Lucille Elizabeth Bishop Smith facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lucille Elizabeth Bishop Smith
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Lucille Elizabeth Bishop
September 5, 1892 Crockett, Texas, U.S.
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| Died | January 12, 1985 (aged 92) Brenham, Texas, U.S.
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| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Huston–Tillotson University |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Spouse(s) | Ulysses Samuel Smith |
| Children | 3 |
Lucille Elizabeth Bishop Smith (1892–1985) was an amazing African American businesswoman, chef, and inventor. She created the very first hot biscuit mix! Many people called her "the first African American businesswoman in Texas."
Contents
Early Life and Family
Lucille Elizabeth Bishop was born on September 5, 1892, in Crockett, Texas. Her parents were Mary Jackson Bishop and Jesse Bishop.
She went to Huston–Tillotson University and graduated around 1912. There, she met and married her college sweetheart, Ulysses Samuel Smith. He later became famous as the "Barbecue King of the Southwest"!
Lucille and Ulysses moved to Fort Worth. They started a catering business together. They had three children.
A Career Full of Firsts
In 1927, Lucille became the leader for Fort Worth's vocational education program. This program helped people learn skills for jobs. She also managed the kitchen at Camp Waldemar, a summer camp for girls.
Ten years later, she got a similar job at Prairie View A&M. In 1952, she started one of the first college programs for commercial food and technology. In 1941, Smith published her first cookbook, Lucille's Treasure Chest of Fine Foods.
The Famous Biscuit Mix
Lucille developed "Lucille's All Purpose Hot Roll Mix" for a fundraiser. It became a huge success! In just one month, she earned about $800 in profits. She gave all this money to St. Andrew's Methodist Church in Fort Worth.
The mix was so popular that she soon sold 200 cases of it every week. The Cleburne Times-Review newspaper reported that grocery stores ordered many cases. You could make 21 different recipes from her mix. This product helped create the "convenience cooking" we know today.
She also sold chili biscuits. These were served on American Airlines flights. Even the White House, when Lyndon Johnson was president, enjoyed her biscuits! Smith was also the first food editor for Sepia magazine. This magazine was based in Fort Worth and was for Black Americans.
Helping Her Community
In 1965, Smith baked over 300 fruit cakes in one week. She sent them to every person from Tarrant County serving in the Vietnam War. Fort Worth celebrated "Lucille B. Smith day" in her honor in 1966.
Smith became the first African American woman on the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce. She also helped decorate a room at the new Tarrant County Convention Center in 1968. In 1969, she was named to the Governor's Commission on the Status of Women.
Throughout her life, Smith raised money for many good causes. She also worked to improve conditions for people living in poverty in cities. In 1974, when she was 82 years old, Lucille founded Lucille B. Smith's Fine Foods, Inc. Famous people like Eleanor Roosevelt were her customers.
Lucille Smith was named a Merit Mother of Texas twice. She also received the Distinguished Partner in Progress Award from Prairie View A&M.
Later Life and Legacy
Lucille Bishop Smith passed away on January 12, 1985, in Brenham, Texas. Her funeral was held at St. Andrew's Methodist Church, where she had been a member for over seventy years. She was buried in the Smith family plot in the New Trinity Cemetery in Haltom City, Texas.
Her cookbook, Lucille’s Treasure Chest of Fine Foods, was first published in 1941. It was reprinted many times. A 1960s version was printed on 400 index cards and sold in a recipe box. Today, it is a collector's item and hard to find.
Remembering Lucille Smith
In 2012, a restaurant called Lucille’s opened in Houston. It was founded by Smith's great-grandchildren, Chris and Ben Williams. They opened it to honor her.
There is also a non-profit organization called Lucille’s 1913. This group helps feed people in need in Houston. It also trains people for jobs.
In 2019, the Texas Institute for the Preservation of History and Culture created an exhibit. It was called “Biscuits and Business: The Legacy of Lucille Smith and Southern Black Chefs.” This exhibit honored her memory.
