1986

The 59th Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee took place on May 29th, 1986. It was held at the Capital Hilton in Washington, D.C., and 174 spellers participated.

In an interview with The Bryan Times, winner Jon Pennington offered his secret to winning — “Just remembering it.”

Learn more

About the 59th Bee

Champion

Jon Pennington

Shiremanstown, Pennsylvania

Jon Pennington, age 14, sponsored by The Patriot-News, won the $1,000 prize by correctly spelling the word “odontalgia.”

Jon earned a Ph.D. in sociology from UC Berkeley and an MBA from the University of Minnesota. He is a continuous improvement manager at the State of Minnesota and previously worked for CVS Health, Wells Fargo and a federal government contracting agency.

Location

Capital Hilton

at the Presidential Ballroom

Winning Word

odontalgia(n)

oh-don-TAL-jeeuh

toothache.

This word is from Greek.

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

  • Michael A. Liptak
  • Michelle S. Wildgen
  • Charles P. Buchanan
  • Andrew K. Evans
  • Andrew K. Evans
  • S. Renee Bryant
  • Rosellen S. Choi
  • Meredith A. Bieber
  • Michael J. Burgess
  • Bryan S. Moulin
  • Ryan James
  • Brooke E. Hefright
  • Michelle Y. Randolph
  • Sherry L. Beasley
  • Cynthia S. Neil
  • Ivy Drechney
  • Ivy A. Drechney
  • Kristin L. Kochanek
  • Theresa Q. Pangilinan
  • Theresa Q. Pangilinan
  • Ahalya Nava
  • Kellee J. Gulck
  • Michelle M. Donegan
  • Aielleen Fajardo
  • Alexander E. Troise
  • Caroline E. Lasie
  • Katherine L. Rodgers
  • Christina Ho
  • Michael L. Rocen
  • Babi Sinha
  • Christopher J. Gregory
  • Monique Childs
  • Karen A. Mini
  • Lynn Cabral
  • Lynn Cabral
  • Sam D. Allen
  • Stacy M. Stroud
  • Dana D. Deterding
  • Dusty A. Maston
  • Kamille S. Bachmeier
  • Bart D. Peters
  • Ashley R. Kable
  • Marla Regazzi
  • Cherilyn Young
  • Nhan T. Nguyen
  • Deborah M. Wong
  • Kerry M. Hultz
  • Scott Smith
  • Kyle A. Lucke
  • Heidi M. Forward
  • Alison R. Crookham
  • Jason R. Holmes
  • Kathleen Kieran
  • Soni K. Voldseth
  • Tess G. Vilade
  • Hoang V. Nguyen
  • Daniel C. Garland
  • Kelly A. Prosser
  • Amy T. Matara
  • Dwayne W. Cole
  • Julia A. Lemmonds
  • Stephen J. Friedfeld
  • Christopher Morciglio
  • Debby Ann Lin
  • Lucinda Cassamassino
  • Chandreyee Das
  • Kim R. Dorazio
  • Theodore Hong
  • Casey D. Niemann
  • Terra L. Syslo
  • Andy C. Lin
  • Bonnie Jones
  • Pelita Ann V. Ilao
  • Joe S. Chevalier
  • Michelle R. Leman
  • Jennifer A. Flora
  • Scott M. Zimmerman
  • Neenad M. Shah
  • Erica E. Keenan
  • Hilary C. Barth
  • Sonya K. Bower
  • Daniel Kranowski
  • Karla L. Miller
  • Jay I. Rifkin
  • William C. Thill
  • Christina M. Gonzalez
  • Valerie I. Tarrant
  • Giovanni Ruffini
  • Judy Yee
  • William D. Mankin
  • William D. Mankin
  • Anand D. Patel
  • Lorissa W. Silverstein
  • Christian J. Beckner
  • Christian J. Beckner
  • Johnathan Straight
  • Stacy L. Stanley
  • Julie A. Bentley
  • Rachel E. Nussbaum
  • Jason B. Martina
  • Lisa Stewart
  • Brett M. Wingeier
  • Kathleen R. Hardy
  • Su-May Lee
  • Morgen Paul
  • Thomas R. Boedeker
  • Rosellen S. Choi
  • Dona T. Wu
  • Maria L. Kuder
  • William L. Pomeroy
  • Damion W. Trask
  • Natasha T. Filipski
  • Kara L. Louison
  • Jesse Bohrer
  • Michael D. Richardson
  • Benjamin T. Wray
  • Kit M. Condill
  • Kit M. Condill
  • Anant P. Raut
  • Kristi E. Woods
  • Derek S. Bruneau
  • Russell P. Linnemann II
  • Thomas J. Kramer
  • Jennifer Reichert
  • Jason Wiethe
  • Mark G. Lewin
  • Bridie A. O’Shaughnessy
  • Michael E. Stafford
  • Lisa A. Stanley
  • Mary Beth Johnson
  • Martha M. Smith
  • Praya Ananthakrishnan
  • Jude E. Theriot
  • Bryan T. Hanson
  • Sara Morales
  • Burt Holzman
  • Jennifer L. Bissell
  • Shannon M. Lofts
  • Clint Taylor
  • Alisha J. Turnage
  • Kathryn E. Metcalf
  • Gautam Dutta
  • Jessica L. Burlingame
  • Priya A. Karnik
  • Anne-Marie Clodfelder
  • Sarah E. Trombley
  • Karen A. Mini
  • Kathleen Kieran
  • Christopher D. Newman
  • Kenneth A. Larson
  • Sue J. Yun
  • Jennfier Josack
  • Bernard D. Noveloso
  • Bernard D. Noveloso
  • Malinda M. Cote
  • Rajeev Deskian
  • Chris L. Schoolnover
  • Lydia D. Kim
  • Jill E. Buie
  • Robert M. Geist IV
  • Aaron M. Casto
  • Heather A. McIntosh
  • Lorena S. Hazama
  • Maryann K. Navarrete
  • James P. Myers
  • Francis S. Gutierrez
  • Janice L. Plado
  • Gilbert Y. Cheung
  • Karen E. Loew
  • Corey D. Norris
  • Joel D. Schall
  • Katie A. Kinsman
  • Bradley H. Bean
  • Sherine G. Varghese
  • Rachel E. Henderson
  • Jennifer L. Davies
  • Sarah M. Molsee
  • Judith O. Bailey
  • Stacy C. McMahon
  • Julie E. Manning
  • Ena Chang
  • Carmen S. Wilson
  • Rhonda L. Loreman
  • Kirsten E. Tucker
  • Raul M. Garcia Covian
  • Jed Shlackman
  • Miican Jeffery
  • Catherine A. Meeker
  • Shawn Harmon
  • Emily De Guzman
  • Rodger M. Ellis
  • Robin Kinley
  • Brett A. Matthewa
  • Linda Mullet
  • Brent L. Black
  • Eric E. Buschert
  • David E. Early
  • David E. Early
  • Steven L. Chen
  • Kate M. Mikulka
  • Brian K. Heathman
  • Scott Walker
  • Dawn D. Stone
  • Joe Chevalier
  • Amy E. Dahlberg
  • Jon Pennington
  • Joya Dass
  • Andrea Kilbride
  • Eric S. Braverman
  • Chi-Ming J. Chien
  • Eric S. Braverman
  • Justine Swaney
  • Avitayl D. Dinewitz
  • Avitayl D. Dinewitz
  • Eric J. Wade
  • Heather L. Maples
  • Lori K. Mullins
  • Elizabeth L. Heick
  • Thomas R. Walker Jr
  • Chad L. Walker
  • John T. Burditt
  • Christopher Smeenk
  • Sheldon Cosma
  • Sheldon Cosma
  • E. Diane Shieh
  • Kristen M. Schmid
  • Rageshree Ramachandran
  • Maria L. Gambale
  • Maria L. Gambale
  • Joy D. Warren
  • Lorne D. Richardson
  • Christina M. Custodio
  • Jennifer M. Keller
  • Tara M. Steppacher
  • Denise M. De Pinna
  • Dawn M. Silvia
  • Marie Foley
  • Amy T. Matara
  • Joseph F. Southern
  • Michal N. Burton
  • Tina E. Spradley
  • Amit Kaplish
  • Eric D. Haugen
  • Mike McManamna
  • Sansanee Sermprungsuk
  • Steve Richardson
  • Joseph M. Plessas
  • Kyle M. Chestnut
  • Dexter C. Palmer
  • Matt R. Daab
  • Frank J. Romano
  • Thomas Santopoli
  • Thomas R. Santopoli
  • Benjamin T. Wray
  • Katherine K. Lusk
  • Victoria M. Chiou
  • Angela Hall
  • Kirsten A. Ruemenapp
  • Dionna D. White
  • Robert Pryor
  • Greg E. Batch
  • Ginger D. Fisher
  • Gina L. Hicks
  • Sunil Varma
  • Kyle A. Klein
  • Kyle A. Klein
  • Chad C. Cantrell
  • Jeffory S. Bryan
  • Gavin L. McDonald
  • James Brandon Holder
  • Tammy E. Williams
  • Eric K. Johnson
  • Babu Brahma
  • Bindhu Gopalan
  • Claire G. Shalhoub
  • Damon G. Carpenter
  • Jude E. Theriot
  • Julie L. Dickmann
  • Kanika Bahl
  • Kelly L. Teamey
  • Laura L. Curtin
  • Maggy A. Youssef
  • Monica F. Van Doren
  • Paul S. Ignasinski
  • Priya Rangaswamy
  • Ronald Fein
  • Shelley A. Caldwell
  • Starr G. Kaplan
  • Teri C. Tolbert
  • Vernelle Trim

* Winner
** Runner-Up