The checkered troupe of supporting witnesses that followed Charles Van Doren showed that no one seemed to be immune. Entertainers, admen, producers—everyone played along.
"Most of us have a great deal of larceny in us," drawled the Rev. Charles ("Stony") Jackson of Tullahoma, Tenn. "The fact that I am an ordained minister [Disciples of Christ] does not make me a saint." In 1957 Jackson wrote to The $64,000 Question, said he planned a book about quizzes (working title: Hucksters and Suckers), asked for help. The producers took the hint. Back came an invitation for Stony to audition as a contestant. The category...