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Ridgewood High School Alumnus Returns Home After Growing Academic Quiz Biz

RIDGEWOOD, N.J. — Ridgewood High School alumnus Dave Madden has figured out a way to turn his passion for trivia into a thriving international business.

David Madden

David Madden

Photo Credit: David Madden
Students competing in a History Bowl in Wilmington, DE.

Students competing in a History Bowl in Wilmington, DE.

Photo Credit: David Madden

It started when he joined RHS' Quiz Bowl team, eventually working his way up to captain in his senior year. 

One year out of college, he went on "Jeopardy!" and won 19 games in a row — the third longest winning streak of all time.

Madden now has a resume full of trivia-related accomplishments, including founding the National — now International  History Bee and Bowl — in 2010.

"When I was younger I would always be very interested in history, geography and events," he said. 

"This is a great way to pass it on to next generation and get them excited about it."

Madden will return to where it all began when Ridgewood High School hosts the New Jersey State Championship History Bee & Bowl on Sat., Jan. 16.

His wife will be running another History Bee & Bowl in Tokyo, and representatives of his company will be moderating competitions at schools in Louisiana, Florida, Kentucky, and Missouri.

Madden said the company's growth is owed to the quality of their product.

"I think at some level the competition speaks for itself," Madden explains. "It is fun and exciting and a great way to get students into history."

Teams and individuals have a buzzer and must be the first to ring in to respond to a question — which are worth more points as they get progressively harder.

If a team or individual responds incorrectly, others are given the opportunity to buzz in. The team or individual with the most points at the end wins.

"If it happened in the past, it can come up," Madden said of the quiz questions.

"There are still lots of schools we would love to see compete in our tournament and we will just keep working very hard now to get more schools involved," Madden said.

CLICK HERE for more information on the History Bee & Bowl. To host or participate in a tournament, email Madden at director@historybowl.com

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