Augustus Jackson http://www.infoplease.com/spot/bhmscientists1.html http://staff.fcps.net/ecasey/invent/1lilla/aug.htm http://www.chillyphilly.com/icehist.

html 832 - African-American, Augustus Jackson, is credited for the modern method of manufacturing, (not discovering) ice cream, and the multiple ice cream recipes he developed around 1832. He uniquely used ice mixed with salt to lower and control the temperature of his special mix of ingredients. Unfortunately he never applied for a patent. He left his position as a cook/chef at the White House, moved to Philadelphia and created several popular ice cream flavors and methods of manufacturing ice cream. He distributed it in tin cans to Philadelphias many ice cream parlors. Today Jackson is called the "father of ice cream." Augustus Jackson Several people over the years have queried us with regards to the illusive Augustus Jackson. This person does not appear any standard reference books about scientists, inventors, black Americans or white house cooks/chefs. Nor is cc. The only print contemporary print reference we find is this: "Inventions of free blacks were...recorded. The first black granted a patent was probably Henry Blair's 1834 seed planter patent. But again, records fail the historian for the race of patent-seekers was rarely noted...Other black inventions were not patented for various reasons, as was the case with ice cream, invented by Augustus Jackson of Philadelphia in 1832." ---The ***** Almanac: A Reference Work on the African American, Harry A. Ploski & James Williams [Gale Research:Detroit] 5th edition 1989 (p. 1077) A survey of historic newspaper articles confirms this Mr. Jackson's existence and his ice cream connection. We do not know for certain if his invention is for Philadelphia-style ice cream. [1894] "The Origin of Ice Cream. The man who invented ice cream was a ***** by the name of Jackson, and in the early part of the present century kept a small confectionery store. Cold custards, which were cooled after being made by setting them on a cake of ice, were very fashionable, and Jackson conceived the idea of freezing them, which he did by placing the ingredients in a tin bucket and completely covered with ice. Each bucket contained a quart, and was sold for $1. It immediately became popular, and the inventor soon enlarged his store, and when he died left a considerable fortune A good many tried to follow his example, and ice cream was hawked about the streets, being wheeled along very much as the hokey-pokey carts are now, but none of them succeeded in obtaining the flavor that Jackson had in his product.--Baker's Helper." ---New York Times, March 11, 1894 (p. 18)

[NOTE: this information was reprinted verbatim in the Grand Union Cook Book, Margaret Compton [Grand Union Tea Co.:New York] 1902 (p. 291) [1928] "Augustus Jackson, a Philadelphia *****, was the first to make America's favorite frozen confection--ice cream--according to the records in the possession of citizens living in the City of Brotherly Love. In 1832 there were five ***** confectioners in Philadelphia. One of them was Jackson, know in his day and time as 'the man who invented ice cream.' He also was a caterer. For an extended period he enjoyed a monopoly of the sale of this dessert. He demanded $1 a quart, and had no difficulty selling all he made...The Jackson establishment was in what was then known as Goodwater Street, now St. James, between Seventh and Eight streets. After his death his daughter continue the business for several years on Walnut street, near Tenth street. Members of the Jackson family, with their limited facilities, were unable to meet the public demand for ice cream, and other confectioners and caterers, principally Negroes, began making it to their financial advantage." ---"Phily Citizen Was First Maker of Ice Cream," Lester A. Walton, The Pittsburgh Courier, May 19, 1928 (p. 12) [1932] "Ice cream, a more universally distinctive American dish than many others which through of earlier introduction are sectional in character, was invented by Augustus Jackson, a ***** confectioner, who was prominent here during the latter half of the 19th century." ---"Social Worker Cites Contributions of ***** to Philadelphia's Progress," Wayne Hopkins, Philadelphia Tribune, June 2, 1932 (p. 9)

Augustus Jackson was born on April 16, 1890 in Danbury, Connecticut. During his life, he worked as a White House chef for President Andrew Jackson. Around the late 1820s, Augustus left his job as a White House chef to move to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. While he owned his own catering business he liked to make new dessert recipes. He created several recipes that are today what we know as ice cream. He also created a new and more efficient way of making ice cream. His newly created ice cream flavors became very popular and he distributed them to ice cream parlors across Philadelphia. Many African Americans were ice cream makers and owned ice cream shops at that time, but Augustus Jackson was the most successful. Although, he never applied for any patents. These were a few African American inventors and their inventions. There were many constraints on the early African American inventors in history, that did not let them develop their ideas and get a patent for themselves. Yet, braving all odds, the first African American to hold a patent was Thomas Jennings. He was a simple tailor in New York City and became a symbol of hope for many future African American inventions

Thomas Jennings, the first known African American to hold a patent, used the money he earned from his invention to fund abolitionist.