USPS Honors Iconic ‘Jeopardy!’ Host Alex Trebek with Forever Stamp

This beloved “Jeopardy!” host has been honored by means of a U.S. Postal Service Forever stamp. Who is Alex Trebek?

Earlier this month, a dedication ceremony was held at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California, to celebrate the life and legacy of revered television icon Alex Trebek.

“Millions of Americans invited Alex Trebek into their living rooms each weeknight. After thousands of shows over 37 seasons, he was someone we trusted and felt like we knew. And with his intelligence and wit, he made it cool to be smart,” said Michael Elston, Secretary of the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors.

Alex Trebek was born in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1998. He began hosting the syndicated series “Jeopardy!” in 1984, and his to-the-point approach and crisp enunciation served the quiz show well, said the U.S. Postal Service in a July 22 news release.

According to the U.S. Postal Service, “Jeopardy!” became a phenomenal success with a witty and humorous Trebek at the helm. He won a lifetime achievement Emmy Award and eight Daytime Emmys for outstanding game show host.

The treasured television host later died on Nov. 8, 2020, at the age of 80 after a tough battle with pancreatic cancer. Sony Pictures Stage 10, where “Jeopardy!” is still taped, has since been renamed the Alex Trebek Stage in his honor.

“It’s so appropriate that the stamp illustration commemorates Alex with a ‘Jeopardy!’ clue. He loved the game so much, and he always insisted the clues were the true star of the show,” said current “Jeopardy!” host Ken Jennings.

“Alex Trebek was an American institution and so it makes perfect sense to honor him on a postage stamp,” Jennings added. “And of course, I had to geek out when I saw that the full sheet of stamps looks like a ‘Jeopardy!’ game board!”

The grid of 20 stamps resembles the bank of video monitors that forms the “Jeopardy!” game board, the release stated. Each stamp reads “THIS NATURALIZED U.S. CITIZEN HOSTED THE QUIZ SHOW ‘JEOPARDY!’ FOR 37 SEASONS.” The answer is located underneath, upside down: “Who is Alex Trebek?”

Spearheaded by art director and designer Antonio Alcalá, the U.S. Postal Service Forever stamp project was created using photography provided by Sony Pictures Entertainment and hand lettering by Marti Davila, the release stated.

The stamp officially became available on Monday, July 22 – what would have been Trebek’s 84th birthday.

“My family and I were completely surprised about Alex being honored by the U.S. Postal Service. It is such an extraordinary honor and a wonderful way to recognize what Alex meant to so many people,” said the late host’s wife, Jean Trebek. “Alex would be over the moon about this distinctive honor and, he’d feel very humbled. I think the stamp design is very creative because Alex Trebek is the answer to all the clues.”

As reported by the U.S. Postal Service, Trebek was devoted to charity work, notably making many trips to Africa, Asia, and South America with child welfare organization, World Vision, which focused on alleviating poverty and hunger.

He donated 62 acres of land in the Hollywood Hills, the Trebek Open Space, to protect natural habitat and offer trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. Trebek and his family also donated significantly to transform a closed North Hollywood roller rink into the Trebek Center, a facility to serve those experiencing homelessness, the release stated.

Source: Salisbury Daily Times, USA Today