Podcast Episode Details

On November 2, 1959, at 10 AM, Charles Van Doren and his attorney Carl Rubino entered the caucus room where the House Subcommittee hearings investigating potential game show corruption were conducted.  He had spent the previous evening accompanied by his wife and father at what must have been a very surreal dinner party at the home of Dick Goodwin, as this event was also attended by prosecutor Joseph Stone.

Investigator Stone understood the potential volatility of the situation and he immediately personally briefed his boss, the District Attorney.  Frank Hogan was also skeptical of Stempel but for an additional reason.  He was a prominent alumnus of Columbia University, knew Professor Mark Van Doren personally and had even met Charles Van Doren.  He found it hard to believe that someone of the younger Van Doren’s background was capable of such duplicity but, at a formal news conference on August 28, Hogan did acknowledge that both Dotto and 21 were under investigation.  However, he also added that as yet the allegations were still unproven.

Richard Goodwin quickly resigned from his subcommittee position and went to work for the Kennedy presidential campaign.