1958

The 31st Scripps-Howard National Spelling Bee took place on June 11th and 12th, 1958. It was held at the Sheraton Park Hotel ballroom in Washington, D.C., and 68 spellers participated.

A talent scout for The $64,000 Question game show was in the audience at the 1958 National Competition and invited champion Jolitta Schlehuber to appear on the show. She won $8,000, which she used to pay for her college tuition.

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About the 31st Bee

Champion

Jolitta Schlehuber

McPherson, Kansas

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.

Location

Sheraton-Park Hotel

at the Sheraton Hall

Winning Word

syllepsis(n)

sih-LEP-sis

the use of a word as an adjective or verb in grammatical agreement with only one of two nouns by which it is governed.

This word is from Greek.

OFFICIALS

Directors

Richard D. Peters

Judges

  • William Harold Martin
  • Dr. Belmont Farley
  • Dr. Franklin Dunham

Pronouncers

  • Benson S. Alleman

SPELLER ROSTER

  • Betty Jo Abel
  • Fredel Amos
  • Stephanie Barlett
  • Barbara Kay Bassett
  • Olivia Beeman
  • Laura Sue Burns
  • Cathy Campbell
  • Michael Campbell
  • Mark Capehart
  • David Castaldi
  • Carole Lynne Cook
  • Robert Crossley
  • Rodger Cunningham
  • Helen Currie
  • Darlene Denmeade
  • Carolyn Dillon
  • Nancy Driver
  • Henry Feldman
  • Carol Fellows
  • Sandra Ford
  • Marilyn Diane Franzen
  • Andy Gaus
  • Irvin D. Gordon
  • Carolyn Hall
  • Billy Hayes
  • Margaret Hilsher
  • Richard P. Hire
  • Mary Ann Hughes
  • Barbara Hull
  • Barbara Kerr
  • Billy Don Lane
  • Yolanda Laurel
  • Camille Lawlor
  • Anne Lester
  • Roger W. Lewis, Jr.
  • Lawrie MacMillan
  • Terry Madeira
  • Terry McCoy
  • Jeanette McGhee
  • John T. Moomau, Jr.
  • Betty Morgan
  • Mary Ann Myskowski
  • Stephen Nichols
  • Nora Nininger
  • Julian E. Orr
  • Donna F. Page
  • Douglas Paschall
  • Michael J. Petrina, Jr.
  • Judy Pille
  • Wanda Pope
  • Lani Presswood
  • Chuck Ramey
  • Dianne Salter
  • Stephen Sample
  • Jolitta Schlehuber
  • Stanley A. Schmidt
  • William Schneider
  • Anita Louise Smith
  • Tina Strauss
  • Vonda Fern Strickland
  • Brian Taylor
  • Jean Travis
  • Margaret Wahlgren
  • Irma Jean Waycaster
  • Alan Weinberger
  • Thomas Patrick Whitaker
  • Lynne Anne Wilk
  • Holly Kay Wooldridge

* Winner
** Runner-Up