Who is Melissa R. Klapper?

By Tamia Williams

Being a lifelong learner has helped Melissa R. Klapper ’95 achieve remarkable feats, from publishing scholarly works to gracing the stage of Jeopardy!

Klapper’s love of learning was established in her youth. Her mother, a teacher, and her father, a doctor, imbued her with the importance of education. Klapper began attending Goucher College with the goal of becoming a history teacher. There, “my history and English professors encouraged me to consider an academic career in which I could combine teaching, research, and writing,” Klapper says. With those three tenets in mind, Klapper graduated in 1995 and pursued a career in education.

When she’s not teaching our future leaders, Klapper delves into her research on American Jewish women’s history and the history of American childhood. Her four published books to date focus on restoration; she reshapes conventional narratives to incorporate frequently overlooked stories of women’s and gender history. Klapper is “committed to recovering the voices of so-called ‘ordinary’ women,” she says. “Their stories and experiences are what make up history, not just the lives of prominent people.”

Her thirst for knowledge aided in her journey with Jeopardy!, which also began in her youth. “I grew up with Jeopardy! My family watched the show, we had the board game, and I—unsuccessfully—tried out for the Teen Tournament when I was in high school,” Klapper admits. Still, she never lost her interest in the show, and her determination later proved fruitful. “Passing all the tests and making it onto the show was a lifetime dream come true,” Klapper states.

Then came the preparation. “I studied some of my weaker areas, like science, and I tried hard to improve my buzzer speed,” though buzzer timing unexpectedly became one of her biggest challenges. “Home viewers don’t always realize that the game is physical as well as intellectual,” Klapper reveals.

After training, Klapper appeared on Jeopardy! on March 20, 2023. She won—and became a season 39 three-time champion. “Doing well and winning games was even better than I could have imagined,” she says.

Klapper was invited back onto Jeopardy! for their Tournament of Champions. “That was a surprise and a thrill,” Klapper says. “It was an honor to be part of the group of contestants, all of whom are wonderful, supportive people.” Although she didn’t win the Tournament of Champions, appearing on Jeopardy!—not once, but twice!—was the thrill of a lifetime.

For those aspiring to follow in her academic or television footsteps, Klapper offers sage advice: “The best way to prepare for Jeopardy! is a lifetime of reading and intellectual curiosity, both of which were fostered by my education at Goucher.”