Program for State Dinner for Prime Minister of Japan

This is an event program for a State Dinner hosted by President Jimmy Carter in honor of Prime Minister Masayoshi Ōhira of Japan and his wife, Shigeko Ōhira, on May 2, 1979. The unusual State Dinner was held al fresco on the West Terrace. Barbecue was featured on the menu as a special treat for the prime minister, after White House Social Secretary Gretchen Poston discovered that Prime Minister Ōhira had long desired to try it. Following the dinner, guests enjoyed entertainment in the East Room by pianist and singer Bobby Short. This program is part of a personal collection belonging to former White House Executive Chef Henry Haller. As executive chef from 1966-1987, Haller oversaw the menus for over 250 State Dinners at the White House.