Thomas H. Lutsey Scholarship History

The scholarship was established in recognition of the late Green Bay businessman Thomas H. Lutsey, a strong believer in the idea that hard work and diligence are essential to success.

Mr. Lutsey worked hard on the family farm as a youngster.  In 1933, he began processing milk on the farm for distribution in the city of Green Bay.  The milk operation, called the Jersey Dairy, moved to Green Bay in 1938.  Fascinated by a new idea, Mr. Lutsey decided to make ice cream and began selling it on the same routes with the milk.  The idea evolved to slice quarts of ice cream into tenths, insert sticks, dip the squares into chocolate, and roll them in nuts.  The item became popular at fairs in the Green Bay area where they were sold as “paddle pops.”

By 1946, Mr. Lutsey had established Gold Bond Ice Cream and the transition was made from bottling milk to producing only ice cream and novelties.  The popularity of this product on a stick prompted him to ask the question of how to make it faster.  Seeing other operations, Mr. Lutsey soon built what was then called a brine tank production line of ice cream bars and water ice pieces.  The emphasis shifted from ice cream to novelties.  Eventually, this antiquated machine was phased out and increased mechanization helped to spawn considerable growth for the company.  Also, in 1946 a strong partnership was formed when Sylvester Daanen bought into the company.  Mr. Daanen handled the office and sales area, while Mr. Lutsey was in charge of manufacturing and shipping.  Mr. Daanen died in June of 1967.

In 1953, the Clarson Ice Cream Company, which was located in Richland Center, Wisconsin was purchased.  In 1969, Gold Bond built a new facility on the west side of Green Bay.  In 1973, a new plant, the third one, was built in Ocala, Florida.  In 1977, the Richland Center plant expanded into a different building in the same town.

In 1980, 1983, and 1986 three more plants were constructed in Sikeston, Missouri; in Hagerstown, Maryland; and Henderson, Nevada, bringing the total to 6 ice cream novelty production plants.  Today, Gold Bond novelties are available in over 40 states, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Canada.