Fred Van Deventer(1903-1971)
- Producer
Mutual Broadcasting System radio newsman and columnist who originated
the game "Twenty Questions" for radio and, later, television. Based on
the "Animal, Vegetable or Mineral" parlor game, it was one of the first
shows to transcend radio into the new medium of television, and was
extremely popular. He was a "printer's devil" for his high school
newspaper, then moved on to several other mainstream newspaper and
wire-service jobs. He joined WOR in New York as a newscaster in 1944.
When "Twenty Questions" began airing, Fred, his wife
Florence Rinard and son Robert were
among the panelists. It began on Mutual on February 2, 1946 and later
came to the DuMont Television Network, finally ending when DuMont
itself was fading, in May, 1955. After it ended, he turned to writing,
lecturing and authoring several books; but he returned to newscasting
over Mutual in the early 1960s, finally retiring to Greenville SC and
his longtime dream of living in the South. He worked for the Greenville
News, and then moved to Petersburg, Virginia where he wrote for the
Progress-Index. Fred never liked using his full name on the air, as he
felt it was too long.