterday afternoon, Chase graciously accepted the Harvard Lampoon's 79th Annual Lifetime Oeuvre Award before a crowd of 300 onlookers.

Chase's visit to the Lampoon--a semi-secret Bow St. social organization which occasionally publishes a so-called humor magazine--coincided with the society's annual Spring Carnival.

The awards presentation capped two hours of frivolity, in which party clowns, face-painters and a Russian marionette charmed the audience.

Chase, 53, displayed the mixture of physical comedy, masterful impersonations and highbrow humor which catapulted him to fame as an original 1975 cast member of "Saturday Night Live" and then in dozens of movies, including "Caddyshack," "National Lampoon's Vacation" and the "Fletch" series.

"I'm only here because I had to stop off at the hospital," joked Chase, after bumping his head into the building's doorjamb. "I'm getting laxative treatments for that pesky Ebola."

But Chase also searched for heartfelt words of thanks.

"I've always been very envious of those of you who write for the Lampoon and put out good work while getting those C-'s," he said to the guffaws of some in the crowd.

Impersonators of Pee Wee Herman, Cliff Claven, Joe Pesci and Frank Sinatra--who sang the 1950s classic "You've Got Me Under My Skin"--also took part in the 40-minute ceremony.

David A. Hammer '97, sports editor of The Harvard Independent, accused Chase of stealing the newspaper's computer--a crime which some Independent officials had linked to the Lampoon last week.

"Don't expect [our movie critic's] reviews to be very complimentary to you," Hammer said.

Lampoon staffers also spoofed the recurring plot themes in the "Vacation" movie series, which Chase said "ate the big thing."

"No, wait!" Chase said. "I'm glad I worked on it, and I'm glad that it remains so popular."

In fact, Chase said in an interview with The Crimson that he is working on another movie: "National Lampoon's Vegas Vacation."

Chase was selected by the Lampoon's graduate board because of his comedic contributions over the past 20 years, according to former Lampoon Sackbut Aaron S. Kesselheim '96.

"We like to give out awards and we really think some of his works are timeless classics," Kesselheim said.

Former Lampoon Ibis John J. Abbott '96 waxed philosophic, linking Chase's work to humankind's moral and spiritual needs.

"There's something deep inside every human. It's called the soul," Abbott said. "Chevy has the power to touch the soul deep inside each and every one of us."

Towards the end of the presentation, 'Poonsters presented the actor with a silver chalice and keys to a purple and yellow striped Chevrolet. The car's hood read: "Chevy's Heavy Chevy."

Chase, winner of the 1993 Hasty Pudding Man of the Year Award, attended a midnight black-tie engagement last night at the Lampoon.

Past recipients of the Lampoon award include John Candy, Mr. T and Robin Williams, as well as "Saturday Night Live" cast members Phil Hartman and Billy Crystal