Brothers Chalmers William "Bump" Elliott and Peter R. Elliott, the first contestants, had played halfback and quarterback in the same team, and in the 1960s, they coached the University of Michigan and the University of Illinois' football teams, respectively.
Panelist Abe Burrows had co-written and directed the Broadway hit-musical 'How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying' which opened on October 14, 1961, at the 46th Street Theatre. The show would run for 1,417 performances and win seven Tony Awards, the New York Drama Critics' Circle award, and the 1962 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The comedy was adapted into 'How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1967)'.