Alfred Cralle received a U. S. patent for the Ice-Cream Mold and Disher on February 2, 1897. His invention of the mechanical ice cream scoop, a staple in almost every household around the world, is notable. But, what makes Cralle a standout in American History is that during a time when black Americans had little to no rights, it made entering into contractual and legal agreements very difficult to impossible.

Cralle managed to obtain a patent and be recognized for his invention. He is one of the first black inventors in the U.S. to be awarded a patent without having a white partner.  Cralle was also the first black inventor to receive a patent in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and became a well-known businessman and civil rights leader.

Born in 1866 to a carpenter father in the city of Kenbridge, Virginia, Cralle, attended a local school and took part in his father’s carpentry trade. Interested in mechanics, Cralle was sent to Washington, D. C. where he attended Wayland Seminary, one of a number of schools founded by the American Baptist Home Mission Society to help educate African Americans after the Civil War.

The Ice Cream Mold and Disher is an invention borne of observation. Cralle moved from Washington D. C. to settle in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where he worked as a drugstore and hotel porter. During his days as a porter, he observed the difficulty of scooping and serving ice cream. It required a juggling act of two hands to serve the frozen confection. He conceived and worked on the mechanics of a tool to make the task faster and easier to dispense with a built-in scraper allowing for one-handed operation.

In 1896, he made application for a patent right for his invention and was granted the U. S. patent in 1897 at the age of 30 years old.  Alfred L. Cralle later became successful in business. He started as Assistant Manager of the Afro-American Financial, Accumulating, Merchandise and Business Association, and later rose to the post of General Manager.

Alfred L. Cralle died in 1920 at the age of 54 years old.  His Ice Cream Mold and Disher, also generally known as the ice cream scooper, is still being widely used today.