Baltimore Native Dr. Melissa R. Klapper Wins on 'Jeopardy!'

For decades, Dr. Melissa R. Klapper has dreamed of testing her mind and mettle and mixing it up with other seriously cerebral contestants on “Jeopardy!” The Baltimore native’s dream came true in January when she filmed three episodes of the popular TV game show. She is now a three-time “Jeopardy!” champion.

A Bais Yaakov School for Girls graduate, Dr. Klapper is a professor of history and director of Women’s and Gender Studies at Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey. She is a 1995 graduate of Goucher College in Towson and earned her doctorate in history from Rutgers University.

Among her four published works is “Ballots, Babies, and Banners of Peace: American Jewish Women’s Activism, 1890-1940” (New York University Press), which in 2013 won a National Jewish Book Award in women’s studies. She is also an amateur ballerina.

Jmore recently spoke with Dr. Klapper, who lives in Merion Station, Pennsylvania, shortly before the broadcasting of her appearances on “Jeopardy!” from Mar. 20-23, with her three-day winnings of $59,100.

Dr. Klapper lost on Thursday night, Mar. 23, to Alec Chao, a management & program analyst from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Jmore: First of all, can you say how you did on ‘Jeopardy!’? Do tell.

Dr. Klapper: Contestants can’t say anything about their shows until after they air.

Gotcha. So have you always wanted to appear on ‘Jeopardy!’? Are you a longtime fan of the show?

My whole family has always enjoyed ‘Jeopardy!’ and we had the board game when I was growing up. I have always wanted to appear on ‘Jeopardy!’ I tried out for the teen tournament when I was in high school, but I didn’t get very far. Once they moved the application process online, trying out became a lot more feasible.

How long did you persevere to appear on the program? What was the criteria?

There are several steps to try out for ‘Jeopardy.’ First, you take the online ‘Anytime Test,’ which is available on the show’s website at any time for any adult over 18 years old. That consists of 50 questions. Then, if you do well enough (no one knows what the minimum score is, nor do you get any feedback on your test), you are invited to take a second test. There are also 50 questions on that one, but you have less time to type in the answers.

Then, if you do well enough on the second test, you are invited to a group Zoom session that’s a combination of mock game play (you use a ballpoint pen as a clicker) and an interview. That Zoom session is really more of a casting audition than anything else. Most people who make it that far then go into the contestant pool for 18 months and hope to get the call to be on the show.

I had qualified once before, but I didn’t get the call, so I started the process again last June. I had my group Zoom audition in September and then got the call to be on the show in December, about a month ahead of the January tape day.

What was it like to actually be on the ‘Jeopardy!’ set? It must’ve felt surreal.

I kept on using the word ‘surreal’ throughout the whole experience! They tape five shows a day, so there’s a whole contestant cohort there on each tape day and you get to meet some really nice people who are also knowledge buffs and care about education and reading and things like that. The studio is smaller than it looks on TV, but there’s still the live audience and the lights and everything that make it a really unique experience, especially for someone who’s been watching the show and that set for a very long time.

I did learn some backstage things, like the fact that the show wants everyone to look more or less the same height. So there are risers behind each podium that they can adjust to bring the contestants’ heads more or less level with each other.

Did your academic background, particularly regarding history, come in handy?

Yes, I do think my academic background helped, but probably the fact that I read a lot, which anyone can do, was the most helpful. That’s the best way to soak up a lot of knowledge. The show requires generalists, not specialists.

Did your Bais Yaakov background help in any way?

I had great teachers at Bais Yaakov and Goucher and then in my doctoral program, all of whom encouraged me to read and learn and teach, so in that way, yes.

What was Ken Jennings like?

There was limited interaction with Ken Jennings. He came out at the beginning of the tape day to wish us all luck, but we spent no time with him other than what you see on the stage. He does seem genuinely excited when someone does well.

What were your competitors like?

The competitors were really nice. It was a motley crew — there was another history professor, a postal carrier, an actress and a high school football coach in my cohort, among others. They’re from all over the country and all kinds of backgrounds.

Did any subject in particular trip you up during the game?

I didn’t know much about sports when I tried out for the teen tournament, and I still don’t.

Your family must be very excited about your ”Jeopardy!’ appearance. Do you come back to Charm City often?

My parents Ferne and Mitchell Klapper still live in Baltimore, as does my cousin Ashley Klapper Pressman and her family, so I do come back quite often, especially for Shabbat and Yom Tov. I live in the Philadelphia area, which is not too far away, so we see each other often.