17 Facts About Henry Haller

Henry Haller was a Swiss-American chef who served as Executive Chef of the White House from 1966 to 1987.

Henry Haller was of French descent on his mother's side and German descent on his father's.

Henry Haller's father was manager of a factory and loved food, and as a young boy Haller loved to cook.

Henry Haller's mother planted a large kitchen garden, and as a child Haller would fetch fresh vegetables from the garden and watch as she cooked them.

Henry Haller then moved to the five-star Hotel Belle-Vue-Palace in Bern, and then the Grand Hotel in Burgenstock.

Henry Haller had longed to follow other European chefs and live in the United States, but he first emigrated at the age of 25 to Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1948, where he practiced his skills as the chef entremetier at the exclusive Ritz-Carlton Montreal, preparing appetizers, soups, vegetables, pastas, potatoes, and eggs.

Henry Haller emigrated to the United States in 1953, where he worked as the chef saucier at the Royal Palms Inn in Phoenix, Arizona.

Henry Haller worked there for four years before becoming chef de cuisine at the Ambassador Hotel in New York City.

Henry Haller applied for the position, and was interviewed on January 1,1966, in the White House by First Lady Lady Bird Johnson.

Henry Haller was a probationary chef for the first six months of his tenure at the White House.

Henry Haller had oversight over three White House kitchens: The main kitchen on the ground floor, the family kitchen on the second floor, and a sous-kitchen on the mezzanine level of the sub-basement.

Henry Haller oversaw the design and preparation of wedding cakes for all three events.

In 1976, Henry Haller oversaw food preparation for White House events in honor of the United States Bicentennial.

At the state dinner for Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, Henry Haller prepared a state dinner for 250, which was served on the South Lawn of the White House under a marquee.

Henry 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".

Henry Haller announced his retirement on June 6,1987, effective October 1, just in time for his 65th birthday.

In retirement, Henry Haller developed recipes for the liquor company Cointreau, and briefly advised the Grand Union supermarket chain regarding the development of fresh and frozen store-brand gourmet meals.