1954

The 27th Scripps-Howard National Spelling Bee took place on May 20th, 1954. It was held at the Department of Commerce Auditorium in Washington, D.C., and 57 spellers participated.

The 1954 National Competition had the first recorded instance of a “perfect round”; no one missed a word in Round 1 for the first time ever.

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About the 27th Bee

Champion

William Cashore

Norristown, Pennsylvania

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.

Location

Department of Commerce Auditorium

Winning Word

transept(n)

TRAN-sept

the part lying or passing across a cross-shaped church that crosses at right angles to the greatest length; also : either of the projecting ends.

This word is from Latin.

OFFICIALS

Directors

Charles Schneider

Judges

  • William Harold Martin
  • Mrs. Wilford L. White
  • Dr. Belmont Farley

Pronouncers

  • Benson S. Alleman

SPELLER ROSTER

  • Corrine Adams
  • Barbara Jean Anderson
  • Janet Anderson
  • Dorothy Arnold
  • Elizabeth A. Barnet
  • Linda Benjamin
  • Sigrid Berg
  • Emily Blackwell
  • Patricia Brown
  • Myrtice Carpenter
  • William Cashore
  • Sheila Cline
  • Frances Marie Cullinan
  • Clyde Dawson
  • Majorie Deese
  • Linda Doss
  • Jon Ellifritz
  • Willa Mae Elzey
  • Barbara Gabrielson
  • Judith Gillenwater
  • Hazel Hamlin
  • Margaret Harding
  • Marsha Harris
  • Andrea Henze
  • Helen Hines
  • Martha Custis Johnson
  • Robert Kaufman
  • William Kelley
  • Linnea Koljonen
  • David Alan Krant
  • Jeffrey Levinger
  • Michael McCarthy
  • Bonnie Menze
  • Nield Mercer
  • Bill Neyland
  • Donald O’Connor
  • Phyllis Ann Pettitt
  • Judy Rice
  • Melody Sachko
  • Jonathan D. Safren
  • James Salafia
  • Dorthy Sanders
  • Jeannie Sargent
  • Robert F. Schambier
  • Dennis Showalter
  • Sandra Kay Sickafoose
  • Sandy Smith
  • Judith Spear
  • Wayne Stephenson
  • Robert Suszyski
  • Eileen Sweeney
  • Marilyn Vandegrift
  • Nancy Varley
  • Dorothy White
  • Mary Carolyn White
  • Ann Williams
  • Lois York

* Winner
** Runner-Up