Joel Kupperman

During World War II and its aftermath, Joel Kupperman was one of the most famous children in the country, and also one of the most loathed. From 6 to 16, Joel was a star on "The Quiz Kids," a popular radio program that later migrated to television. He captivated Marlene Dietrich and Orson Welles by performing complex math problems, joked with Jack Benny and Bob Hope, charmed Eleanor Roosevelt and Henry Ford. He played himself in a movie ("Chip Off the Old Block," in 1944), addressed the United Nations and was held up as an exemplar of braininess to a generation of children.