Walter Scheib
Walter S. Scheib III (born May 3, 1954) was the White House executive chef from 1994 until 2005. Scheib is known for his creation of a distinctly American cuisine for the White House. He was responsible in this role for preparing everything from simple First Family dinners to very formal State Dinners. His creations were served to many world leaders, including Tony Blair, Jacques Chirac, Vicente Fox, Václav Havel, Nelson Mandela and Boris Yeltsin.
Biography
Walter S. Scheib III was born on May 3, 1954 in Oakland, California, but he and his family moved to Bethesda, Maryland. He attended Walter Johnson High School and then the University of Maryland, College Park. He then graduated from The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York in August 1979.[1]
He then began working as a cook in Washington, D.C. He was promoted within three years to executive chef. In 1994, then-First Lady Hillary Clinton was impressed by Scheib's work at the Greenbrier Resort and asked him to serve as executive chef at the White House. Clinton felt that it was important to showcase the best of American cuisine at the nation's First House, and Chef Scheib delivered to high renown. After eleven years there, Scheib was asked to resign by First Lady Laura Bush; the official reason was that he was unable to meet the stylistic requirements of the First Lady.
Since leaving the White House, Scheib has gone on to write his first cookbook, The American Chef, and form a corporation of the same name to market his classes and special events. Additionally, he is now an active speaker on the lecture circuit, represented by Leading Authorities speakers' bureau. He was replaced as White House chef by Cristeta Comerford. He appeared on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart on February 5, 2007. He also appeared on Iron Chef America, competing against Cat Cora with the secret ingredient Dungeness crab on July 17, 2006.
References
- ↑ "Walter Scheib". White House. Retrieved 2008-11-13.
Walter S. Scheib III was born on May 3, 1954 in Oakland, California, but was raised in Bethesda, Maryland. He attended Walter Johnson High School and the University of Maryland, College Park before graduating with highest honors form the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York in August 1979.
Sources
- Walter Scheib on National Public Radio in 2005
- The American Chef
External links
| Preceded by Pierre Chambrin |
White House Executive Chef 1994—2005 |
Succeeded by Cristeta Comerford |
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