‘Jeopardy!’ Host Alex Trebek to Appear at Fordham

The answer:

Entering his 28th year as host of Jeopardy!, this Jesuit-educated Canadian-American has won five Daytime Emmy Awards, led dozens of USO tours and is an active volunteer with the World Vision Charitable Organization. He’s also a proud Fordham parent.

The question?

Who is Alex Trebek?

On Thursday, Sept. 29, you can spend an evening with the man who has all the answers—Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek—in a special engagement at Fordham:

Trebek has challenged and entertained millions of viewers worldwide, hosting more than 6,000 episodes since Jeopardy! made its syndicated debut in 1984.

Less visible, however, is his work on behalf of the less fortunate around the world. With World Vision, he has traveled to many Third World countries taping reports on the group’s efforts on behalf of children around the world. He has traveled with his family to Zambia where he adopted a village and helped build a school, three homes for teachers and a medical facility. When a devastating earthquake struck Haiti in January 2010, Trebek served as a spokesperson for World Vision and urged donors to assist in the relief effort.

A native of Sudbury, Ontario, he earned two degrees in philosophy from the University of Ottawa before going to work for the Canadian Broadcasting Company. Trebek was first noticed by American viewers in 1973 when he hosted the NBC game show Wizard of Odds.  After several other hosting roles, Trebek was chosen as host of Jeopardy! He was a hit with viewers and quickly became a pop culture icon.

He has been honored with a coveted star on both the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the prestigious Canadian Walk of Fame in Toronto, making him one of only a handful of people honored by both the United States and Canada.

This year, he was the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Television Academy.

For more information, contact the Office of Special Events at (212) 636-6574 or specialevnts@fordham.edu.

– Joseph McLaughlin