Soda Jerk and Soda Fountain Calls

The soda fountain was also a theater with the major role played by the dispenser, also called a “soda jerk,” the “professor,” “thrower,” and, in one place, “licensed fizzician,” who by the 1920s was an American folk figure. He dispensed sundaes, sodas, and entertainment. To help him in his task, soda fountain and ice cream trade journals provided him with recipes and diagrams for new concoctions along with tips on how to build them with style and showmanship. The International Association of Ice Cream Manufacturers held a series of seminars around the country called “Sundae Schools,” the purpose of which was to share information on the latest treats and how to promote them. This was important for the industry since the soda fountain was the major point of sale for ice cream at a time when most homes had no refrigeration other than an icebox. Trade journals ran articles on successful soda jerks and fountains. Becoming a good dispenser took years of practice and often ensured a good salary. The small-town soda fountain was used as a backdrop for numerous films from the 1930s on and was portrayed as a warm, neighborly, social place to gather and enjoy a leisurely sundae or share an ice cream soda with a date.