1st National Spelling Bee Winner Frank Neuhauser Dies

WASHINGTON — Frank Neuhauser, who in 1925 won the first national spelling bee with the word "gladiolus," and went on to become a patent lawyer, has died. He was 97.

Neuhauser died March 11 at his home in Silver Spring, Md., Francis J. Collins Funeral Home verified on Tuesday.

He was 11 years old when he won the championship. His prizes included $500 in gold and a trip to the White House to meet President Calvin Coolidge.

Neuhauser said he got ready for the contest by copying words from a dictionary into a blank book, and having his father quiz him each night.

After winning, he returned home to a parade and crowds bearing bouquets of gladioli.

The contest, now called the Scripps National Spelling Bee, has become quite popular and portions of it are televised. Last year, 274 finalists competed.

Something of a cult hero, Neuhauser had attended some of the national bees over the years, where the young contestants sought him and his autograph. That included 2008, when he said the contest was a lot easier during his youth.

He said he'd never make it now.

Neuhauser appeared in the 2002 documentary, "Spellbound."

A native of Louisville, Ky., Neuhauser earned an electrical engineering degree in 1934 and a law degree from George Washington University in 1940. He served stateside in the Navy during World War II. He worked as a patent lawyer for General Electric and later for a law firm. He retired in 1988.

Even into his 90s, Neuhauser enjoyed working in his garden, and was especially fond of raising gladioli.

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Information from: The Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com

Comments

[VA Jill]

04:57 PM on 03/24/2011

The words are a lot harder now, for sure. They are even harder than they were when I was a contestant. I love to watch the spelling bee every year and try to spell along with the contestants.

[4everGG]

02:04 AM on 03/24/2011

God rest ye, Mr. Neuhauser, a true trailblazer.

[supportamerica]

11:07 PM on 03/23/2011

I wonder what the stats are on home schooled, public schooled and private schooled children in the spelling bees now. Would be interesting to find out. My grandchildren use me a a dictionary, they say "to heck with spell check, we have Nanny." Lol.

[garystartswithg]

08:38 PM on 03/23/2011

The National Spelling Bee is a great national tradition. Beyond winning and losing it teaches you that you are a part of something.

Of course now my spelling is much worse thanks to midlife and the internet.

[am10]

07:55 PM on 03/23/2011

Life well lived! Rest in peace, sir.

[Soulfest]

06:03 PM on 03/23/2011

I love the documentary "Spellbound," thoroughly enthralling and exciting, even for those that are not necessarily spelling bee affectionados!

97, can't really ask for more, well maybe living to 100.

[KIVPossum]

05:40 PM on 03/23/2011

Sounds as if the man had a full and interesting life.

[owlbreath]

05:39 PM on 03/23/2011

It is nice to know that there are students who can spell correctly without the use of spell check. Using the brain to hone memorization skills is a useful tool for musicians, actors, mathematicians, scientists and lawyers and many other professions. Sometimes what we see as useless when we are young proves helpful as we age.

[umbrarchist]

03:41 PM on 03/23/2011

We had to learn to spell ANTIDISESTABLISHMENTARIANISM when I was in grade school. If memory serves the Spelling Book gave us 20 new words every week.

I think the basic accounting equation

Assets - Liabilities = Net Worth

is easier to remember than ANTIDIS...whatever.

Making kids memorize words that are hardly ever used is an illusion of education which wastes children's time on unimportant information. Is that deliberate? Double-entry accounting is SEVEN HUNDRED YEARS OLD. Can it really be that difficult, especially with today's computers?

http://www.bsu.edu/news/article/0,1370,-1019-11714,00.html

Would the economy be in the current state if it had been mandatory in our schools for the last 50 years?