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Duke, Gene S. Scholarship
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Gene S. Duke was born in Owensboro, Kentucky on October 18, 1922 to Jeanette (Stone) Duke and Henry C. Duke. At that time, the Duke family was residing in East Moline, Illinois, but Mrs. Duke had chosen to return to her original home in Owensboro to give birth to her son. Gene Duke graduated from East Moline High School in June of 1939. Gene’s sister Mary McKinzie and his wife to be, Betty Erzinger, also graduated from East Moline High School. Mr. Duke’s three sons and four of his grandchildren are graduates of UTHS. In August of 2000 his first great grandchild will enroll at UTHS. After graduation from high school, Mr. Duke went to work at his father’s newly formed business for $.25 per hour and was the only employee at that time.
Gene Duke married Betty Erzinger in Silvis, Illinois in January of 1942. Mr. Duke enlisted in the Army during 1942 and saw action with the 7th Infantry Division in the Aleutian Islands as well as on Kwajalein, Okinawa and in Leyte in the Philippine Islands during World War II.
At the end of World War II Mr. Duke again joined his father in their business which was then named H.C. Duke & Son. At that time, the Dukes began manufacturing large clothes washers for commercial laundries. In 1946, Henry Duke and Gene Duke agreed to design and build the first ice cream freezer for the Dairy Queen franchise system. Their freezer design was very successful and was sold throughout the entire nation. Today, 54 years later, Dairy Queen is the largest soft serve ice cream chain in the world and H.C. Duke & Son, Inc. is still the major supplier of freezers to that organization. During his working career, Gene Duke’s vision and leadership was responsible for many innovations and patents that allowed the company to prosper. Under his guidance, the company grew from its humble beginning of only two men with nothing but their
ambition and a few hand tools to the second largest manufacturer of ice cream freezers in the country. Today, Mr. Duke’s two sons, Dan Duke and Jim Duke manage the Company, which has continued to grow and now employs 130 people.
Mr. Duke was a past Director at the Metro Bank in East Moline for many years. He was a member and past president of Short Hills Country Club in East Moline. He was
a past Director and one of the original founders of International Dairy Queen in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Gene S. Duke passed away on June 7, 1989.
The Gene S. Duke Scholarship is recipient is to be a graduate of United Township High School. The grant is in the amount of $5,000 and will be distributed annually each year.
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