Dorktales Podcast: Episode 57
Hidden Heroes of History
Lucille B. Smith
A taste of kitchen creativity and a recipe for success! Lucille Bishop Smith was a Black American culinary entrepreneur, educator, inventor and corporate founder. Her “Lucille’s All Purpose Hot Roll Mix” revolutionized home cooking. 21 different recipes could be made from its base, adding a dash of time-saving convenience to meal-making! She used her success to give back, uplifting her community and teaching others the secret ingredients needed to navigate the domestic service industry.
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Podcast Episode Credits
Narration, Voice Over and Podcast Host: Jonathan Cormur
Scriptwriter and Show Producer: Molly Murphy
Sound Production, Audio Editing and Mastering: Jermaine Hamilton
Podcast Episode Illustration: Arthur Lin
Title Design and Layout: Jeri DeMartini
Did You Know?
Lucille Bishop Smith was a successful Black American entrepreneur, educator, culinary inventor, and the founder of her own food corporation.
Ms. Bishop Smith was born on September 5, 1892 in Crockett, Texas. There isn’t any public information about what her life was like growing up, but we know that she graduated from college around 1912. She married her college sweetheart, Ulysses Samuel Smith, and together, they started a catering business.
Working in the food industry was a family affair for the Smiths. They were the caterers of an exclusive summer camp and worked there for most of their lives, from 1928 to 1973. In fact, Mr. Smith also catered for a popular traveling rodeo and became known as the Barbecue King of the Southwest.
In 1973, Ms. Bishop Smith was recruited to begin a domestic service training program for professors and instructors at Prairie View A&M College. Domestic service includes tasks such as housecleaning, cooking and child care. There are many people who work in the domestic service industry in both private homes, and public institutions like hotels.
Ms. Bishop Smith developed the first college-level “Commercial Foods and Technology Department.” It was a culinary arts program that helped students train to be part of the food and baking industries. A profession in culinary arts involves the preparation, cooking, plating, presentation and serving of food. Her work as an educator inspired future generations to pursue roles in the field. In fact, her great-grandchildren—Chris and Ben Williams—opened a restaurant in 2012 called “Lucille’s” in her honor.
In the 1940s, Ms. Bishop Smith invented “Lucille’s All Purpose Hot Roll Mix.” The mix was created as a fundraiser for her church and she ended up raising $800—which would be valued at approximately $16,000 today.
The mix was revolutionary and became a very popular product. Orders poured in from grocery stores that requested to carry it on their shelves. In 2004, an article in the Cleburne Times-Review newspaper reported:
Grocery stores began placing orders for cases of the mix. [By 1948], the orders were for more than 200 cases per week of the 14-ounce boxes. Twenty-one different [recipes] could be made from the base. The product paved the way for the convenience cooking we know today.
In 1941, Ms. Bishop Smith published a cookbook called Lucille’s Treasure Chest of Fine Foods. It was so popular it was reprinted many times—in 1945, 1947, 1960, 1969 and 1972. The 1960 version was very unique because, instead of a standard cookbook, the recipes were printed on 400 index cards and sold in a recipe box. It included recipes for hush puppies, spoon bread, and hominy casserole. Today, her cookbooks are treasured and the recipe box version is a collector’s item.
At the age of 82, Ms. Bishop Smith founded Lucille B. Smith’s Find Foods, Incorporated. One of her first clients was First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.
Throughout her life, giving back to her community was also one of Ms. Bishop Smith’s priorities. She used funds from her catering and other businesses to support community service projects. She also fundraised for various causes to uplift under-resourced communities.
Her legacy of giving continues through “Lucille’s 1913,” a Texas-based non-profit founded by her great-grandson Chris Williams. The non-profit serves over 600 meals a day to people in need, and trains folks for jobs in the restaurant industry.
See images of Lucille Bishop Smith, her hot roll mix and Treasure Chest of Fine Foods cookbook in a recipe card box on the Prairie View A&M University website: https://www.pvamu.edu/tiphc/exhibits/biscuits-and-business/
Check out Lucille’s restaurant by Lucille Bishop Smith’s great-grandchildren: https://www.lucilleshouston.com/index.html