Dolly Johnson Dandridge: Lexington's White House Chef (2020)
J.P. Johnson guest hosts to celebrate the life of Dolly Johnson Dandridge (1852-1918), a Kentucky native who was the White House Chef for President Benjamin Harrison, and later a much sought-after chef after her return to Lexington, Kentucky in 1894. She had such clout as to be able to refuse to return to cook for President Grover Cleveland and still have a very successful career as a chef and caterer in Lexington, KY, while continually being recruited as a private chef for prominent families. She was the first African American woman to open a business on Main Street in Lexington. J.P. shares some of her most famous recipes throughout the episode.
The interlude music is performed by J.P. Johnson.
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About The Hosts
Tales from the Kentucky Room is hosted by David Bryant and produced by Erin West.
David is the Manager of Central Library, and has worked many years in the Kentucky Room. After several guest host spots, David moved to full time host of Tales from the Kentucky Room in 2025. Local History and Genealogy are passions of his, and he's excited to share them with our audience.
Erin is the Virtual Services Librarian. She's worked for Lexington Public Library since 2003 and began her work with audio editing in 2012 while working at the Northside Branch. Erin enjoys listening to history, true crime and tv show recap podcasts.
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