Librarian from Lindenhurst competes on Jeopardy!

A Lindenhurst native who earned a master’s degree at St. John’s University and enjoys a career as a public librarian appeared on Jeopardy! this week.

Robert Voyles didn’t win — that honor was earned in dominating fashion by seven-day champ Isaac Hirsch — but he did acquit himself quite nicely. He was correct in six of his seven responses, and finished in second place with $2,401.

A world and U.S. history buff, Voyles, 33, has faithfully watched Jeopardy! since he was a child and witnessed Ken Jennings’ 74-game winning streak in 2004.

The last time Voyles made the news was in 2013 when at 21 years old, he ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the Lindenhurst school board. These days Voyles lives in Eustis, Florida, where he has worked as the Leesburg Public Library Adult Services Librarian Leesburg for three years.

To become a contestant, he took the required test several times. About 18 months after his 2021 test, he was contacted by “Jeopardy!” staff for an interview, according to leesburgflorida.gov.  A few weeks later, he learned he had been selected as a contestant.

Eventually, he traveled to Los Angeles in May 2024 to record the show. Meeting Jennings, the current Jeopardy! host, was a big thrill for Voyles.

“People say never meet your hero but I’m so happy to have met one of mine,” he said. “He is one of the funniest people I’ve ever met and really seems to live for what he does.”

_{Top photo: Jeopardy! host Ken Jennings and Lindenhurst native Robert Voyles (Jeopardy! Productions Inc.).}