--- title: "This veteran invented Jell-O shots to beat base alcohol rules" description: "Specialist Third Class Tom Lehrer, a brilliant musician, scientist, and vet, invented jello-shots for a noble (and extremely funny) cause." date: "2022-02-23" modified: "2023-02-21" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/popular/tom-lehrer-invented-jell-o-shots/" categories: - "History" - "Join the Military" - "Military Culture" tags: - "Army" - "Famous Veterans" --- # This veteran invented Jell-O shots to beat base alcohol rules ![]() Before he became one of [musical comedy's darkest satirists](), musician Tom Lehrer served in the U.S. Army. The brilliant mathematician was an enlisted draftee from 1955-1957, serving at the National Security Agency. He stood out from all the other enlisted troops. Specialist Third Class Tom Lehrer had a Master's degree from Harvard at a time when his fellow enlisted troops barely had a high school education. He also had a hit record, one he self-published around Harvard but would become a nationwide hit. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NS3pN7hFJss Lehrer even wrote a submission for the Army [song]() that talks about picking up cigarette butts, officers who can't spell, bad food, and junior enlisted shenanigans. What he did have in common with his brothers in arms was a fondness for having a few drinks at a party. But the party in question was on a naval base in Washington, D.C., and no alcoholic beverages were allowed. So he and a friend went right to work before the big day. "We wanted to have a little party, so this friend and I spent an evening experimenting with Jell-O. It wasn't a beverage..." he [told San Francisco Weekly,]() "...so we went over to her apartment and we made all these little cups..." After conducting a few experiments with gin and vodka, as well as various Jell-O flavors, they discovered that vodka and orange Jell-O were the most effective combination. ![Jello shots invented by Tom Lehrer]() "I would bring them in, hoping that the Marine guard would say, 'OK, what's in there?' And we'd say, 'Jell-O,' and then he'd say, 'Oh, OK.' But no, he didn't even ask. So it worked. I recommend it. Orange Jell-O." True genius. I wonder what the now 89-year-old Lehrer would think about smuggling alcohol in with mouthwash bottles and food coloring. Incidentally, Lehrer's record, a 10-inch LP titled "Songs by Tom Lehrer," was a dark comedy album, but is considered by many to be one of the most influential of all time. He wrote songs about a Russian mathematician, the periodic table, and Christmas commercialism, just to name a few. ![Tom Lehrer]() In all, Lehrer released 11 albums, with great titles such as "An Evening Wasted with Tom Lehrer" and "The Remains of Tom Lehrer." He even wrote a song for the Air Force's Strategic Air Command for the 1963 film "A Gathering of Eagles." ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()