Beard, James, 1903–85, American cooking teacher, b. Portland Oregon. His interest in food was encouraged by his mother, who had been a hotel proprietor. He was a syndicated columnist, a frequent guest on television and radio, and an adviser to restaurateurs and food manufacturers. He briefly hosted his own television program, I Love to Cook (1946–47). In 1955, Beard established a cooking school in his Greenwich Village home, where he taught until he was 81. It is now The James Beard House, America's first culinary center and a showcase for chefs. His belief in the virtues of American cuisine helped create a gastronomic revolution in the United States. Beard wrote some two dozen cookbooks, including American Cooking (1972) and The Cook's Catalogue (1975).

Beard, James

(born May 5, 1903, Portland, Ore., U.S.—died Jan. 23, 1985, New York, N.Y.) U.S. culinary expert and cookbook author. In 1945 he became the first chef to demonstrate cooking on network television. Through his Greenwich Village cooking school he influenced such future chefs as Julia Child and Craig Claiborne (b. 1920—d. 2000). He championed simple American and English dishes and wrote one of the first serious books on outdoor cooking. His more than 20 cookbooks include James Beard's American Cookery (1972) and Beard on Bread (1973).

Beard, James (1903–85) cooking expert, author; born in Portland, Ore. He published his first cookbook in 1940, hosted the first televised food show (1946–47), and founded his own New York cooking school (1955). He championed American cuisine in numerous articles and more than two dozen cookbooks, including James Beard's American Cookery (1972) and The New James Beard (1981).