Becoming the first Harvard student to appear on television's most popular game show, Quincy House resident Richard Cooper '01 won prize money on ABC's "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" last week.

Cooper said he could not give details about his performance, which will air Sunday and Tuesday nights, because doing so would jeopardize his collection of his prize.

A social studies concentrator who watches the show regularly, Cooper said he decided to try out for the show, figuring "Why not me?"

After several unsuccessful attempts to qualify for the show, his most recent attempt paid off when he received a call during spring break inviting him to be a contestant.

Cooper said although he focused mainly on getting rest and relaxation in preparation for the show, he did brush up on his knowledge of trivia.

"I basically asked everyone to ask me some trivia questions whenever they saw me," he said. "I also looked over some lists like Heisman [trophy] winners and World Series winners."

ABC flew Cooper and his grandmother to New York on Monday to prepare for the two-day taping. Cooper said he was impressed by the show's professionalism.

"I have a great amount of respect for the integrity of the show because they go to great lengths to make sure that there's no tampering with the contestants," he said.