More than a baker's dozen
G ra ssro o l News N .W . - There are m any non-
tra d itio n a l jobs where the com m on stereotype negates
the complexity involved. A baker is included in this mis
conception but the life o f A le xa n d a r H a ll, J r., as a
baker really breaks the mold. His career as a baker is
tru ly remarkable. He rose from a bricklayer to become a
well known professional and one o f the P acific N o rth
west’ s foremost bakers.
He started out as a clean-up man for a bakery owned
by a parnership. One o f the owners suggested that they
tra in H a ll to assist in the day to day fu n ctio n s o f the
bakery. Soon afterwards, the parnership dissolved and
he stepped into the shoes o f the baker
This was my big
break to ru n the place a lone. The fe llo w w ho was
teaching me never showed me all the formulas but each
night I w ould take little by little o f what went in each
item. I would jo t this down and soon I was completing
formulas. I kept the place going until a fire destroyed it.
A t th a t tim e , 1 received fo u r o ffe rs fro m b a k e r’ s
because in the early 60s there were very few Jewish
bakers and my basic products were Kosher pastries -
Your C hallah, Egg breads, Applestroudles and bagels.
These were all new to the Portland area in commercial
bakeries.”
R e a lizin g the a d d itio n a l know ledge . eeded to
become a baker producing a specialized p ro d u ct, he
went to C a lifo rn ia and worked fo r six weeks free. He
worked at another bakery fo r three years prior to going
to Rose's in Portland.
" I was in tro d u c e d to Rose b e fore she sold her
business. She had heard o f this Black baker and had
seen my merchandise and liked it. She to ld my w ile if
she had met me a year earlier she would have never sold.
I accepted the jo b and helped the business to expand
fro m a restaurant to a fu ll-tim e bakery. I developed
my own formulas fo r Russian Bread in addition to what
Rose had. I also created the fru it and cheese strip, along
w ith the coconut haystack.” It w asn't u n til M r. H all
developed these items six years ago, that other bakeries
put these pasteries aside as commercial items.
A baker is an unique p ro fe ssio n a l as M r. H a ll ex
p la in e d . “ On most jo b s , you can ta ke y o u r w o rk
home w ith you. or defer your w ork u n til morning, and
even take a coffee break. A baker can’ t do that. You
have to produce at a ll tim es and be a good th in k e r.
Y o u ’ re m ix in g som ething over here, you also have
something else in the oven and in your m ind, y o u r’ re
preparing the item you w ill fix three hours fro m now,
and you must remember that so many ingredients are
perishable, so you must watch everything.
" A baker must want to be a baker and put his all into
it. Our main purpose in life is to live and make the best
o f it we can. I know people who mow lawns and are
ju n k m e n but they are d o in g som ething they lik e .
Remember, there are d o c to rs and law yers do w n on
Burnside.”
"B akery is one profession where you can take all the
credit fo r your w o rk .”
Mr. Hall feels that there is always a demand fo r good
bakers. "1 don’ t mean someone who comes in and says
they’ re a baker, but someone who can fo llo w in stru c
tions and form ulas w ill always be able to fin d a jo b .”
According to H all, a baker is not lim ited to the kitchen.
Careers include purchasing, d e m o n stra tin g new p ro
ducts and b a kin g chem istry. H a ll is also a successful
property owner and a solid member o f Sharon Seventh
Day Adventist Church.
Decision making workshop scheduled
Decision making w ill be the locus ot a one-day P ort
land C om m unity College Careers workshop Saturday,
July 25, from 9 a m. - 5 p.m ., at the PCC Sylvania cam
pus, 12000 S. W. 49th Ave.
C atherine S ills, PCC careers counselor, w ill teach
techniques on how to come to decisions re g a rd in g
home, fam ily, educaiton and careers.
T u itio n is $17.50 fo r the one credit w orkshop which
can also be audited or taken fo r pass-fail.
For registration in fo rm a tio n call the PCC Sylvania
Careers department at 244-6111.
Veteran's seminar
A veterans E m ploym ent Seminar sponsored by the
N ational A lliance o f Business w ill be held on f riday,
August 7th from 1:30 to 4: JO pm at the Public Service
Building, 2nd Floor A uditorium , at 920 S. W 6th Ave.
Interested in a career with a people-oriented company?
Blue Cross of Oregon offers opportunities
in these areas:
Dress for success
D ressing fo r success gives every in d ic a tio n ot
becoming an increasingly important part o f the business
world in the 198O’ s.
The move toward higher standards o f grooming does
not necessarily mean a return to tra d itio n a l or fo rm a l
dress, a c co rd in g to Jack I. co p e la n d . P resident o f
N ational E ducational Media, In c., (N E M ). ‘ O ur con
tacts with business communities everywhere suggest that
increasing amounts o f business w ill be conducted inin-
fo rm a l a tt ir e ," he says. C opeland’ s firm makes and
distributes a wide range o f training film s in America and
more than 100 countries abroad.
“ Y o u r P ersonal A p p e a ra n ce ,” a 10-m inute c o lo r
film , emphasizes the fact that it is in the first seconds o f
contact that customers or business associates gain their
impression o f the company and people with whom they
A le x a n d e r P a u l, J r ., re a d ie s p a s trie s fo r t h e -
oven.
(Photo: Richard J. Brown)
• Claims processing
• Data processing
• Accounting
• Professional relations
Call us at 225-5364 or visit our Personnel Department
at 100 S.W. Market.
arc about to do business.
“ Personal G room ing and H ygiene.” is an 11-minute
co lo r film w hich N E M says p rovide men and women
w ith concise but detailed suggestions fo r developing
basic routines.
Inform ation on the film s and supplemental materials
can be obtained by w riting National Educational Media,
In c ., 15760 V entura B oulevard, E n cin o , C a lifo rn ia ,
91436, or by calling (800) 423-3050.
Page 10 Section II Portland Observer. Thursday. July 16. 1981
Blue Cross
ot Oregon
An equal opportunity em ployer
M'F