Bruce W. Tharp
B.S., M.S., Ph. D. Dairy Science, Penn State.

At the beginning of 1997 I started a new direction in my lifetime of involvement in the ice cream industry. That was not in any way a "retirement", since it was my intention to continue my professional activities at about the same level of intensity as before, with a major focus on ice cream.

There were two major reasons why I wanted to do that. First, I was eager to continue to enjoy the satisfaction of applying and communicating my knowledge of the fascinating and challenging technical and scientific complexities of ice cream. Second, I wanted to keep on experiencing the delight of being associated with an industry in which individuals are almost universally friendly and a pleasure to know.

Since then I've enjoyed my ongoing activity in assignments involving the realm of ice cream and related products. Those assignments have taken me around the world to participate in ice cream-oriented activities in North and South America, Europe, the Middle East, Australia, and throughout the Pacific and Southeast Asia area.

I have also continued to enjoy my ancillary professional activities, including: Adjunct Professorship of Food Science at Penn State; chief ice cream judge at the Intercollegiate Dairy Products Evaluation Contest; and major lecturer at academic ice cream short courses In addition, I've enjoyed collaborating in the development and presentation of a well-received independent ice cream course - Tharp & Young On Ice Cream (visit www.onicecream.com for details on this year's offerings). In addition to an annual presentation in Las Vegas, the course is now offered annually in Mexico City as well and will be presented in Singapore in April of 2009.

My ice cream roots go back to my childhood. I grew up in the ice cream business, and have never strayed very far from it. From my earliest days in the Tharp's Ice Cream plant my father instilled in me an ardor to make the very best ice cream possible, and he taught me a lot about how to do that.

Another part of Dad's legacy was a philosophy of life that is described in a prodigious collection of writing he left behind. That material includes a poem with a great deal of relevance to the new direction I took in 1997. I'll close by sharing it with you. Dad believed in the outlook he expressed in it, and so do I.

AD INFINITUM Wilbur A. Tharp (1904 - 1996) Penn State Ice Cream Short Course, Class of 1923 How often have you heard it said, "Now that's the end of that." A common phrase we often hear When with our friends we chat. This phrase, so glibly used by all Implies poor reasoning For, when we think about it, There's no end to anything. Look closely at a piece of string. "There's an end to that," you say. But where's the end if you should turn It round the other way? Ah, strange it is. We were so sure. Now, doubt its head has reared, For, where the end was once in view, A beginning has appeared! I guess the lesson here is, that When life seems oh, so blue, We should back off and turn around And take another view. So, if you think all has gone wrong And you've no hope of winning, Yes, pray your troubles soon will end, But search for a beginning. There is no end to anything, Fresh starts there are, a-plenty. And that is true at eighty-one Or the golden age of twenty. April 1985, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Copyright© 1999 by Tharp's Food Technology ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

I am over a decade into this new beginning and continue to enjoy providing services to the ice cream industry. I remain eager to take advantage of new opportunities to do that.

Bruce W. Tharp


Back to top