Henry Haller facts for kids
Henry Haller in 1974
|
|
| Born | January 10, 1923 Altdorf, Switzerland |
|---|---|
| Died | November 7, 2020 (aged 97) Rockville, Maryland, U.S. |
| Cooking style | French |
| Education | Apprenticed at Park Hotel, Davos; Hotel Training School, Lucerne; trained at Hotel Des Balances, Lucerne; trained at Hotel Belle-Vue-Palace, Bern; trained at Grand Hotel, Bürgenstock |
| Spouse | Carole Itjen Haller |
Henry Haller (born January 10, 1923 – died November 7, 2020) was a famous chef from Switzerland who also became an American citizen. He was the main chef, called the Executive Chef, at the White House for many years. He worked there from 1966 to 1987, cooking for several presidents and their families.
Becoming a Chef: Early Life
Henry Haller was born in a town called Altdorf in Switzerland in 1923. His mother's family was French, and his father's family was German. His dad managed a factory but loved food very much. Henry also loved to cook from a young age.
His mother had a big garden where she grew vegetables. Young Henry would often go to the garden to pick fresh veggies and then watch his mother cook them. His father was the one who encouraged him to become a chef. Henry remembered his father telling him when he was 14, "Henry, why not be a chef? You can travel the world and always find a job. Everyone needs to eat!"
When he was 16, Henry started an apprenticeship. This is like a special training program where you learn a skill by working with experts. He trained at the famous Park Hotel in Davos, a ski resort in Switzerland. After finishing high school at 18, he joined the Swiss Army. Even though World War II was happening, he did not fight in any battles.
After leaving the army at 20, he worked at the fancy Hotel Des Balances in Lucerne. He also went to the Hotel Training School there, which was known as one of the best cooking schools in the world. Later, he worked at the five-star Hotel Belle-Vue-Palace in Bern and then the Grand Hotel in Bürgenstock. At the Grand Hotel, he was a chef tournant. This means he could fill in for other chefs in different parts of the kitchen. The hotel owner then asked him to move to Canada to cook at another hotel the company owned, and Henry said yes!
Moving to North America
Henry Haller had always dreamed of moving to the United States, like many other European chefs. But first, when he was 25, he moved to Montreal, Canada, in 1948. There, he worked at the fancy Ritz-Carlton Montreal hotel. He was a chef entremetier, which meant he prepared appetizers, soups, vegetables, pasta, potatoes, and eggs.
In 1953, Henry finally moved to the United States. He worked as a chef saucier at the Royal Palms Inn in Phoenix, Arizona. A chef saucier is a chef who specializes in making sauces. After a year, he became the chef de cuisine (which means executive chef) at the Dellwood Country Club in New York. He worked there for four years. Then he became the executive chef at the Ambassador Hotel in New York City. After three years, Haller moved to the Hotel Hampshire House in Manhattan.
Cooking at the White House
While he was working at the Ambassador Hotel, Lyndon B. Johnson stayed there when he was the Vice President. Johnson really liked Henry Haller's cooking. In November 1963, Johnson became President after John F. Kennedy passed away.
The White House Executive Chef at that time was René Verdon. He had been hired by the Kennedy family. But Verdon left his job at the end of 1965 because he disagreed with President Johnson about the food served at the White House. Henry Haller applied for the open position. On January 1, 1966, he was interviewed at the White House by the First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson.
Henry Haller's new job was announced on January 20, 1966. His first day was February 1. He earned $10,000 a year. For his first six months, he was a probationary chef, meaning he was being tested. During this time, he lived on the third floor of the White House.
As the Executive Chef, Henry Haller was in charge of three kitchens at the White House. There was the main kitchen on the ground floor, the family kitchen on the second floor, and a smaller kitchen in the basement. He had a team of seven or eight other chefs and kitchen staff working with him.
During his time at the White House, Chef Haller planned and prepared food for many important events. He even oversaw the cooking for three weddings of First Family members:
- Luci Baines Johnson's wedding in August 1966.
- Lynda Bird Johnson's wedding in December 1967.
- Tricia Nixon's wedding in June 1971.
He also designed and prepared the wedding cakes for all three of these special occasions.
In 1976, Henry Haller was in charge of food for White House events celebrating the United States Bicentennial. This was a big celebration for America's 200th birthday. Usually, the White House had one or two state dinners a month. But in June and July of 1976, Chef Haller was preparing three or four state dinners every week! A state dinner is a formal dinner hosted by the President for a foreign head of state.
One of his most challenging events was a dinner in September 1978. It was held on the South Lawn of the White House to celebrate the signing of the Camp David Accords. These were important peace agreements. Chef Haller had only one week to plan, prepare, and cook dinner for 1,300 people! Rosalynn Carter's press secretary, Mary Holt, even called it "a nightmare" because it was so much work in such a short time.
Retirement and Later Life
By 1987, Henry Haller was earning $58,000 a year. He announced he would retire on June 6, 1987. His retirement officially began on October 1, just in time for his 65th birthday.
After retiring, Chef Haller created new recipes for a liquor company called Cointreau. He also briefly advised a supermarket chain called Grand Union. He helped them develop gourmet meals that could be bought fresh or frozen in their stores.
Personal Life
While working at the Dellwood Country Club, Henry Haller met Carole Itjen. She worked in the dining room at a hotel on Martha's Vineyard. They got married and had four children together.
Henry Haller passed away on November 7, 2020, in Gaithersburg, Maryland, at the age of 97.
