James Frederick Bonk (February 6, 1931 – March 15, 2013) was an American university professor noted for eschewing a research career in favor of teaching introductory chemistry courses for over 50 years, primarily at Duke University.
[1] He did, however, also teach advanced and graduate courses, and wrote his own textbooks and laboratory manuals.
One oft-repeated story regarding him is that a group of students went out of town for a party and got back late, telling Bonk that they were delayed by a flat tire and thus missed an exam.
[7] This interest in sports and fitness came in handy when a student tried to hit his face with a pie in 1975.
Bonk frequently recounted the story of spryly leaping aside so that the pie got him in the shoulder, and then charging after the perpetrator, who ran out the classroom door and into the neighboring woods.