10 Years of Latrobe’s Celebration
Celebrating the Great American Banana Split
Honorary Chair
Ice Cream Joe Gruble
The legacy of Latrobe as the birthplace of the banana split might not have been fully realized except for the efforts of Ice Cream Joe. While locals knew of the town’s claim to the dessert, it was Joe who in 2004, on the 100th anniversary of the invention, worked with the University of Pittsburgh on the “From Pitt Came the Split” event. He was also part of the group of Latrobeans that submitted the petition for the Pennsylvania Historical Marker that was installed in 2013.
From 2015 until his passing in 2017, Joe served up ice cream, ideas, and smiles as the celebration’s honorary chair.