The Establishment of the American Academy of Chefs

The idea of creating an honor society for the ACF was considered for many years before it was ever officially presented to the officers and members in 1948. Several years later after much debate, on Nov. 12, 1952, during the third annual National Convention of the ACF, the newly elected National President Paul Laesecke, AAC, HOF, of Pittsburgh, hosted a renewed discussion of the proposal. In 1954, ACF Chef Pierre Berard, HOF, then the ACF National president, sent a letter to the Board of Governors convening in New York City, and he also requested the help of a U.S. representative to introduce a bill to charter the establishment of the AAC. Though the bill failed to get out of committee, at the ACF National Convention in Pittsburgh in 1955 delegates finally voted to establish the new honor society.

ACF Chef Peter Berrini, AAC, HOF, a delegate from Boston, was charged with the responsibility of organizing the academy.

He was elected as the first chairman of the academy, and he held that office until his election to the office of ACF National president in 1959. At that time, the academy boasted a membership of 37.

Since then (and two medal designs later), the academy has had a host of chairpersons, many of whom also served as ACF National president. This year, ACF Chef Americo S. DiFronzo, CEC, CCA, AAC , passed the torch as chair to ACF Chef Joe G. Aiello. For the full AAC history and list of past chairpersons, visit acfchefs.org/aac