Former OC Librarian ends Jeopardy champ's record-setting run
Emma Boettcher, a former circulation assistant with the Orange County Library, ended James Holzhauer's record-setting run on Jeopardy in an episode that was broadcast to the nation on June 3.
Boettcher worked with the Main Library from April 2015-March 2016 while pursuing a graduate degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She now works for the University of Chicago Library.
"She was a dedicated co-worker," remembers Nancy Crews, branch manager. "Her car broke down one day before she was scheduled to come to work, but she didn't call out. She called an Uber. Here's a grad student calling Uber to get to work."
Boettcher auditioned four times for Jeopardy before being selected, then was put up against Holzhauer, who had won 32 straight matches and amassed more than $2.4 million in winnings. He was within reach of Ken Jennings' all-time record of $2,522,700 before succumbing to Boettcher, who mirrored Holzhauer's strategy of going for high dollar clues first and taking advantage of the Daily Double when she found them.