Spoiler : Born in Brooklyn, New York 5/15/1904; died 6/20/1999 of pancreatic cancer at his son's house on Sanibel Island, Florida (time of death Fadiman was living on Captiva Island, Florida). Brother of William Fadiman. Married and divorced to Pauline Rush (?-?); writer Annalee Whitmore (1950-1999 his death). Fadiman was the son of Russian-Jewish immigrants. Nicknamed "Kip" following an attack of hiccups when he was a teenager. Graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the Columbia University in 1925. From 1925 until 1927 taught English at the Manhattan Ethical Culture High School (now Fieldston). Assistant editor for Simon and Schuster (1927-1929); editor (1929-35). Book editor for The New Yoker maga- zine (1933-1943). Moderator for radio programs including Book Reports (1931); Information Please on NBC, CBS and Mutual (1938-1948); Conversation (1954- 1957). Host of Keep 'Em Rolling on Mutual-Radio (1941-42).

Spoiler : Host or moderator for television programs including This Is Show Business on CBS and NBC (1949-1956); Information Please on CBS (1952); What's In A Word on CBS (1954); The Name's The Same on ABC (1955); The Quiz Kids on CBS (1956);

Spoiler : Born in Muncie, Indiana 10/23/1899; died 2/11/1989 in New York City. Married to John Wrench (?-?). Managing editor for The Ladies Home Journal, then became a free-lance writer of articles and stories for magazines including the Atlantic Monthly and The New Yorker. Writer/star of her own radio show on WCBS-New York during the late 1930's. Kimbrough and Cornelia Otis Skinner wrote the 1942 autobiography, "Our Hearts Were Young And Gay" that was adapted to the 1944 movie. CBS Television series, The Girls (1950) and The Eve Arden Show (1957-1958) were based on their book. Kimbrough was a panelist on Who's Whose for CBS-TV (1951).

Spoiler : His daughter, Anne Fadiman, became an accomplished writer. She teaches at Harvard.

Spoiler : she also wrote a memoir of him, focusing on his love of wine.

Spoiler : I love the witty banter back and forth that is part of the Information Please episodes. At times it appears that Mr. Fadiman would get annoyed with Oscar Levante's impromptu antics.

Spoiler : He moderated Information. But radio was just one of his many endeavours. He graduated from Columbia in 1925 and begin his professional life as a teacher. He had many other accomplishments throughout his life as well. He helped establish the Book-of-the-Month Club, serving on its board for more than a half century and also assisted in shaping The Encyclopedia Britannica while he was hosting Information Please. If that wasn't enough, he was also working as the New Yorker's book editor while emceeing the radio quiz show. If a listener was able to stump the panel of "highly Touted experts," which routinely included Oscar Levant, Franklin P. Adams, John Kiernan and a weekly guest. But the Encyclopedia Britannica wasn't the only prize. If a listener was fortunate enough to stump all four panelists, they won a $50 savings bond. Information Please also had a two year television run. Clifton Fadiman also wrote several anthologies including collections titled Party Of One, Any Number Can Play and Conversing. Clifton Fadiman once described himself as an “odd job man.” output. But we call him one of the 5 finest game show hosts in radio history. I see lots of threads about the best game show hosts. But sadly, nobody seems to remember Joe Kelly hosting the radio and a brief television version of Quiz Kids, mentions the one, the only, Groucho Marx and You Bet Your Life or the wonderful Clifton Fadiman. They were the who created the blue print for how someone should host a game show. They laid the ground work that people like Bill Cullen, Art Fleming, Peter Marshall, Alan Ludden and Alex Trebek have all followed. I just wonder how Ken Jennings and James Housner would do if they were two of the "highly touted experts" that were being asked questions, questions, questions by Clifton Fadiman? He's 116 today and I'm sure somewhere her's celebrating with Oscar Levant, Franklin P. Adams and John Kiernan.