Champions and Their Winning Words, 1925 through 2004

June 1, 2006 — -- This year's Annual Scripps National Spelling Bee will be the 78th. It was started in 1925 with only nine contestants. Below is a list of the past winners, the organization that sponsored them, and their winning words.

Sponsors organize a spelling bee program in their community, usually with the cooperation of local school officials. The champion of the sponsor's final spelling bee advances to the finals in Washington, D.C.

Sponsorship is available to daily and weekly newspapers serving English-speaking populations around the world and special consideration is given to businesses if a newspaper does not participate.

There was no Scripps National Spelling Bee during the World War II years of 1943, 1944, and 1945. Co-champions were declared in 1950, 1957, and 1962.

1925 Frank Neuhauser, Louisville Courier-Journal, Louisville, Ky. -- gladiolus

1926 Pauline Bell, Louisville Courier-Journal, Louisville, Ky. -- abrogate

1927 Dean Lucas, Akron Beacon Journal, Akron, Ohio -- luxuriance

1928 Betty Robinson, South Bend News-Tribune, South Bend, Ind. -- albumen

1929 Virginia Hogan, The Omaha World-Herald, Omaha, Neb. -- asceticism

1930 Helen Jensen, Des Moines Register & Tribune, Des Moines, Iowa -- fracas

1931 Ward Randall, White Hall Register-Republican, White Hall, Ill. -- foulard

1932 Dorothy Greenwald, Des Moines Register & Tribune, Des Moines, Iowa -- knack

1933 Alma Roach, Akron Beacon Journal, Akron, Ohio -- torsion

1934 Sarah Wilson, Portland Evening Express, Portland, Maine -- deteriorating

1935 Clara Mohler, Akron Beacon Journal, Akron, Ohio -- intelligible

1936 Jean Trowbridge, Des Moines Register & Tribune, Des Moines, Iowa -- interning

1937 Waneeta Beckley, Louisville Courier-Journal, Louisville, Ky. -- promiscuous

1938 Marian Richardson, Louisville Times, Louisville, Ky. -- sanitarium

1939 Elizabeth Ann Rice, Worcester Telegram & Gazette, Worcester, Mass. -- canonical

1940 Laurel Kuykendall, The Knoxville News-Sentinel, Knoxville, Tenn. -- therapy

1941 Louis Edward Sissman, Detroit News, Detroit -- initials

1942 Richard Earnhart, El Paso Herald-Post, El Paso, Texas -- sacrilegious

1946 John McKinney, Des Moines Register & Tribune, Des Moines, Iowa -- semaphore

1947 Mattie Lou Pollard, Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Ga. -- chlorophyll

1948 Jean Chappelear, Akron Beacon Journal, Akron, Ohio -- psychiatry

1949 Kim Calvin, Canton Repository, Canton, Ohio -- dulcimer

1950 Diana Reynard, Cleveland Press, Cleveland -- meticulosity

1950 Colquitt Dean, Atlanta Journal, Atlanta -- meticulosity

1951 Irving Belz, Memphis Press-Scimitar, Memphis, Tenn. -- insouciant

1952 Doris Ann Hall,Winston-Salem Journal, Winston-Salem, N.C. -- vignette