The James Beard Foundation is a New York-based national professional non-profit organization named in honor of James Beard that serves to promote the culinary arts by honoring chefs, wine professionals, journalists, and cookbook authors at annual award ceremonies and providing scholarships and educational opportunities to cooking hopefuls.
The Foundation was started in 1986 by Peter Kump, a former student of James Beard and founder of the Institute of Culinary Education. At Julia Child's suggestion, Kump purchased Beard's New York brownstone at 167 West 12th Street in Greenwich Village and preserved it as a gathering place where the general public and press can appreciate the talents of established and emerging chefs.
The James Beard House hosts frequent dinners featuring selected chefs working the Beard kitchen in the company of Foundation members and industry professionals. Notable past chefs have included Daniel Boulud, Emeril Lagasse, Nobu Matsuhisa, Jacques Pépin, and Charlie Trotter.
The James Beard Foundation Award, considered the "Oscars of the food world," are held annually to honor exceptional chefs and journalists. The main Awards Gala are held on the first Monday in May and feature and awards ceremony and a winning chefs' tasting reception afterwards. The Journalism awards are held on a separate day.
The former president of the foundation, Leonard F. Pickell, Jr., resigned in August 2004 shortly before the results of a three-month audit were to be announced. He was convicted of fraud in late September, having misused hundreds of thousands of dollars for unnecessary and undocumented expenses. As a result of the scandal and his indictment by the Attorney General's Office, the members of the board of the foundation were asked to resign in January of 2005.
In January of 2006 the reconstituted Board, under the direction of Interim President Edna Morris, initiated a search for a permanent President of the Foundation.
In October of 2007, the Board announced that Mr. Woodrow W. Campbell, senior partner at Debevoise & Plimpton, would be taking over Charimanship of the board.
