100 Years of Good Humor

Almost 100 years ago, Good Humor started an ice cream revolution with the first ice cream on a stick and then, the very first ice cream truck. From our humble beginnings in Ohio to our fleet of Good Humor ice cream trucks across the country today, we are happy to still be creating some of your favorite frozen treats.

1900

Our delicious history started in 1920 in Youngstown, Ohio, when confectioner Harry Burt created a chocolate coating compatible with ice cream. His daughter was the first to try it. Her verdict? It tasted great, but was too messy to eat.

Burt’s son suggested freezing the sticks used for their Jolly Boy Suckers (Burt’s earlier invention) into the ice cream to make a handle and things took off from there.

The Good Humor name came from the belief that a person’s "humor", or temperament, was related to the humor of the palate (a.k.a., your "sense of taste"). And we still believe in great-tasting, quality products.

Soon after the Good Humor bar was created, Burt outfitted a fleet of twelve street vending trucks with freezers and bells from which to sell his creation. The first set of bells came from his son’s bobsled. Good Humor bars have since been sold out of everything from tricycles to push carts to trucks.

1923

After waiting three years for a patent, Burt took a trip to Washington, D.C., in 1923 with a five-gallon pail of Good Humor bars for the patent officials to sample. It worked – his patent was granted.

1929

A Good Humor plant opened in Chicago in 1929. The mob demanded $5,000 in protection money (that would be almost $70,000 today), which was refused, so they destroyed part of the Chicago fleet.

1936

In the early days, Good Humor men were required to tip their hats to ladies and salute gentlemen. It took three days of training and orientation to become a Good Humor Man.

1950

Jack Carson starred in the feature motion picture, The Good Humor Man.

1960

There were over 85 Good Humor ice cream products.

1978

Good Humor sold its fleet of vehicles in 1978 to focus on selling in grocery stores. Some of the trucks were purchased by ice cream distributors and others were sold to individuals. The trucks sold for $1,000 - $3,000 each.

1992

"The Classics" – Candy Crunch, Chocolate Eclair, Strawberry Shortcake, Toasted Almond – were re-launched in 1992.

1996

Robert Gant became the new Good Humor Man in 1996.

2014

Almost a century after the Good Humor Truck revolutionized the delivery of treats to people of all ages, we launched the first-ever commercially viable solar-powered freezers in New York City.