Alabama's Black Belt Loses a Great Chef
It is with great sadness I write to you concerning the passing of the Alabama Rural Heritage Center's beloved Chef Dodd Orten.
Chef Dodd began his culinary career after graduating from the Chicago Culinary Arts in 1954.
He worked as a Sous Chef for The Hilton Hotel Chain from1954 to 1960, was promoted to Executive Chef and transferred to the Hilton Hotel in Istanbul, Turkey. After two years there, he transferred to Stockholm, Sweden. During his three year stay in Stockholm, he attended the renowned Swedish Hotel School.
After these overseas assignments, Dodd transferred to the Hilton franchised Holiday Inn at Ownesboro, Kentucky. While there he attended Holiday Inn's Innkeepers School in Memphis, Tennessee.
From there he worked at several Hilton/Holiday Inn franchises in Daytona Beach, Florida; Atlanta, Georgia; Knoxville, Tennessee, and Boston, Massachusetts. While in Boston Dodd attended the world famous Boston Cooking School. In 1972 Chef Dodd was recognized as one of the top 25 chefs in America when he entered an American Chef's Association Food Show Contest in Baltimore, Maryland.
When he retired from the Hilton Hotel chain in 1988 Dodd worked with chefs in Country Inns. During his tenure as Executive Chef at the "Whitestone Country Inn" in Paint Rock, Tennessee, he wrote the "WHITESTONE COOK BOOK".
Over the years, Chef Dodd has appeared on many Television cooking shows, cooked for the James Beard Foundation and the Celebrity Chef's Auction for the March of Dimes.
He came to Demopolis, via Hurricane Katrina in 2005. He joined the Alabama Rural Heritage Center on New Year's Day 2007.
Prior to his passing, Chef requested memorial donations be gifted to the Alabama Rural Heritage Center.
Chef Dodd began his culinary career after graduating from the Chicago Culinary Arts in 1954.
He worked as a Sous Chef for The Hilton Hotel Chain from1954 to 1960, was promoted to Executive Chef and transferred to the Hilton Hotel in Istanbul, Turkey. After two years there, he transferred to Stockholm, Sweden. During his three year stay in Stockholm, he attended the renowned Swedish Hotel School.
After these overseas assignments, Dodd transferred to the Hilton franchised Holiday Inn at Ownesboro, Kentucky. While there he attended Holiday Inn's Innkeepers School in Memphis, Tennessee.
From there he worked at several Hilton/Holiday Inn franchises in Daytona Beach, Florida; Atlanta, Georgia; Knoxville, Tennessee, and Boston, Massachusetts. While in Boston Dodd attended the world famous Boston Cooking School. In 1972 Chef Dodd was recognized as one of the top 25 chefs in America when he entered an American Chef's Association Food Show Contest in Baltimore, Maryland.
When he retired from the Hilton Hotel chain in 1988 Dodd worked with chefs in Country Inns. During his tenure as Executive Chef at the "Whitestone Country Inn" in Paint Rock, Tennessee, he wrote the "WHITESTONE COOK BOOK".
Over the years, Chef Dodd has appeared on many Television cooking shows, cooked for the James Beard Foundation and the Celebrity Chef's Auction for the March of Dimes.
He came to Demopolis, via Hurricane Katrina in 2005. He joined the Alabama Rural Heritage Center on New Year's Day 2007.
Prior to his passing, Chef requested memorial donations be gifted to the Alabama Rural Heritage Center.
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