1989

The 62nd Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee took place on June 1st, 1989. It was held at the Capital Hilton in Washington, D.C., and 222 spellers participated.

Scott Isaacs said in an interview that he studied 100 words per day starting in January, a strategy that led him to win the 1989 Bee.

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About the 62nd Bee

Champion

Scott Isaacs

Littleton, Colorado

Scott Isaacs, age 14, sponsored by the Rocky Mountain News, won the $1,500 prize by correctly spelling the word “spoliator.”

Scott earned a doctorate in naturopathic medicine from the National University of Natural Medicine. He became a spelling coach and was the academic chairman for the Spelling Bee of China from 2015 to 2019. He also pronounced for China’s national spelling bee and the finals of the North America Spelling Champion Challenge.

Location

Capital Hilton

at the Presidential Ballroom

Winning Word

spoliator(n)

SPOH-lee-ay-tur

one that forcefully takes what is valuable from a place.

This word is from Latin.

OFFICIALS

Directors

Sondra J. Austin and Mary Brooks

Judges

  • Dr. Robert E. Baker
  • Leroy C. Dillard
  • Mary Brooks
  • John M. Scott

Pronouncers

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

SPELLER ROSTER

  • Nishad Ali
  • Sam D. Allen
  • Michael Argosino
  • Amy S. Armstrong
  • William H. Aston III
  • Chad R. Bacho
  • Kanika Bahi
  • Lora A. Ballnger
  • Mark J. Bane
  • Julie E. Bannan
  • Emily J. Banwell
  • Amy L. Bearringer
  • Brent R. Bickley
  • Anne K. Bingham
  • Travis J. Blow
  • Jenny L. Boehm
  • Susan M. Bonner
  • Sarah J. Borch
  • Shannon L. Bothwell
  • Benjamin R. Broshear
  • Ramona A. Brown
  • Elisabeth A. Brown
  • Christopher J. Buchanan
  • Amy S. Buracker
  • David R. Caplola
  • Justin J. Carroll
  • Amy E. Carter
  • Cory R. Case
  • Kristin M. Cashore
  • Samantha N. Cassell
  • Desiree’ Yee Cawthon
  • Tamal Chakraverty
  • Stacey Chang
  • Chi-Hua Chien
  • Steve Cho
  • Rita S. Chu
  • Christopher M. Coffey
  • Heather L. Conn
  • Casey R. Cornwell
  • Shane M. Cosma
  • Laura J. Cramer
  • Philip M. Dancause
  • Chandreyee Das
  • Elaine B. DeCastro
  • John M. Defenbaugh
  • Homero Alvarez Del Castillo
  • Jennifer L. DeLong
  • Vikas S. Dhar
  • Obed E. Diener
  • Buddle Jo DiFonzo
  • Tina Marie Dittbenner
  • Tina Marie Dittbenner
  • William P. Dolan
  • Megan L. Doney
  • Matthew Doyle
  • Juan Carols Duffour
  • Dinah U. Edmeka
  • Lisa M. Edwin
  • Nancy S. Eichenlaub
  • Donna S. Evans
  • Kyrie E. Farrant
  • Christine Fetzko
  • Mella L. Fitz-Gerald
  • Junelle P. Fletcher
  • Tomiko Foreman
  • Eboni Francis
  • Cheryl D. Frye
  • Joanna M. Gallivan
  • Joanna M. Gallivan
  • Robert A. Getz
  • Miriam Goldstein
  • Ana M. Gordon
  • Angela F. Greaves
  • Jerome R. Hagen
  • Eve L. Halderson
  • Karen D. Handy
  • Brian Henley
  • Jillian B. Herbst
  • Donald A. Hertges
  • Thomas V. Hibberd
  • Kaly K. Higa
  • Arthur A. Hodge
  • Zach Horan
  • Colleen R. Huber
  • Steven M. Huey
  • Stephen P. Huff
  • Scott Isaacs
  • Lisa Ishimaru
  • Brian S Jenkins
  • Pel-Yun Jenny Wu
  • Christopher D. Johnson
  • Jordan L. Johnson
  • Amanda C. Jones
  • Mintak Joo
  • Joel A. Kammeyer
  • Deborah S. Kingsbury
  • Cheryl Klein
  • Kyle A. Klein
  • Robert D. Kleinberg
  • Kristen A. Kochis
  • Savigowrl A. Koneswaran
  • Joanne Lagatta
  • Alisha M. Lee
  • Cosmo K. Lee
  • Edward S. Lee
  • Alice S. Lee
  • Dan Lee
  • Katherine J. Lesch
  • Sherry L. Lewsader
  • Roger A. Lichtenbaum
  • John D. Long Jr
  • Adelita E. Lopez
  • Jason J. Martin
  • Angela F. Martin
  • Michelle E. Mazzocco
  • Brian H. McFarland
  • Scott R. Mehl
  • Stefanie K. Meza
  • Nicholas M. Mirov
  • Shanahan Mondal
  • Andrew Moon
  • Michael R. Moore
  • Sharon M. Morell
  • Damien E. Morris
  • Amanda D. Mortimore
  • Emily F. Mountain
  • Elvis L. Moyer
  • Russell J. Murdock
  • Ryan J. Murphy
  • Laura Nawojchik
  • Lekshmi Nayar
  • Uzma A. Naz
  • Lenhard L. Ng
  • Carvell Nguyen
  • Meghann A. Nigg
  • Michael J. Nothnagel
  • Ak-bar Oliver
  • Jason T. Orendorff
  • Lori F. Oxford
  • Amy B. Palese
  • Karen M. Palk
  • Samir M. Parikh
  • Parag N. Patel
  • Tamara L. Pavlik
  • Teri M. Petersen
  • Theresa Pflum
  • Dara L. Phachantry
  • Limbania Picasso
  • Greogory a. Posey
  • Robert Pryor
  • Heather A. Ranck
  • Anant P. Raut
  • Christopher C. Rawlings
  • Bryan P Reece
  • Andrew P. Rhine
  • Stephanie Rhoades
  • Stephen F. Rhone
  • Kelsey J. Rinella
  • Amanda J. Robbins
  • Micah N. Robitille
  • James E. Rogers
  • James M. Rossi
  • Lacretia S. Rouse
  • Michelle L. Santos
  • Ellen Sawyer
  • Sarah J. Schaffer
  • Angela M. Schultz
  • Malinda Shepherd
  • Ted Shieh
  • Christopher J. Simpson
  • Elizabeth A. Skomp
  • Jason L. Snider
  • William Somerville
  • Max Soong
  • Michael J. Stahl
  • Katherine T. Strohmaler
  • Joann L. Strong
  • Sarah A. Sulkowski
  • Donald R. Surratt Jr.
  • Lauren K. Sweetman
  • Maribeth Swiatek
  • Anjali Talele
  • Natalie B. Tarrant
  • Ojas V. Tejani
  • Travis P. Tharp
  • Thomas M. Tillona
  • Renee L. Torres
  • Jessamyn A. Tracy
  • Mark A. Travassos
  • Abraham E. Trone
  • Laura L. Tweedy
  • Johnathan C. Ulloa
  • Pamela E. Varma
  • Robyn Frances Veronica Perez
  • Ven L. Virtuslo
  • Brian M. Vollmer
  • Ben Vos
  • Troy D. Walker
  • Aneka A. Walker
  • Todd E. Wallace
  • Jacque Waltman
  • Caroline M. Warfield
  • Adrian M. Weber
  • Casey L. Weiss
  • Fredrick H. Wen
  • Fredrick H. Wen
  • Trilby L. Wheeler
  • Amy D White
  • Freddie M. Williams
  • Glenn P. Winkler
  • Lori H. Wray
  • Hohete B. Yohannes
  • Hanna Yoon
  • Melody T.W. Yung
  • Amy N. Zastrow
  • Angela M. Zeroski

* Winner
** Runner-Up