Before there was Jeopardy! General Electric College Bowl
The 50th Anniversary of the game show Jeopardy! reminds me of an earlier game show that would pit knowledgeable people against one another to answer questions. In 1962 the University of Detroit would compete against Northeastern College of Boston on the nationally televised G.E. College Bowl. Representing U of D: Dennis Gannon (senior, history major), Regina Stefaniak (sophomore, math major), Bob Pearl (junior, political science major) and John Hussey (senior, College of Arts & Sciences; originally he was listed as a backup person, unable to determine major from news article). 
U of D won the first round against Northeastern 285-100. The school won a $1,500 scholarship as a result of their victory. One of the questions that the UD students got wrong: “What famous figure recently restated the quotation ‘He who is not with me is against me, etc.’?” Northeastern of Boston buzzed first and guessed “De Gaulle” Wrong. UD had a chance to answer-they guessed “Kennedy”. WRONG! Correct answer: Pope John XXIII. Hmmmmmmmmmm, a Catholic college got that wrong! The more observant studio audience drew a laugh.
The second round was against Brooklyn University. UD lost that round 240-110. Even though they lost, they still added another $500 to the scholarship fund.
The College Bowl program ended in 2008, and that is too bad. As a person who is not that much into sports, these team battle of the brains was much more interesting to me. Somehow the team work of “Family Feud”, while may be more entertaining, does not quite measure up in intellectual quality.
Pat Higo, Archives and Special Collections Librarian
