▁In ▁ 1 9 4 0 , ▁Anderson ▁was ▁invited ▁to ▁a ▁Harvard ▁University ▁sm oker ▁but ▁was ▁det ained ▁by ▁students ▁from ▁rival ▁Massachusetts ▁Institute ▁of ▁Technology . ▁The ▁com ed ian ▁was ▁met ▁at ▁the ▁air port ▁by ▁M IT ▁students ▁who ▁claimed ▁they ▁were ▁on ▁the ▁Harvard ▁committee . ▁When ▁it ▁was ▁discovered ▁why ▁Anderson ▁was ▁late ▁to ▁the ▁Harvard ▁gather ing , ▁a ▁ri ot ▁broke ▁out ▁as ▁students ▁from ▁the ▁two ▁schools ▁began ▁fighting ▁over ▁the ▁incident . ▁Es pecially ▁after ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁Ro chester ▁was ▁second ▁only ▁to ▁Ben ny ▁himself ▁in ▁popular ity ▁and ▁almost ▁always ▁received ▁the ▁most ▁enthus i astic ▁app la use ▁on ▁his ▁ent ran ces ▁and ▁ex its . ▁Although ▁he ▁usually ▁did ▁not ▁appear ▁in ▁the ▁opening ▁minutes ▁of ▁the ▁shows , ▁he ▁began ▁to ▁sur pass ▁Mary ▁Living stone ▁as ▁Jack ▁Ben ny ' s ▁main ▁fo il , ▁especially ▁as ▁Living stone ▁began ▁to ▁appear ▁less ▁frequently ▁due ▁to ▁stage ▁fright . ▁ ▁In ▁January ▁ 1 9 4 9 , ▁when ▁The ▁Jack ▁Ben ny ▁Program ▁moved ▁to ▁the ▁CBS ▁Radio ▁Network , ▁Ro chester ' s ▁popular ity ▁was ▁explicitly ▁referenced ▁on ▁the ▁first ▁show , ▁when ▁Ben ny ▁ran ▁into ▁his ▁new ▁CBS ▁co - work ers ▁Am os ▁and ▁Andy ▁during ▁his ▁first ▁visit ▁to ▁the ▁studio : ▁ ▁Am os : ▁That ▁Mr . ▁Ben ny ▁is ▁supposed ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁big ▁com ed ian .... ▁He ▁didn ' t ▁say ▁not