CLEMSON, S.C. — Golden Tiger, Orange Passion, Black Cherry and Honey Flood are just a few of the delectable ice cream flavors Clemson students have whipped up over the years for the ’55 Exchange – and the student-run enterprise does more than churn out delicious icy treats. On campus, students learn how to run a self-sustaining business from manufacturing to sales. This ice cream has been one of South Carolina’s best kept secrets since the early 1900s, and now it’s available nationwide.
The ’55 Exchange also boasts an interesting history. Imagine eating lunch and hearing an announcement that freezers in the creamery broke down and free ice cream was available. In the 1930s first-year students at Clemson would hear the rally cry and rush to the creamery with milk pitchers thinking they were about to scoop a tasty treat. Met by upperclassman, 300-400 students were told milk pitchers weren’t enough and they’d run off to find steel milk cans and trashcans, only to find out later it was just a prank. While it doesn’t happen anymore, students and campus visitors alike still love stopping by the store to grab a cone – or a cup!
Working on any stories for National Ice Cream Day this Sunday, July 18? If so, email news@clemson.edu and we’d be happy to set you up with resources from the ’55 Exchange team.
–Clemson University