Gene Rudd’s analysis of doubly differential cross sections for the ionization of He atoms by proton impact suggested that electrons were being carried along by the proton for a short period of time after being ejected from the target region. Normally, this would represent an electron capture event in which an excited state of atomic hydrogen is formed. Because the electron ends up ionized it was recognized that these states of the proton must be continuum states. This insight was confirmed by observations of the continuum electron capture (CEC) cusp when the electron velocity equals the proton velocity in the final state. The impact of this idea upon the theory of ionization at high energies is reviewed. ©1996 American Institute of Physics.