1969

The 42nd Scripps-Howard National Spelling Bee took place on June 5th, 1969. It was held at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C., and 73 spellers participated.

In a 1969 interview, Bee Director James Wagner discussed his reasoning for increasing the word list from 600-650 words to 900. He is quoted saying, “The worst experience I’ve had — even worse than the year my left leg was broken in three places — was the year we almost ran out of words: 1962.”

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About the 42nd Bee

Champion

Susan Yoachum

Dallas, Texas

Susan Yoachum, age 14, sponsored by The Dallas Morning News, won the $1,000 prize by correctly spelling the word “interlocutory.”

Susan was part of a San Jose Mercury News reporting team that won a Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the 1989 Bay Area earthquake. She died in 1998.

Location

Mayflower Hotel

at the Grand Ballroom

Winning Word

interlocutory(adj)

in-tur-LAHK-yuh-to-ree

of or belonging to an interruptive speech or question.

This word is from Latin.

OFFICIALS

Directors

James H. Wagner

Judges

  • John H. Lloyd
  • Leroy C. Dillard
  • Professor George E. Salt

Pronouncers

  • Dr. Richard R. Baker

SPELLER ROSTER

  • Linda Alle
  • Glen Allerhand
  • Joyce Altrudi
  • Genevieve Araiza
  • Larry Armijo
  • Renee Louise Athey
  • Tamara Atkins
  • Sheryl Becker
  • Sharon Brokaw
  • Raymond Bules
  • Susan P Bullard
  • Kathy Casey
  • Gerri Chizeck
  • Anita Ciccarone
  • Scott Crandell
  • Debra Ford
  • Debbie Froh
  • Mary Lynn Gilliam
  • Steve Gillis
  • David Groisser
  • Michael Wayne Guillory
  • Sharon Hatfield
  • Jane Hess
  • Richard Wayne Hilst
  • Henry Hook
  • Niels Jacobson
  • Susan Johnson
  • Barbara J. Keesling
  • Renae Kellis
  • Robert Kincheloe
  • Jerry Klein
  • Susan Krajewski
  • Mark Eliot Kunin
  • Monica Kwicklis
  • Rita Landrum
  • Debra Lange
  • Lisa Laznovsky
  • Douglas Little
  • Gary L. MacCready
  • Nancy Marcotte
  • Kevin Mather
  • Margaret Matthees
  • Maryellen McShane
  • Nyla Medlock
  • Teresa Merch
  • Carol Michelson
  • Richard Murphy
  • Doris Nadeau
  • Anne Neal
  • Mary Jane Novak
  • Maureen O’Brien
  • Peter Parisi
  • Peter Patras, Jr.
  • Robin Piercy
  • Jonathan Plitman
  • Dennis Rosinski
  • Robert Ruggles
  • Theresa Schafer
  • Sally Shoemaker
  • Barry Daniel Simmons
  • Sonia Smith
  • Margaret Aileen Sowada
  • Cheryl Stanley
  • Laurie J. Tiede
  • Jan Vachule
  • Deborah Vatidis
  • Mary Ann Venezia
  • Vicki Volpenhein
  • David Weinshenker
  • Linda Whitener
  • Laura Wientjes
  • Bradley Williams
  • Susan Yoachum

* Winner
** Runner-Up