History of Gonzo Unicycle Madness
Karl Rudnick, '72

During Christmas break of 1970/71 I was walking by a bicycle store in Pomona that advertised a unicycle for $29. Having $22 in my bank account I decided to pop for it. When I started riding (crashing) it around campus, Floyd Spencer (also Class of '72) told me that he had a unicycle at home and would bring it out to Mudd first chance. Soon after that the craze had begun, with Dick Jones, Ted Cox and David Van Vactor other notable enthusiasts (David could simultaneously juggle, pick up dimes off the ground and do math!). Since Dick Jones (now the US ambassador to Lebanon) was a heavy in ASHMC student politics, he wrangled the formation of the HMUC (Harvey Mudd Unicycle Club) along with a "gift" of ~$300 for purchasing about 5 "public" unicycles. The rest is history, as they say. Every time I visit HMC, I'm very happy that the tradition continues. I also know of some unicycle riders in the 60's but they were an isolated bunch and, IMHO, it was really the Class of '72 that got the ball (wheel) rolling.
 

Minutes for the GUM Meeting, 8 Nov 1996

Taken by Ted Ladd.

5:34 All present. (JL, MS, PB, SU, HC, BG, DM, BJ, DH, CG, DW, LB(sic - LD), JH, OF, TC, and YT (TL)).
5:35 SC (Sem Cycle - Ed.)order to be made Monday. KSPC flakes due to death in family. Jesus Christ: More than a Profanity.
5:36 Web-Site: Dominic says "Blah blah blah". Something about Uni-parts. I wish I had more Curly-Fries.
5:37 John closes the door. Beth finishes her milk. Dominic says "Blah blah blah". It is somehow decided that
5:38 someone should answer "outside" email sent to gonzo-unicycle-l - Ted is assigned. He volunteered!
5:39 Paul thanks DM for a pretty WWW page.
5:40 Dominic says "blah blah blah". Sharon eats a pickle (She denies this. - Ed.). Tee-Shirts of the Gonzo-type still
5:41 exist. 2nd Semester, says Dylan, we should resurrect the "Unicycling
5:42 is Not a Crime" shirts. Il y a trois unicycles (sic - monocycles) de club upstairs (sic - oh, nevermind.) .
5:43 Marie picks at her salad. "Everyone come to the game tonight," says Dylan, with a spark in his eye. Jody needs a nut. Jody is a nut.
5:44 All these minutes ! How many minutes pass in our hurry scurry lives without simple acknowledgement! Oh the tragedy of life's duration! (Spare me! - Ed.)
5:45 Questions? Coments? (sic - Comets) What is John talking about? Oh, the Sem order. Didn't we discuss this? What a
5:46 dishevelled meeting. Ted reads the minutes, but only after adjournment. Adjournment proposed. It is accomplished.