Bruce Tharp, Ph. D., president of Tharp’s Food Technology and a legend in the ice cream industry, passed away last week at the age of 89. He began his career in ice cream at an early age while working for the family business, Tharp’s Ice Cream, in Shamokin, Pa., and he ultimately achieved international recognition for his technical expertise and insight in the field.

Tharp earned undergraduate, graduate and doctorate degrees in dairy science at Penn State University. He taught and conducted research at The University of Wyoming and The Ohio State University before spending 35 years managing technical affairs for Drew Foods and Germantown International, suppliers of ice cream and dairy ingredients.

In 1997, he launched a new career and became a frequent lecturer at short courses, seminars, workshops and technical conferences around the world, including IDFA’s annual Ice Cream Technology Conference. He also was an adjunct professor of food science at Penn State and served 30 years as the chief ice cream judge at the Intercollegiate Dairy Products Evaluation Contest.

Lifetime Achievement Award
“Bruce and I worked closely together on ice cream education efforts over the past decades, as he helped me plan the Ice Cream Tech Conferences and regularly participated as a speaker,” said Cary Frye, IDFA senior vice president of regulatory affairs. “He was truly a legend who had a brilliant talent for explaining technical issues in an easy-to-understand manner.”

In 2006, Tharp received the International Ice Cream Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his decades of work and leadership in the industry. The citation from the award reads:

“Dr. Bruce W. Tharp is hereby recognized for a lifetime achievement for his dedication to research, education and providing technical support to the ice cream industry by the International Ice Cream Association and the International Dairy Foods Association.

“Bruce, your commitment to excellence, your strong leadership and your enthusiasm have contributed greatly to the ice cream industry worldwide. The ice cream industry is fortunate to have you share your tremendous technical expertise and insights acquired over a lifetime of hard work. We thank you for your dedication and your friendship.”

International Ice Cream Association
International Dairy Foods Association
March 1, 2006

More details are available here.