09/02/2026
Ever wonder what the early days of the campus bathtub races looked like?
Bernard Dymond, Penn State Harrisburg class of 1975, shared this video from the 1974 bathtub races with our Alumni Relations office when he attended his 50th class reunion last year.
The bathtub race tradition started in 1972. Students designed their tubs-on-wheels themselves, Dymond remembered, and took turns pushing them through different portions of the race. The original races took a longer route around campus than the roughly 50-yard dash that takes place today.
As a student, Dymond, who earned a degree in electrical engineering technology, and his wife, Pamela, lived in what was then married student housing (now the Educational Activities Building). After earning his degree, Dymond spent years as an electrical engineer and later design engineer for numerous companies, retiring in 2020.
Bathtub races will be part of the upcoming 60th anniversary celebration! Find more details here: https://sites.psu.edu/hbgtimeline/60th-anniversary-celebration-weekend/
Penn State Harrisburg Alumni and Friends
