In the White House Kitchen

Early White House Cooks and Chefs

“Herculas," or "Uncle Harkless," or "Hercules Posey"
worked at Mount Vernon, George Washington's Virginia
plantation on the Potomac River.

He was the head cook at the mansion in the 1780s, cooking for
the Washington family and their guests.

Soon after George Washington was elected president of the

newly formed United States, in the country's then-capital city of
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at the President's House, working
alongside Oney Judge.
Early White House cooks and chefs

President Ulysses S. Grant employed a Union Army cook until his

embarrassed wife forced him to hire an Italian-trained chef.

President Rutherford B. Hayes used the services of cook and nurse,

Winnie Monroe, a freed African American slave.

President Chester A. Arthur used a cook who formerly worked at his

private residence as his White House chef for casual dining, and
hired French-trained professional chef Alexander Fortin to oversee
preparation of important political meals and state dinners.

President Grover Cleveland also used a French chef to prepare his

meals during his first term.

In 1961, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy reorganized the White House

staff under her supervision, and created the title of Executive Chef for
the first time.
The Influence of African American Chefs in the White House
First Lady
The Executive Chef is formally hired by and reports to
the First Lady.
List of Executive Chefs

● René Verdon 1961–1965 (Kennedy and Johnson)

● Henry Haller 1966–1987 (Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan)
● Jon Hill 1987–1988 (Reagan)
● Hans Raffert 1988–1992 (Reagan, H.W. Bush)
● Pierre Chambrin 1992–1994 (H.W. Bush, Clinton)
● Walter Scheib 1994–2005 (Clinton, W. Bush)
● Cristeta Comerford 2005– present (W. Bush, Obama, Trump, Biden …)
René Verdon 1961–1965

● Verdon was the chef for the White House during the administrations of John F. Kennedy and
Lyndon B. Johnson. Verdon was hired by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy in 1961
○ The First Lady originally hired Verdon temporarily to deal with the high demands of luncheons after
the inauguration. After a few months Verdon was given a permanent position in which he received
a $10,000 a year salary along with full room and board
● Verdon's first commission was an informal luncheon the Kennedys' hosted for Princess Grace and
Prince Rainier of Monaco.
○ He used ingredients such as crab, spring lamb and strawberries.
○ His first official meal was for sixteen guests including British prime minister Harold Macmillan.
○ Verdon served a menu of trout in Chablis and sauce Vincent, beef filet au jus and artichoke
bottoms Beaucaire as well as his own dessert of meringue filled with raspberries chocolate*
● Verdon’s creative differences rose after a Texan food co-ordinator hired by Johnson began to supply
Verdon with canned and frozen vegetables to keep White House costs down
○ "You can eat at home what you want, but you do not serve barbecued spareribs at a banquet with
the ladies in white gloves."
Henry Haller 1966–1987

● Lyndon B. Johnson had stayed at the Ambassador Hotel when he was

Vice President of the United States, and enjoyed Haller's cooking.
○ First day on the job was February 1, at which time he made $10,000 a
year
○ by 1987, Haller was making $58,000 a year
● During his tenure at the White House, Haller oversaw the planning, preparation,
and cooking for three First Family weddings and oversaw the wedding cake
design for each.
● One of Haller's more difficult events was the dinner in September 1978 on the
South Lawn to celebrate the signing of the Camp David accords.
○ Haller was given just a week to plan, prepare, and cook a dinner for 1,300
people, an event which Rosalynn Carter's press secretary, Mary Holt,
called "a nightmare"
Jon Hill 1987–1988

● The first American-born chef to serve in the capacity

● In 1979, Hill was still a student at the Greenbriar, and his
class made a visit to the White House to see its kitchens and
caught the attention of then Executive Chef Haller
○ Chosen to replace Haller by Nancy Reagan
○ Hill resigned on January 8, 1988
■ He resigned after First Lady Nancy Reagan
expressed significant disapproval of his
cooking and presentation
Hans Raffert 1988–1992

● 1969, Raffert served as a sous-chef in the White

House
● The first White House chef to annually build a
gingerbread house for the Executive Residence's
Christmas holiday decorations
● After Hills demise, Raffert was promoted to
Executive Chef by Nancy Reagan
● He was the first White House Executive Chef to
be promoted from within the ranks, rather than be
brought in from outside the White House earning
a yearly salary of $13,389
● "Hans was a guy that could do it all. He could do
it all, and he could do it all quickly, efficiently,
neatly. He was just a walking encyclopedia of
classical cooking."
Pierre Chambrin 1992–1994

● Chambrin was appointed under the presidency of George H. W. Bush to succeed Hans Raffert
● Under the Clinton administration, a group of prominent American chefs, led by Alice Waters, sent a letter to the White House urging an
appointment of a chef who would "promote American cooking,"
● March 1994, however, Chambrin resigned after a push from the administration to impose newer health standards, specifically using
food with less fat, a standard that Chambrin was unwilling to conform to.
Walter Scheib 1994–2005

● Scheib's wife submitted his résumé to the White House without his knowledge
● One of 5 chef’s interviewed by Hillary Clinton among 4000 applicants
● Initiated the establishment of a vegetable garden on the roof of the White
House and the modernization of the kitchen in 1993
● Meeting the dining needs of the Clintons was demanding.
○ Hillary Clinton enjoyed hot sauces
○ Bill Clinton loved to gorge on cheeseburgers and a 24-ounce
porterhouse steak with béarnaise sauce and onion rings whenever
the First Lady was absent.
● White House Executive Chefs do not normally change when a new
administration arrives, and, as usual, President George W. Bush and First
Lady Laura Bush retained Scheib when they entered the White House in 2000
○ Bushes had different tastes and styles than the Clintons. Laura Bush
wanted a more formal presentation at meals, and President Bush
disliked soup, salad, and poached fish—staples of Scheib's cuisine.
Cristeta Comerford 2005– present

● The first woman to hold the post

● Recruited by White House executive chef Walter Scheib III in 1995 to work under him in the Clinton era
○ First Lady Laura Bush promoted Comerford to Executive Chef upon the retirement of Scheib
○ Michelle Obama stated, "She is also the mom of a young daughter, and I appreciate our shared perspective on the importance
of healthy eating and healthy families
 Executive Chef in Action
The White Houses Executive Chef is the chef responsible for
overseeing the kitchens, and planning and preparing of all menus
and meals for the President of the United States, the First Family,
which includes their private meals, their private entertaining, and
official state functions at the White House in Washington, D.C.

● manager and executive chef of the three White House

kitchens
● supervises a staff of five, and a part-time staff of 20 to 25
assistant chefs and kitchen helpers
● responsible for planning and preparing all menus and
meals for the First Family and for all entertaining
(informal, formal, and state dinners) served by the White
House, either away or on-site
● Salary between $80,000 and $100,000 annually in 2005,
but no overtime pay

Cristeta Comerford, the White House Executive Chef since 2005

Cris Comerford – White House Executive Chef
 The White House Executive Pastry
Chef is responsible for the planning,
● Heinz Bender, February managing and preparing of all desserts
1968-January 1979 and pastries served at the
● Albert Kumin, February 1 White House.
to December 31, 1979
● Roland Mesnier, 1980–
2004
● Thaddeus DuBois, 2004–
2006
● William Yosses, 2007–
2014
● Susan E. "Susie"
The current White House Executive Pastry Chef is Susan Morrison
Morrison, 2014–present

Pastries and Desserts

Heinz Bender, February 1968-January 1979

Like any ordinary kitchen on the morning fruit cakes are going to be baked, the cook was running
around looking for the nutmeg, asking no one in particular where it was.

Get the famous fruit cake recipe here.

Albert Kumin, February 1 to December 31, 1979

● Awards
○ Winner, Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America 1992
○ Nominee, Outstanding Pastry Chef 1991
○ Winner, Outstanding Pastry Chef 1992
○ James Beard Foundation

● created the Chocolate Velvet Cake

Roland Mesnier, 1980–2004

As Executive Pastry Chef at the White House for twenty-five years, Roland
Mesnier has been responsible for creating thousands of elegant, delicious
confections and dazzling desserts for hundreds of state dinners and family
occasions.

"What does Roland Mesnier make with seven pounds of chocolate, six
pounds of butter, and lots of imagination? Pure perfection!”

—Laura Bush

Read more on Chef Mesnier on his website.

Thaddeus DuBois, 2004–2006

In 1999, he placed first and gold medalist at the U.S. Pastry Team
competition and was picked as one of the “Ten Best Pastry Chefs in
America”

“Everyone always wants to know everything about my

work there. It’s like working for a hotel and private
family all wrapped up into one,”
says DuBois.

DuBois takes a thoughtful approach to his art, focusing on

presentation and taste. He draws his inspirations from all over:
colleagues’ work, books and magazines, industry trade shows, food
events and his own imagination. “Pastry is a very complicated
technique-based craft, so I take it very seriously. It’s also an
extremely giving craft, and I get great satisfaction in performing and
learning from it always.”
William Yosses, 2007–2014

● Best known as co-author of the book Desserts For Dummies

● President Barack Obama says of Yosses, "Whatever pie you
like, he will make it and it will be the best pie you have ever
eaten."[1] Obama has also nicknamed Yosses "the Crust
Master."
● Under the Obama’s he began replacing butter with fruit puree
and sugar with honey and agave
○ "I don't want to demonize cream, butter, sugar and
eggs.
○ Famous Chocolate Cake
Susan E. "Susie" Morrison, 2014–present

● Morrison is no stranger to the White House — she’s been serving there in

a culinary capacity since 1995 and has been assistant pastry chef since
2002.
○ first woman to serve in role of Executive Pastry Chef at the White
House
● She has an avid interest in
assuring the health of the bee
population and its honey
production
Preparing for a State Dinner – United Kingdom
HOLIDAYS in the WHITE
The White House has had
a gingerbread house
every year since 1969,
though early versions
were basic and only
about 2 feet tall.

Former executive pastry chef

Roland Mesnier upped the
ante when he created a
massive White House replica
in 1993, and pastry chefs
have outdone themselves
ever since.
Watch as The White House Gingerbread House is put together!
Special Events
White House Kids’ State Dinner
On to the next administration …