Julia Child was an American cooking expert, author, and television personality who popularized traditional French cuisine, particularly through her public-TV programs. Child graduated from Smith College and worked for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during World War II, where she met her husband, Paul Cushing Child. After the war, she studied at Le Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris and co-founded L’École des Trois Gourmandes.
In 1961, Child and her husband moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts. That same year, she released Mastering the Art of French Cooking, which gained praise for its clarity and comprehensiveness. Her television show, The French Chef, premiered in 1962 and ran for 206 episodes, convincing many Americans to try French cooking at home.