As National Ice Cream month draws to a close, we are highlighting America’s first collegiate instruction in ice cream manufacture. Penn State’s Ice Cream Short Course is the oldest, best-known, and largest educational program dealing with the science and technology of ice cream. It also is believed to be the first continuing education course in the United States.

In 1892, the Pennsylvania State College offered a dairy manufacturing class during the winter “when farm work is least pressing and the boys can best be spared.” Tuition was free and students were charged $5 in incidental expenses and laboratory fees. By 1925, ice cream had become so popular that a separate course devoted exclusively to the subject was established. 

Today, the College of Agricultural Sciences at Penn State still offers two classes, “Ice Cream 101” a two day annual course focusing on the small-scale manufacturing of frozen desserts. The “Ice Cream Short Course” is an intense seven-day course taking you from “Cow to Cone” where students from around the world – in every state in the nation and every continent except Antarctica – come to Happy Valley to learn. Former students of the course include representatives from Baskin-Robbins, Dairy Queen, Blue Bell Creamery, Friendly, Haagen-Dazs, and Ben and Jerry’s, just to name a few.

“Berkey Creamery Cow to Cone” video takes a quick look at Penn State’s agricultural program and an inside look at the creamery’s operations.

https://www.agdaily.com/video/behind-the-scenes-at-penn-states-160-year-old-creamery/

This entry came from the organization below.
Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation
https://www.paheritage.org/