Question: Why Is Pat Sajak Chairman of Michigan’s Hillsdale College?

As a trivia lover I mostly bear with Wheel of Fortune to get to Jeopardy, but as luck would have it I've come to love "America's Game" just as much as the next gal. I'll admit, I was sad when I first heard the news of Pat's retirement. That, plus the recent announcement that personality Ryan Seacrest will be taking over as host just makes it that much more real.

However, while reading up on Sajak's illustrious career I learned something surprising: did you have any idea that Pat Sajak serves as Chairman of the Board for Hillsdale College here in Michigan?

Get our free mobile app

Schooling Sajak

Though he has served on Hillsdale's Board of Trustees since 2003, Sajak was never a student there himself! In fact, Pat Sajak is a Chicago-man who attended Columbia College before landing a job at local radio station WEDC. I'm not even sure Pat received a degree from Columbia as he left after only three years and joined the U.S. Army.

Pat's Promotion

In 2019 Pat was promoted from Vice-Chairman to Chairman of the Board of Trustees after then-Chairman William Brodbeck decided to step down. Brodbeck told Hillsdale's campus newspaper The Collegian that Sajak's lack of degree would not hinder his ability to move the school forward saying,

Pat is a brilliant mind. He brings a sound knowledge of the school...He can dramatically move Hillsdale forward, both on campus and around the country.

Why Hillsdale?

Throughout all my research, I still cannot find the answer to my burning questions: Why Pat? Why Hillsdale? I suppose the TV host simply has a passion for higher education. Sajak has been known to be a presence on campus talking to students and staff, according to MLive.

About Hillsdale College

Founded in 1844, the small private college located south of Battle Creek in Hillsdale, Michigan only has a student body of about 1,500. The liberal-arts college was ranked 46th in National Liberal Arts Colleges by the publication U.S. News and World Report. The college was also the sight of an infamous UFO sighting in 1966.