Wilbur Mitcham

Infobox_Officeholder|name=Wilbur "Chef" Mitcham
bgcolor='#FFFFFF'


occupation = American Culinary Arts Chef Cook
spouse= [http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-145674035.html Annie Mae Leonard] (m. 1943)
children = Patricia, Earnest (Nephew raised as a son), Samaria, [http://www.laytoncity.org/public/Depts/ComDev/BL/businessbrowser.aspx?fl=C Cozy] , [http://www.k-12.state.tn.us/rptcrd02/School1.asp?school=3300046 Wilhelmina] , [http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/03/06/bum.bot/ Lydia] , [http://yellowpages.superpages.com/profiler/abook.jsp?SRC=portals&requestAction=toReviews Mary] , [http://www.educause.edu/Community/MemDir/Profiles/ZacherySMitcham/59081 Zachery] , [http://alldolledupsalons.blogspot.com/2007_08_01_archive.html Wilma] , [http://www.linkedin.com/pub/0/838/687 Charlotte] , [http://www.mel.org/mer/SPT--AdvancedSearch.php?Q=Y&G20=12046 Julia] , [http://www.sps-g.com/laverne.htm Laverne Patterson] and [http://web.nccu.edu/campus/athletics/hallfame.html Eric Jackson]

Wilbur Mitcham (10 December 1924 - 15 June 2003) was an internationally renowned southern chef from Macon, Georgia. Mitcham briefly served in the U.S. Army as a field artilleryman during World War II but was medically discharged due to health reasons. Upon his discharge from the Army he went to New York City where he learned his culinary skills as an understudy to a famous Asian Chef cook. Mitcham returned to Macon and landed a position as a short order cook with Len Berg's Restaurant in 1943. "Chef", as he was so affectionately known by his constituents and friends, served as the senior chef cook of [http://www.pubcrawler.com/Template/dsp_restaurant_zoom.cfm/flat/ID=209887 Len Berg's Restaurant] for over 60 years until he took ill. He cooked for the likes of such famous celebrities as Sam Snead, [http://www.dixiedining.com/dixie/georgia.htm Joe Dimaggio] , Otis Redding, [http://www.brightideasgroup.com/clientlist/mbcvb/mbcvb-soulsearchersguide.pdf Greg Allman and the Allman Brothers Band.] Mitcham is featured in several Southern culinary arts publications. He is listed in the [http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-687 New Georgia Encyclopedia] and The [http://www.1842inn.com/press_southerncomfort.html 1842 Inn] as a regional cook of note. He was made famous throughout the state of Georgia and beyond for his [http://www.epinions.com/trvl-review-7271-C9125C8-38814C85-bd1 "HMFPIC" (Home Made Fresh Peach Ice Cream)] along with several of his other original recipes. Mitcham was married for over 60 years to the former Annie Mae Leonard. He supported her and his 13 children until his untimely demise on Fathers Day in 2003.

References

* [http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-687 New Georgia Encyclopedia]
* [http://www.1842inn.com/press_southerncomfort.html The 1842 Inn]
* [http://sofabmembers.org/wiki/index.php/Wilbur_mitcham Southern Food & Beverage Museum]
* [http://www.brightideasgroup.com/clientlist/mbcvb/mbcvb-soulsearchersguide.pdf Soul Searchers Guide]
* [http://www.macon.com/466/story/331922.html Southern Style]
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D07E1DF1538F93AA35757C0A9629C8B63 New York Times]
* [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3676/is_200309/ai_n9246336 Southern Living]
* [http://books.google.com/books?id=iA8SKsoAF2gC&pg=PA94&lpg=PA94&dq=world+famous+len+bergs+restaurant&source=web&ots=jHcLoA8HFc&sig=hyy5UrVnrnD3_SXMQYfLHkK3AVY&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=8&ct=result Quick Escapes Atlanta: 27 Weekend Getaways by Carol Thalimer, Dan Thalimer, published 2005, page 94 ISBN:0762725168]