1985

The 58th Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee took place on June 6th, 1985. It was held at the Capital Hilton in Washington, D.C., and 168 spellers participated.

Balu Natarajan was the first ever Indian-American winner of the Bee!

Learn more

About the 58th Bee

Champion

Balu Natarajan

Bolingbrook, Illinois

Balu Natarajan, age 13, sponsored by the Chicago Tribune, won the $1,000 prize by correctly spelling the word “milieu.”

Balu graduated from Northwestern University Medical School and has been the Chief Medical Officer of AccentCare/Seasons Hospice for 20 years. His sons, Atman and Advaith Balakrishnan, also participated in the National Competition.

Location

Capital Hilton

at the Presidential Ballroom

Winning Word

milieu(n)

meel-YOO

the physical or social setting in which something occurs or develops : environment, setting.

This word went from Latin to French.

OFFICIALS

Directors

Mary L. Mangold and Mary Brooks

Judges

  • Dr. Robert E. Baker
  • Leroy C. Dillard
  • Mary Brooks
  • Katie Kerwin

Pronouncers

  • Dr. Alex J. Cameron
  • Dr. Caesar A. Carrino

SPELLER ROSTER

  • Ashley Adams
  • Lucila Del Aguila
  • Dawn Alexander
  • Frank Arnold
  • Leigh Atkinson
  • Michael Bada
  • Vanitha Balakrishnan
  • Lyn Balsoma
  • Johnny Ray Barnes
  • Gayla Bassham
  • Alexander Battles
  • Christian Beckner
  • Canon Jade Beissel
  • Laura Beusch
  • Robyn Blake
  • Clay Blankenship
  • Wendy Bozarth
  • Michal Burton
  • Reginald Calaguas
  • Cathy Ynonne Casewell
  • Heather Cassidy
  • Cyndy Chan
  • Victoria Chiou
  • Marshall Cone
  • Karen Cross
  • John Delmonte Jr
  • Tina Diekmann
  • Ivy Drechny
  • Debbie Durr
  • Bobbi Dykema
  • Shane Romie Eickholt
  • Ingrida Farnbach
  • Maria Farrell
  • Ronald A. Fein
  • Brendon Richard Fetzer
  • Angela Fisher
  • Ginger Fisher
  • Edward Fruchtman
  • Daphne Maria Gaither
  • Shirley Anne Gilson
  • Christina M. Gonzalez
  • Desiree Gumbs
  • Kristopher Gumper
  • Patrick K. Ha
  • Phil Hanes
  • Kedra Haroldsen
  • Cory Harris
  • Christine Hathaway
  • Brian K. Heathman
  • Leslie Heckart
  • Jonathan B. Hensley
  • Christina Ho
  • Stanley Hsue
  • Mitsuko Igarashi
  • Reena Isaac
  • Mary Jantzi
  • Jill Joseph
  • Christopher K. Patil
  • Sarah Kang
  • Teri Kellogg
  • Andrea Kilbride
  • Michael King
  • Ingrida Knets
  • Kathrin Rae Knight
  • Joshua Krekeler
  • Cindy Kriete
  • Melissa Lambert
  • Jennifer Langan
  • Kenneth A. Larson
  • Kelly Lecker
  • William W. Lee
  • Charles W. Lewis
  • Mona Lin
  • Kate Lingley
  • Maria Carmina Luzon Prado
  • Monica Marroquin
  • Dawn Mautner
  • Paula Jo McEwen
  • Morgan W. McKay
  • Amy McWhirter
  • Charles E. Meadows III
  • Maris Mercier
  • Lori Miller
  • Karla Lorraine Miller
  • Danny Miller
  • Scott Miller
  • Emma Mae Miller
  • Dung Minh Le
  • Karen Mini
  • Mark Moeai
  • Wendy Mongeau
  • Joel Mullen
  • Balu Natarajan
  • Brian Nice
  • Mary Anne O’Malley
  • Donna Kay O’Reilly
  • John Paul Kratzke
  • Jennifer Ann Phillips
  • Bruce E. Pickett
  • David Pilot
  • Belinda Plowell
  • Randy Pollak
  • Brian Reichow
  • Steve Richardson
  • Jay Rifkin
  • Nat Riley
  • Anne Rottenborn
  • John B. Schulte
  • Kevin Sharkey
  • Sherry Shieh
  • Sharon C. Simpson
  • Scott Smith
  • Thomas C. Smith
  • Tanya Zahava Solomon
  • Ann Sovar
  • Gene Stankow
  • John Stephens
  • Andrea Stephenson
  • Carol Stewart
  • Jennifer Lynn Stone
  • Cameron Grant Stowe
  • Sandhya Subramanian
  • Casey Swaney
  • Kelly Teamey
  • Joe Turek
  • Steve Turley
  • Pelita Ann V. Ilao
  • Salil Vadhan
  • Sherry Vardy
  • Jeff Wasick
  • Howard Wazeeruddin
  • David Wilson
  • Linn Yann
  • Judy Yee
  • Jennifer L. Yuengling

* Winner
** Runner-Up