Buck's causes roar with anniversary social

More than 1,000 people showed up to celebrate the parlor's anniversary.

By Luke Udstuen and Samantha Kubota

Published Oct. 16, 2009

When Wendell and Ruth Arbuckle funded an endowment that led to the opening of an ice cream pilot plant and ice cream parlor on campus in 1989, they had big ideas. Twenty years later, Buck's Ice Cream Place celebrated its anniversary with an ice cream social Thursday outside of Eckles Hall, where it's located.

The social included appearances by the Arbuckle family and Truman the Tiger, wagon rides by the College of Veterinary Medicine, a name an outrageous flavor contest, ice cream naming and speeches on the history of ice cream research. Bob Marshall, one of the creators of Tiger Stripe Ice Cream, spoke, as did a relative of Wendell and Ruth Arbuckle.

Randy Mertens, Office of Advancement and Communications publications coordinator, said Buck's was expecting about 300 to 400 people, but much more attended.

"We had upwards of 1,000 people here, so we're very happy with the attendance," Mertens said.

Despite the cool weather, many students and alumni were in attendance with outside temperatures ranging in the mid-40s. Russ Powell, an MU graduate, attended the event along with his family.

"We saw the advertisement in the paper that Buck's was having their special today so we decided to have some Buck's Ice Cream," Powell said. "It takes me back to my college days."

John Campbell, former Buck's employee and author who also graduated from and taught at MU, spoke at the social.

"I got three degrees from this university and I did my master's degree in ice cream," Campbell said.

Originally known as Eckles Hall Ice Cream Shop from the 1920s to 1972, Buck's Ice Cream Place reopened in 1989 as a research facility and ice cream shop, according to the news release.

With support from Anheuser-Busch and other Missouri companies, the Arbuckle family and MU were able to create an ice cream research facility that formulated frozen desserts to meet the nutritional needs of consumers, according to the Web site for Buck's Ice Cream Place. The MU program started by Wendell Arbuckle also includes sensory analysis, flavor chemistry and food engineering.

According to the Buck's Web site, the dairy program's ice cream research focuses on the creation of functional foods, frozen desserts that contribute health benefits to consumers beyond regular nutrition.

The College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources has been doing research on ice cream since the 1920s that has contributed to improving ice cream production and low-fat ice cream development, according to the MU news release.

Buck's Ice Cream Place is best known for its invention of Tiger Stripe Ice Cream. The flavor is made with orange-dyed vanilla ice cream and chocolate swirls.

"It was unique because it looked like tiger's skin and it tasted wonderful," Marshall said. "I never thought we would have any less interest in Tiger Stripe because it had really been adopted as a signature ice cream."