Common Bond Goes to College Trivia Quiz

Answer: Colin Powell

Colin Luther Powell served in the US Army from 1958-1993 rising to the rank of a four star General. Powell became the first African-American Secretary of State while serving President George W Bush from 2001 to 2005. While still in the military Powell also served as National Security Advisor (1987-1989) and as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1989-1993) for President George H.W. Bush. Powell was Joint Chiefs Chairman during the first Persian Gulf War.

In 1982, General Robinson became the first African-American to rise to the four-star rank. Alexander Haig also served as both a four-star general and Secretary of State. Ann Elizabeth (AE) Dunwoody is the first female officer to achieve four-star rank. General Dunwoody received her fourth star in 2008 and retired in 2012.

Answer: Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

Jacqueline Lee Bouvier was born into a privileged New York family. She was raised in classic eastern US luxury and was named the 1947 "Debutante of the Year" by fashion designer society writer Oleg Cassini. Miss Bouvier met then US Representative John F. Kennedy in 1952. Kennedy now a Senator from Massachusetts married Miss Bouvier in 1953. Jackie (as she was called by most people) was an extremely popular First Lady and a valuable social and political asset to her husband. Images of Mrs. Kennedy wearing a blood spattered pink Chanel suit on the day of her husband's assassination are amongst the most poignant of the day. After President Kennedy's death Jackie later married wealthy Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis. In her later years Jackie returned to literature and served as an editor for Viking Press and Doubleday from 1975 until her death in 1994.

Mrs. Clinton and Mrs. Carter both served as First Lady. Carla Bruni who certainly loves fashion, as a former model and actress, was also a First Lady, but of France as the wife of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Answer: Charles Colson

Charles Colson was President Nixon's Special Counsel and worked closely with Nixon on both policy matters and the 1972 Committee to Re-elect the President (after the Watergate scandal has been euphemistically labeled as "CREEP"). Colson pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice in June 1974 and was sentenced to a one to three-year term. Colson was disbarred from the practice of law. While in prison, Colson took up the cause of evangelical Christianity and became a leader in the so-called Christian right political movement. Colson died on April 12, 2012.

Hunt was a former CIA agent and spy novel author who engineered the Watergate break-in and other illegal activities for the Nixon campaign. Ehrlichman was also a key Watergate defendant and counsel to the President. John Mitchell served as Attorney General from 1969-1972 and was also convicted of obstruction of justice, serving 19 months in prison.

Answer: Aldrich Ames

Ames, a former CIA counter-intelligence officer was convicted of spying for the Soviet Union in 1994. Owing to financial problems fueled by alcohol abuse and high spending, Ames began spying for the Soviet Union in 1985, when he walked into the Soviet embassy in Washington to offer secrets for money. Ames had direct access to the identities of CIA operatives in the KGB and Soviet military. The information he supplied to the Soviets is believed to have led to the compromise of at least 100 CIA agents and to the execution of at least ten. Ultimately Ames gave the USSR the names of every CIA operative working in their country and was paid a total of 4.6 million dollars.

Hanssen was an FBI agent for 22 years, mostly in counterintelligence, who spied for the Soviets and Russians until he was caught in 2001. Boyce was convicted of espionage in 1977. Julius Rosenberg was executed in 1953 for leaking atomic bomb secrets to the Soviets.

Answer: Syngman Rhee

Syngman Rhee was born March 26, 1875 and died July 19, 1965. He was the first President of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea as well as the first President of South Korea. His last three-term presidency ran from 1948 to 1960. Rhee was a staunch anti-Communist and with strong American support he led South Korea through the Korean War. His presidency ended in his resignation following popular protests against a disputed election. He died in exile in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Kim il Sung was the first leader of North Korea. Park Chung-hee is credited with spurring the industrial modernization in Korea during the 1960's and 1970's but is also remembered as a virtual dictator before he was assasinated in 1979. Kim Kyu-Sik was a rival of Rhee, who strove to maintain a single Korea but was kidnapped and likely killed by the North Koreans in 1950.

Answer: William Peter Blatty

Before he became famous for writing "The Exorcist", Blatty appeared on Groucho Marx's show, "You Bet Your Life". Blatty posed as an Arab sheik with many wives. Groucho was completely fooled. Blatty won $10,000 on the show, and when Groucho asked what he intended to do with the money, Blatty replied that he was going to take a year off from his job and write a novel. That novel was ultimately "The Exorcist". The book was wildly successful and was inspired by a 1949 case of demonic possession and exorcism that Blatty heard about while he was a student in the class of 1950 at Georgetown University. Blatty won an Oscar for Best Screenplay in 1974 for his adaptation of the novel.

King, Koonts and Baker are each highly successful horror genre writers.

Answer: "Red" Auerbach

Arnold Jacob "Red" Auerbach was born on September 20, 1917 and rose to fame as the coach of the NBA's Boston Celtics. After leaving the coach's chair, he served as general manager and an executive of the Celtics until his death in 2006. Under Auerbach's leadership the Celtics won 16 NBA championships in 29 years, nine as a coach and seven as GM/President. Auerbach is also remembered as a pioneer of modern basketball, with more emphasis on team defense and up tempo offense. Additionally, Auerbach was vital in breaking down color barriers in the NBA; first by drafting the first African-American NBA player, Chuck Cooper, in 1950 and later introducing the first African-American starting five in 1964. Auerbach's trademark was lighting a cigar on the sidelines when he thought a victory was assured.

Bob Cousy was an NBA Hall of Fame player under Auerbach. Red Holtzman was a contemporary of Auerbach as coach of the New York Knicks; while Jack Kent Cooke was the owner of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Answer: J. Edgar Hoover

John Edgar Hoover is better known as the first director of the US FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) a position which he held from 1935 until his death in 1972. However Hoover also served as the last director of the predecessor to the FBI, the similarly named Bureau of Investigation from 1924-1935. The BOI (to distinguish from the FBI) was formed in 1908 as a part of the Justice Department and was of limited jurisdiction and authority. Hoover transformed the Bureau into one of the elite crime fighting organizations in the world. He modernized equipment and introduced state of the art forensic techniques. At the same time Hoover was also accused of using the power of the BOI and later FBI to harass political dissenters, gather secret files on political leaders, and to collect evidence using illegal methods. Hoover's power was considered so secure that he was in a position to intimidate and threaten sitting Presidents. Rumors of Hoover's sexual orientation and cross-dressing remain popular fodder for speculation but are not conclusive.

William J Burns was a Director of BOI immediately before Hoover; while L Patrick Gray served as FBI director after Hoover's death in 1972. Elliot Ness was a Bureau agent who led the team of investigators immortalized as the "Untouchables" in Chicago. Ness and his team are credited with amongst other high profile cases the conviction of Al Capone on tax evasion and Volstead Act charges in 1931.

Answer: L. Ron Hubbard

Lafayette Ronald Hubbard better known as L. Ron Hubbard was a science fiction author and the founder of the Church of Scientology. Hubbard attending college between 1930-1932 but was placed on probation for poor grades in 1931 and dropped out in 1932. After establishing a career as a writer of science fiction and fantasy stories, he developed a self-help system called "Dianetics" which was first published in 1950. The ideas of Dianetics were refined into a wide-ranging set of doctrines and rituals as part of a new religious movement that Hubbard called "Scientology". The Church has always had a connection to artists and Hollywood and is one of the most controversial and polarizing movements in modern theology.

While there is much disputed about Hubbard's background, motivations and activites, it is known that Hubbard was married three times and fathered at least seven children. At his death in 1986 his personnel worth was estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Tom Cruise is both a noted actor and a high ranking member of the Church of Scientology leadership. Aldous Huxley, the author of a "Brave New World", was an early proponent of Dianetics and a contemporary of Hubbard. David Miscavige has been the leader of the Church of Scientology since Hubbard's death.

Answer: George Washington University

Established in 1821 by Congress and then President James Monroe, Columbian University grew from the plot of land deeded by George Washington. Though the College was chartered as nondemoninational Baptist minister Luther Rice was instrumental in raising the initial finds for the new college.

In 1904 the school officially changed its name to the George Washington University. In addition to the politicians, entertainers and spies mentioned in this quiz, GW funds a premier medical school and a top echelon law school.

As a bonus fact the author of this quiz graduated from the George Washington University, National Law Center with a Juris Doctor degree in 1986.