Julia Ann Chapas Farrow was born in Virginia on October 14, 1905.¹ Sometime between 1920 and 1930, Farrow moved to Washington, D.C., where she worked as a housekeeper for a private family for several decades.²

According to the records in the White House Office of the Curator, Farrow began working at the White House in October 1960 as a cook, a position she held for over ten years.³ In this role, Farrow assisted the executive chef with meal preparation for the first family and their guests. In 1967, Farrow helped prepare food for the White House wedding between First Daughter Lynda Bird Johnson and Charles “Chuck” Robb.⁴

It is unclear when exactly Farrow ceased working at the White House. Staff lists compiled in 1970, 1971, and 1972 include Farrow as working part-time in the kitchen, but she does not appear on a similar list made in 1973.⁵ However, she is mentioned on a staff list compiled sometime during the presidency of Gerald R. Ford, suggesting she may have retired around 1973 only to return briefly before retiring again sometime during Ford’s presidency.⁶ Farrow passed away in April 1986.⁷

“Julia Farrow” in the U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014, accessed via Ancestry.com, https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/3693/records/18690509; “Julia Chapas” in the 1910 United States Federal Census, accessed via Ancestry.com, https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7884/records/179353897
The 1920 Census shows Farrow living in Jefferson, Culpepper County, Virginia, but the 1930 Census identifies her as living in Washington, D.C., indicating she moved there sometime between those years. See “Julia Farrow” in the 1930 United States Federal Census, accessed via Ancestry.com, https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/6224/records/6959446
White House Office of the Curator, e-mail message to author, March 16, 2026.
The Washington Daily News (Washington, D.C.), December 7, 1967, pg. 40, https://www.newspapers.com/image/1042057236/?match=7&terms="Julia Farrow" AND "White House" AND "Cook"
See White House Usher’s Office, Rex Scouten Papers: Residence Employees; Container 5, Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum, Athens, GA.
Box 29, Folder “Birthdays (Residence Staff),” Betty Ford White House Papers, 1973-1977, Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum, https://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/sites/default/files/pdf_documents/library/document/0018/81556614.pdf
“Julia Farrow” in the U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014, accessed via Ancestry.com, https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/3693/records/18690509. The White House Workers History Project relies on the U.S. Census Bureau’s updated guidelines for collecting demographic data related to race and ethnicity published in 2024. Adhering to these categories, this project identifies this person as Black or African American; however, there is documentation or other evidence suggesting that they were multiracial or mixed race. It is important to recognize that historical terms such as “mulatto” and “colored” are problematic, as these reflect the document writer’s views and the historical period more than the individual’s preferences or identity.

Birthplace

Unclear from context