1988

The 61st Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee took place on June 2nd, 1988. It was held at the Capital Hilton in Washington, D.C., and 200 spellers participated.

Rageshree Ramachandran, who placed 36th previously, came back to the Bee to win in epic fashion via a spelling duel that lasted almost an hour!

Learn more

About the 61st Bee

Champion

Rageshree Ramachandran

Carmichael, California

Rageshree Ramachandran, age 13, sponsored by the Sacramento Bee, won the $1,500 prize by correctly spelling the word “elegiacal.”

Rageshree attended Stanford University. She became a Ph.D and M.D. resident in pathology and laboratory medicine at the University of California-San Francisco, then became a professor and director of medical education there.

Location

Capital Hilton

at the Presidential Ballroom

Winning Word

elegiacal(adj)

el-uh-JAHY-uh-kul

expressing sorrow or lamentation often for something now past : plaintive, nostalgic, melancholy.

This word is from a word that went from Latin to Greek plus English combining forms.

OFFICIALS

Directors

Sondra J. Austin 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

  • Sam D. Allen
  • Andrew L. Allred
  • William H. Aston III
  • Kevin D. Barton
  • Mike P. Beard
  • David Benhayon
  • Sanay V. Bhirud
  • Faith C. Bickenese
  • Brent R. Bickley
  • Barunashish Brahma
  • Danielle M. Bujnak
  • Greg S. Bush
  • Leanna R. Ching
  • Steve Cho
  • Tony J. Choi
  • Awilda M. Cintron
  • Christopher J. Colina
  • Robin W. Covey
  • Felicia D. Daley
  • Chandreyee Das
  • Adam T. Davis
  • Dominique Day
  • Bernadette M. Day
  • Eileen T. De La Cruz
  • Anthony F. DeBella
  • Maria M. Defante
  • Laura C. Dilley
  • Robin A. Dudley
  • Nancy Eichenlaub
  • Crystal E. Engel
  • Christine Fetzko
  • Junelle P. Fletcher
  • Marcy J. Forgey
  • Shane Fredrickson
  • John M. Fry
  • Cheryl D. Frye
  • Christian Fuentes
  • Miriam B. Goldstein
  • Ana M. Gordan
  • Nathan P. Green
  • Walter R. Grobber
  • Monekia L. Guase
  • Pia Hahn
  • Andrew W. Harcombe
  • Todd B. Hetrick
  • Lee Hilton
  • Audra A. Hodgin
  • Jason Hsu
  • Diane Chia-Chi Huang
  • Tara M. Huber
  • Seth Hurlburt
  • Danny C. Ingerson
  • William Scott Isaacs
  • Daniel Jasso
  • Honor L. Johnson
  • Christopher S. Johnson
  • Lura Johnson
  • Eric K. Johnson
  • Anthony M. Jones
  • Joel A. Kammeyer
  • Maxwell T. Kelley
  • Ruby Khan
  • Simon R. Kinneen
  • Kristen A. Kochis
  • Wendy B. Koslow
  • John P. Kratzke II
  • Ellen R. Kress
  • James W. Krieger
  • Sanjay Kumar
  • Caroline E. Laise
  • Renee Lareau
  • Chris A. Lee
  • Cosmo K. Lee
  • Russell P. Linnemann
  • Brent Logan
  • Shelley K. Long
  • Eric D. Lopez
  • Lisa L. Lorenzin
  • Philip K. Luce
  • Iris Lui
  • Kevin B. Martin
  • Angela F. Martin
  • Mary Ann Martinez
  • Nakia Y. Mason
  • Justin L. Massengale
  • Matthew E. McCarthy
  • Julie McElmon
  • Susan M. Miller
  • Cyrus C. Mody
  • Shanahan Mondal
  • Elizabeth T. Morse
  • Michelle Muller
  • Ryan J. Murphy
  • Damon K. Nagami
  • Aparajita Nandi
  • Reginald N. Navarrete
  • Lekshmi Nayar
  • Christopher J. Neal
  • Tuan V. Nguyen
  • Michael J. Nothinagel
  • Bernard D. Noveloso
  • Elizabeth A. Nygard
  • Limbania Picasso
  • Brian Pisegna
  • Alan J. Plado
  • Robert Pryor
  • Jed Purdy
  • Timothy L. Quick
  • Anudeep K. Rahil
  • Gowri Ramachandran
  • Rageshree Ramachandran
  • Patricia A. Ramirez
  • Rodolfo G. Ramirez, Jr
  • Nicole M. Ranttila
  • Anant P. Raut
  • Christopher C. Rawlings
  • Stephen F. Rhone
  • Rhonda S. Richards
  • Mariela G. Rodriguez
  • Odette H. Sanchez
  • Erin A. Sanford
  • Paul A. Schmidt
  • Jay Schmidt
  • Antonia M. Seesink
  • Judy Shieh
  • Angela J. Sholl
  • Tarasine A. Short
  • Katrina S. Silas
  • Tana G. Sims
  • Jennifer K. Smallwood
  • Allen C.Y Soong
  • Lisa A. Stanely
  • Vasilios Stavrou
  • Tamil L. Strawn
  • Eric F. Stuckey
  • Donald R. Surratt
  • Patrick E. Swickard
  • Clint W. Taylor
  • Kyle B. Teamey
  • Travis P. Tharp
  • Elisa J. Thompson
  • Louis G. Tolliver Jr
  • Kimberly R Upchurch
  • Christy L. Ventura
  • Mary Suzanne Voss
  • Sarah D. Wagner
  • Leslie Wang
  • Michael S. Wang
  • Victor C. Wang
  • Jason L. Watkins
  • Frederick H. Wen
  • Teresa Gayle Widner
  • Adam Wilson
  • Brett M. Wingeier
  • Heather J. Wise
  • Dawn R. Woodworth
  • Lori H. Wray
  • Lulu Wu
  • Jason H. Wurtsbaugh
  • Karen Yee
  • Jennifer Yee
  • Joyce Yu
  • Dennis S. Yu
  • Melody T.W. Yung

* Winner
** Runner-Up