Royce Herndon Oral History

A native of Muenster, Germany, Heinz Otto Druhe immigrated to the United States in 1925. Prior to working at the Hotel Texas in Fort Worth, Druhe was the longtime executive chef at the Adolphus Hotel in Dallas. At the Adolphus since 1948, where he ran seven kitchens with a total of 150 staff members, the colorful chef was featured several times in The Dallas Morning News. In a 1956 profile, Druhe, described as "distinguished looking...tall, with a pencil-line mustache," noted that he would be serving hotel guests plum pudding from a Buckingham Palace recipe on Christmas Day. In a 1960 feature, he recommended that "a businessman should quit smoking an hour before lunch" to better enjoy his meal. That same year, the Morning News printed Druhe's personal recipes for beef stroganoff and peanut chiffon pie. At age 79 in 1963, Druhe was nearing the end of his professional career when he prepared President Kennedy's last meal. Although served at the Chamber of Commerce breakfast, the president actually ate a very simple breakfast in his hotel room. According to Druhe, that meal consisted of coffee, orange juice, two hard-boiled eggs, toast and marmalade. - Stephen Fagin, Curator