by Seven G. Krantz
Mathematician Robert A. Bonic (1932-1990)--who made his first appearance in Mathematical Apocrypha--smoked marijuana one night in 1969 and had a vision. Like Kronecker, he deduced that God made the integers and that all else was derivative material concocted by man. He decided therefore to become a computer scientist.
Using connections he had, Bob managed to land an Assistant Professorship in Computer Science at the Courant Institute in New York City. There was just one catch. Bob had been a tenured full Professor of Mathematics at Northeastern University. He resigned that lofty position in order to move to Courant. He had grown accustomed, since he had a high-paying sinecure at Northeastern, to fight and argue with everyone all the time about everything. Bob continued this tradition as an Assistant Professor at Courant. The unfortunate upshot was that he was fired. So Bob started a new life.
Bob Bonic had many interests. One of his avocations was playing darts, and he was so good at it that he was banned from most of the dart bars in New York City. He ended up opening his own dart bar in Manhattan. His partner in business was Phil Ochs (1940-1976), the famous folk singer. Bonic's bar became quite the hangout: actor Robert De Niro and punk rock singer Patti Smith used to spend time there.
Phil Ochs was manic depressive, and he ended up committing suicide. Bonic was the last person to see him alive before he went off and hanged himself.
Ultimately Bonic was run out of business because the Cosa Nostra wanted his space. He became an itinerant mathematician, traveling from university to university and doing a variety of jobs for different math departments--some of them quite essential (like supervising the calculus curriculum)--in order to keep going. He died at a young age of a brain tumor.
4 comments:
Hi was so very smart I will miss him! One of the first computer masters... boom
Bob was my roomate in '83 on Franklin St in Tribeca. He was a brilliant, funny, "Nutty Professor". One Sunday morning... before our first joint, I knocked on his bedroom door. He was looking around in that irritated manner that he had. I watched him poke around for a couple minutes before asking him what he was looking for. "My shirt... my blue shirt." I asked if he meant the one that he was wearing, the one in which he slept... he looked down and smiled... "Yes... this one... thanks." That was Bob.
Robert A. Bonic was the author of my high school Advanced Placement Calculus book, titled FRESHMAN CALCULUS. Sorry to hear that he died so young. May he rest in peace.
George A. Sgouros with some personal knowledge and history said…
I first met Robert A. Bonic (co-Author of Freshman Calculus) in 1972. Bob not much older than me was originally my Computer Professor for a Computer Course at NYU Courant Mathematics Institute in NYC. His easy manner, down to earth friendliness, varied interests, and the recognition of my talents, first developed our relationship into teacher/mentor/student. Not long after we became good friends, and collaborators in the pursuit of several of our ideas and interests.
Between 1972 to 1975 while he was a Sr. Research Scientist at N.Y.U. Courant Mathematics Institute (and I at NYU for my B.S. degree in Industrial Arts and Technology) we researched, designed, collaborated, pioneered, and developed the first Computer Logic Training Modules (LOGICUBES ©). These modules became the basic instructional aide learning components Bob used to teach the aspects of Computer Science, Math, and Machine Logic at the 1st Computer Science Machine Lab/Workshop at Brooklyn College in New York.
Through his scientific connections Bob became what was later coined as one of “the First 100’s” (the 100 or so computer and mathematics researchers that (early on) were sent IC microprocessor chips to see what applications could be developed from them. Bob was like a little kid getting his first erector set for Christmas when several of these early Texas Instruments – 7400 series and TMX 1795 (Single-chip microprocessor invented in 1971) arrived. They were sent by Texas Instruments to see what he could develop from the combining of their Logic capabilities with mechanical co-function connections; the Christmas erector set analogy sparked our ideas for the LOGICUBES to have a snap together design capability, with graphic circuitry diagrams on each modules surface as an instructional aide to understanding Logic progression of a greater function.
While working with (and now for) Bob, his other “hobby/avocation” came into play! Bob’s bar interest, and his championship dart interest and abilities, was to be combined with my design capabilities! Together we conceived and designed new darts, flights, and darting equipment, including my design for the first Autoscore Electronic Dart Board ©.
I was the scout that Bob sent out to find the building location in the NYC SOHO district that would house Bob’s Dart/Bar; and once found and decided on - Bob & I, along his then wife/actress/dancer Joanna Pang (Cindy Lee on the old 1975 TV Series The Secrets of Isis), and his mom set to creating, designing, building, furnishing, and establishing the SOHO Darts Bar & Restaurant, N.Y.C. ® at 60 Mercer Street & the corner of Broome Street, NYC. All which fueled Bob’s dream to hold Championship Dart Tournaments at his own bar – which he did!
Thanks for the memories Bob!
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