1978

The 51st Scripps-Howard National Spelling Bee took place on June 8th, 1978. It was held at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C., and 106 spellers participated.

For the first time, the National Competition included triple digit participation with 106 spellers!

Learn more

About the 51st Bee

Champion

Peg McCarthy

Topeka, Kansas

Peg McCarthy, age 13, sponsored by The Topeka Daily Capital, won the $1,000 prize by correctly spelling the word “deification.”

Peg became a National Merit Scholar and a U.S. Presidential Scholar en route to earning a B.A. in English from Yale University. Then she worked as a copy editor at the former Albuquerque Tribune. She later earned her M.A. and Ph.D in Clinical Psychology from the University of Kansas.

Location

Mayflower Hotel

at the Grand Ballroom

Winning Word

deification(n)

dee-uh-fuh-KAY-shun

the act or an instance of glorifying or exalting as of supreme worth or excellence.

This word is from Latin.

OFFICIALS

Directors

James H. Wagner

Judges

  • Leroy C. Dillard
  • John H. Lloyd
  • Dr. Robert E. Baker

Pronouncers

  • Dr. Richard R. Baker

SPELLER ROSTER

  • Richard Ary
  • Mary Beth Bailey
  • Mike Barnes
  • Jae Barnett
  • Regina Benson
  • Lori Bohn
  • Mike Bookmyer
  • Lori Brown
  • Laurie Lynne Burton
  • John J. Calhoun Jr.
  • John E. Capen
  • Alicia Carlson
  • Maria Del Carmen Gonzalez
  • Scott E. Casper
  • David Chiu
  • Sharon Clinesmith
  • Dora Contreras
  • Shannon Creswell
  • Philip D. Crigger
  • Cara Diaconoff
  • Joy Dibble
  • Graziella Dionisio
  • Gary Dixon
  • Nora Kay Drew
  • Eric Elias
  • Gwyenth Eliasson
  • LeAnn Fisk
  • Siri Francisco
  • Jennifer Frolo
  • Charlie Fulton
  • Thor Garber
  • Charlotte Gerdes
  • Michael Gibson
  • Erik Ginsberg
  • Betsy Goolsby
  • Sindee J. Gozansky
  • Matt Hamilton
  • James Haug
  • Sherri Hearn
  • Ralph Heibutzki
  • Erin Hughes
  • Patty Hughey
  • Grace Jeon
  • Anne-Marie Johnson
  • Lyn Sue Kahng
  • Vivian Karrh
  • Patrick Lafferty Jr
  • James M. Lewis
  • Kim Lewis
  • Diane Lindsay
  • Mark Lining
  • Susan Lisker
  • Cheryl Lynch
  • Jennifer Malidore
  • Laura Malley
  • Norma Mawyer
  • Peg McCarthy
  • Chris Meindl
  • Ronda Messick
  • Laura Meyer
  • Carl Micarelli
  • Dennis M. Miller
  • Herman Miller
  • Randy Moeller
  • Clifford Morrison
  • Janelle Mowrer
  • Mike Mozina
  • Jon Nelson
  • Mark Parnaby
  • George Perivolotis
  • Devon Petty
  • Bobbi Ragon
  • Julianne Raines
  • Leslee Ann Rakowsky
  • Rolando X. Ramirez
  • Andrew Rappe
  • Bryan Rawls
  • Sara Record
  • Jane H. Rice
  • Brandon Rigney III
  • Reagen Robbins
  • Cory Robertson
  • Josh Rosenberg
  • Sheryl Santille
  • Kevin Schneider
  • Johnna Lea Schumann
  • Marc E. Singer
  • Cathy A. Smith
  • Victor A. Soltero Jr
  • Ruth Sponsler
  • Angus Stocking
  • Mary Summers
  • Elaine Taylor
  • Mary Beth Teasdale
  • Robert Thomas
  • Suzie Thompson
  • Steven C. Timm
  • Tom Tucker
  • Johnny J. Wang
  • Adam Warshaw
  • Mary Ann Watson
  • Jane F. Wilson
  • Lori Wolf
  • Julie Won
  • Michael Wooding

* Winner
** Runner-Up