1950s Champions

Diana Reynard

Diana Reynard, age 12, sponsored by the Cleveland Press, won the $500 prize by correctly spelling the word “meticulosity.”

Diana became a zoologist. She graduated from the University of Michigan and Western Reserve Medical School. She died in 1997.

Colquitt Dean

Colquitt Dean, age 14, sponsored by The Atlanta Journal, won the $500 prize by correctly spelling the word “meticulosity.”

Colquitt was named valedictorian at Georgia Military Academy.

Irving Belz

Irving Belz, age 13, sponsored by the Memphis Press-Scimitar, won the $500 prize by correctly spelling the word “insouciant.”

Irving attended Tulane University and then graduated from Southwestern (Rhodes) College in Memphis. He became a doctor after graduating from the University of Tennessee Medical School in 1961. Dr. Belz served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps, obtaining the rank of Captain. He died in 2015. Unfortunately no image of this champion and his impressive look has been found on record.

Doris Ann Hall

Doris Ann Hall, age 13, sponsored by the Winston-Salem Journal, won the $500 prize by correctly spelling the word “vignette.”

Doris married and became Doris Ann McClanahan. She became a certified public accountant in Hickory, North Carolina. No image of this champion has been found on record.

Elizabeth Hess

Elizabeth Hess, age 13, sponsored by the Arizona Republic, won the $500 prize by correctly spelling the word “soubrette.”

Elizabeth earned a National Merit Scholarship in high school. It was reported that she was expected to attend the University of Arizona and major in archaeology.

William Cashore

William Cashore, age 14, sponsored by The Norristown Times Herald, won the $500 prize by correctly spelling the word “transept.”

William, the oldest surviving champion, became a neonatology specialist and professor emeritus at Brown University’s Alpert Medical School. No standalone image of this champion has been found on record.

Sandra Sloss

Sandra Sloss, age 13, sponsored by the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, won the $500 prize by correctly spelling the word “crustaceology.”

Sandra married and became Sandra Sloss Giedeman. She is the author of “In This Hour,” a poetry collection. She is a former bookstore owner, magazine editor and tech writer.

Melody Sachko

Melody Sachko, age 13, sponsored by The Pittsburgh Press, won the $1,000 prize by correctly spelling the word “condominium.”

Melody graduated from Duquesne University with degrees in education and French. She was a teacher and then worked for Reynolds Metals for 32 years before retiring.

Sandra Owen

Sandra Owen, age 14, sponsored by the Canton Repository, won the $1,000 prize by correctly spelling the word “schappe.”

Sandra married and became Sandra Thompson. She worked as a secretary for a few years after attending Kent State.

Dana Bennett

Dana Bennett, age 13, sponsored by the Rocky Mountain News, won the $1,000 prize by correctly spelling the word “schappe.”

Dana Bennett married and became Dana Bennett Alessi. She received a bachelor’s degree in classical languages from the University of Colorado-Boulder, a master’s degree in classical languages from Indiana University-Bloomington and a master’s degree in library science from University of Missouri-Columbia. She served as acting director of Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, and later became head of acquisitions at the University of Houston. She later became sales and marketing director for Baker and Taylor Books. She wrote at least a dozen articles in a variety of professional journals. She died in 2003.

Jolitta Schlehuber

Jolitta Schlehuber, age 14, sponsored by The Topeka Daily Capital, won the $1,000 prize by correctly spelling the word “syllepsis.”

Jolitta married and became Jo Hutson. She majored in math and chemistry at Wheaton College. She worked at a farm co-op and taught high school math.

Joel Montgomery

Joel Montgomery, age 12, sponsored by the Rocky Mountain News, won the $1,000 prize by correctly spelling the word “catamaran.”

Joel became a copy editor and, later, copy desk chief and assistant city editor at The Albuquerque Tribune. He also served in the Peace Corps in Morocco. He also was the regional partner representative for the Tribune speller in 1977.