Sam Buttrey
{{Short description|American academic (born 1961)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Sam Buttrey
| image = File:Buttrey.jpg
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1961|8|19}}
| birth_place = Rome, Italy
| alma_mater = Phillips Exeter Academy
| known_for = Multiple appearances on Jeopardy! (2021–2024)
| occupation = Professor, podcaster
}}
Samuel Edward Buttrey (born August 19, 1961) is a podcaster,{{cite web|url=https://www.jeopardy.com/about/cast/sam-buttrey|title=Sam Buttrey|website=Jeopardy.com|access-date=November 20, 2024}} and retired Associate Professor of Operations Research{{Cite web |title=Faculty – Naval Postgraduate School |url=https://nps.edu/faculty-profiles/-/cv/sebuttre |access-date=2024-11-20 |website=nps.edu}} at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=8-FhomfjLpwtHYiG&v=NJGKBjEMw0s&feature=youtu.be|title=NPS' Dr. Sam Buttrey, Jeopardy! Professors Tournament on Preparing for the Tournament of Champions|date=November 2, 2022|last=Naval Postgraduate School Foundation|access-date=November 20, 2024|via=YouTube}} in Monterey, California. He is best known for multiple appearances on the game show Jeopardy!.
Early life
Buttrey was born in Rome, Italy, on August 19, 1961, the son of Theodore V. Buttrey, Jr. and Marisa (Macina) Buttrey. He was educated at The Perse School in Cambridge, U.K., graduated from the Phillips Exeter Academy in 1979, and was awarded a Bachelor of Science degree from Princeton University in 1983. He thereafter obtained his Ph.D. in Statistics from the University of California, Berkeley in 1996. {{vn|date=May 2025}}
Career
Buttrey has about two dozen journal articles and over a hundred masters theses advised.{{Cite web |title=Researchgate |url=https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/Samuel-E-Buttrey-59008106}}{{Cite web |title=Theses – SEED Center for Data Farming – Naval Postgraduate School |url=https://nps.edu/web/seed/theses |access-date=2024-12-04 |website=nps.edu}} He has also published a book, A Data Scientist's Guide to Acquiring, Cleaning, and Managing Data in R.{{Cite web |title=A Data Scientist's Guide to Acquiring, Cleaning, and Managing Data in R {{!}} Wiley |url=https://www.wiley.com/en-us/A+Data+Scientist's+Guide+to+Acquiring,+Cleaning,+and+Managing+Data+in+R-p-9781119080060 |access-date=2024-11-20 |website=Wiley.com |language=en}} In 2004, Buttrey was awarded the Rear Admiral John Jay Schieffelin Award for Excellence in Teaching at the Naval Postgraduate School. {{cn|date=May 2025}}
=''Jeopardy!''=
Buttrey’s initial appearance on Jeopardy! was during its inaugural Professor's Tournament{{Cite podcast|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=ZnHne9imDuSPzmUT&v=BmM6NzohJN8&feature=youtu.be|title=Who is Sam Buttrey?|website=Inside Jeopardy!|date=July 10, 2023|first1=Sarah|last1=Whitcomb-Foss|first2=Buzzy|last2=Cohen|access-date=November 20, 2024|via=YouTube}} in December of 2021. Buttrey won his initial game, won again in the semi-finals, and prevailed in a two-game final. His win earned him an automatic spot in the show's Tournament of Champions, which aired from October 31 to November 21, 2022,{{Cite web|last=Holmes|first=Martin|date=November 11, 2022|title=6 Things to Know about 'Jeopardy!' TOC Finalist Sam Buttrey|url=https://www.tvinsider.com/1069358/jeopardy-sam-buttrey-tournament-of-champions/|access-date=November 20, 2024|website=TV Insider|language=en-US}} where he progressed to the finals, which was won by Amy Schneider. Buttrey obtained a degree of social media renown for his physical resemblance to the actor Steve Martin,{{Cite web |last=Ivie |first=Devon |date=2022-11-22 |title=Jeopardy!'s Sam Buttrey Hopes You'll Invite Him to Your Fancy Parties |url=https://www.vulture.com/article/jeopardy-sam-buttrey-interview-tournament-of-champions.html |access-date=2024-11-20 |website=Vulture |language=en}} {{Cite web |title='Jeopardy' invites Steve Martin to appear on the show after doppelgänger wins tournament |url=https://ew.com/tv/jeopardy-invites-steve-martin-to-appear-doppelganger-professors-tournament-champion/ |access-date=2024-11-20 |website=EW.com |language=en}} as well as his jovial manner and quick-wittedness.{{Cite web|last=Wellen|first=Brianna|date=May 25, 2023|title=Who Really Won Jeopardy! Masters?|url=https://www.primetimer.com/quickhits/jeopardy-masters-2023-winner-ken-jennings |access-date=November 20, 2024|website=Primetimer|language=en}}
He donated a little more than half the winnings from his first appearance, when he won $100,000 as champion of the Professors Tournament, to the CSU Monterey Bay Buttrey-Hardy endowed scholarship fund.{{Cite web |last=California State University Monterey |first=Ca|title=Sam Buttrey won big on 'Jeopardy!' and so did CSUMB students |url=https://csumb.edu/news/news-listing/2023/q3/sam-buttrey-won-big-on-jeopardy-and-so-did-csumb-students-/ |access-date=2024-12-04 |website=csumb.edu |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Copitch |first=Josh |date=2023-10-04 |title=Central Coast 'Jeopardy!' contestant donating winnings to local college |url=https://www.ksbw.com/article/central-coast-jeopardy-contestant-donating-winnings-to-local-college/45435402 |access-date=2024-12-04 |website=KSBW |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Buttrey-Hardy Endowed Scholarship – California State University – Monterey Bay |url=https://csumb.academicworks.com/opportunities/2224 |access-date=2024-12-04 |website=csumb.academicworks.com}}
Buttrey was invited back to Jeopardy to compete in the Jeopardy! Masters competition in May of 2023. He finished sixth among the six players. He won $50,000.
Buttrey's final Jeopardy! appearance came in the show's inaugural Invitational Tournament, which aired from March 20 to April 9, 2024.{{Cite web|title=2024 Jeopardy Invitational Tournament|url=https://www.jeopardy.com/track/2024/invitational}} He won his quarterfinal match against Colby Burnett and Lilly Chin, but lost in the semifinals to eventual champion Victoria Groce. In September 2024, it was announced that Buttrey had been made a co-host of the show's "Inside Jeopardy!" podcast,{{Cite web|url=https://www.tvinsider.com/1151292/jeopardy-sam-buttrey-inside-jeopardy-podcast/|title='Jeopardy!' Fan Favorite Sam Buttrey Lands New Job With Show|date=September 10, 2024|first=Martin|last=Holmes}} as a result of which he had retired from competition. His job as "Sambassador" includes appearances at Jeopardy!-themed events, like the Jeopardy! event at the Sporcle's SporcleCon 2024 event in Detroit.{{cn|date=May 2025}}
References
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{{Jeopardy!}}
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Category:People from Pacific Grove, California
Category:Phillips Exeter Academy alumni