1991

The 64th Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee took place on May 30th, 1991. It was held at the Capital Hilton in Washington, D.C., and 227 spellers participated.

This year’s Finals concluded after a nearly 90-minute spelling duel between Champion Joanne Lagatta and runner-up Maria Mathew.

Learn more

About the 64th Bee

Champion

Joanne Lagatta

Clintonville, Wisconsin

Joanne Lagatta, age 13, sponsored by the Wisconsin State Journal, won the $5,000 prize by correctly spelling the word “antipyretic.”

Joanne became a neonatologist at Children’s Wisconsin hospital. Before that, she completed a residency and fellowship at the University of Chicago Medical Center.

Location

Capital Hilton

at the Presidential Ballroom

Winning Word

antipyretic(adj)

an-tih-pahy-RET-ik

preventing, removing or allaying fever.

This word is made up of originally Greek parts plus an English combining form.

OFFICIALS

Directors

Sondra J. Austin and Reta Rose

Judges

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

Pronouncers

  • Dr. Alex J. Cameron
  • Dr. Jacques Bailly

SPELLER ROSTER

  • Joseph Michael Abraham
  • Melissa B. Ahart
  • Nakasha M. Ahmad
  • Umar Akbar
  • Georgia Nick Alexakis
  • Sara Lodoen Alger
  • Nila H. Alsheik
  • Velvet D. Ames
  • David John Anderson, Jr.
  • Srinivas Ayyagari
  • Dyanne Babtiste
  • Dilip Sankar Babu
  • Lori Ann Baluta
  • Jobert G. Barin
  • Mariam Janelle Barnett
  • John Barry
  • Patrick Charles Bastow
  • Jason Michael Beasley
  • Kyla Megan Bennet
  • Carly Ann Blanton
  • Erin Clair Blanton
  • Richard Russell Blott
  • Jenny Keli Bowe
  • Janet Euguero Briones
  • JustinLockheart Burt
  • David Bradford Bykowski
  • April Cadiz
  • Peter Watkins Cangemi
  • Kyle F. Carothers
  • Matthew Abbott Carter
  • Angela Marie Chi
  • Ryan Thomas Chornock
  • Jeffrey Chu
  • Andrea C. Clark
  • Autumn Layne Collier
  • Natasha Cox
  • Carrie Leigh Crawford
  • Dean A. Croshaw
  • Kevin Lee Curlis
  • Erica Nicole Daigle
  • Jane Ann Dall
  • Anupam K. Dass
  • Jayatri Dass
  • Lisa Datta
  • Meenakshi Datta
  • Sheila Dharmarajan
  • Amanda M. Dillon
  • Nathan Elliott Dillon
  • Nama Miriam Dinewitz
  • Stuart T. Dinneen
  • William P. Dolan
  • James MAtthew Donegan
  • Rachel E. Duncan
  • Stephany S. Dunmyer
  • Aileen Amour Dy
  • Alex T. Edwin
  • Brad Ellington
  • Eric Edward Enders
  • Todd Michael Eppig
  • Daniel Feyer
  • Cathryn Anne Fine
  • Jenny Flowers
  • Jason Eric Freudenberger
  • Rebecca Levin Garrison
  • Jonella Marie Gavin
  • Joseph F. Getz
  • Braden Gibson
  • Kim Nicole Gier
  • Amanda Chloe Goad
  • Brian Green
  • Hilary Elizabeth Carter Grimes
  • Zachary Jacob Grossman
  • Amy Ruth Halt
  • Jennifer Lynne Harden
  • Jessica Anne Harding
  • Aaron Matthew Haugh
  • Jaima Nichole Hazelton
  • Ion P. Hazzikostas
  • Nathan John Heick
  • Crockett I. Henley
  • Eric Herman
  • Lesley Anne Hill
  • Dana Michele Hodges
  • Jared Michael Hoggan
  • James Holbach
  • Adam Hooks
  • Amber Elizabeth House
  • Amy Jo Howard
  • Eric John Huang
  • Erin Hiliary Huber
  • Eugene Hwang
  • Rebecca Ann Ihrie
  • Rajeev, Radhakrishna Iyengar
  • Joseph Adam Jalbert
  • Herschel Jeffrey
  • Paul Jin Jeong
  • Jason Kyle Jett
  • Justin Jow
  • Lynette Raye Junker
  • Cara Kackson
  • Rishi Ram Kapila
  • Sonya Rene Karl
  • Velma Kee
  • Christopher J. Killan
  • DoHyung Kim
  • Alex Robert Kish
  • Brandon Allen Koenning
  • Laura Elizabeth Koester
  • Amy Michelle Koontz
  • Andrew J. Kotylo
  • Joanne Lagatta
  • Eleanor Louise Laise
  • Eric Benjamin Landreneau
  • Kelly Colleen Lasiter
  • Anthony Paul Lattavo
  • Max Lee
  • Susan J. Lee
  • Melissa Anne Lee
  • Veronica Jade Leong
  • Coby Lewis
  • Mark Alan Linton
  • Kevin Y. Liu
  • David S. Luk
  • Omar Ahmad Mahmood
  • Charity Hope Majors
  • Armie Iyog Mariano
  • Kristin Erica Marsh
  • Maria Roshini Mathew
  • Richard Edwin Maupin
  • Earle McCartney
  • Kristopher H. McConnell
  • Brett Matthew McGinness
  • Julie Lynn Menninger
  • Courtney Erin Mertes
  • Kenneth Eugene Michell, II
  • Swaroop Mishra
  • Christopher Jason Mobley
  • Amy Moore
  • Olivia Ann Munoz
  • Ed Myers
  • Leslie Rolce Myrie, Jr.
  • Sandra Nathan
  • Rafael Alejandro Noboa
  • Andrew C. Oster
  • Nathan Hawkins Ostrander
  • Manisha Pai
  • Karen M. Paik
  • Jamie Leigh Parker
  • Charles A. Patrick
  • Nicolas Pena
  • Rasmei Arun Pena
  • Michelle Clare Perez
  • Marc Raymond Pestien
  • Scott David Peterson
  • Rekha Pillai
  • Amie Pina
  • Emi A. Ponce-Ramirez
  • Chris M. Prince
  • Timothy Lee Quick
  • Adithya Raghunathan
  • Sangeetha Rajagopalan
  • Rabindra Rambyraja
  • Arnab Ray
  • Edwin James Reid
  • Trey Reyher
  • Tyler Gregory Rice
  • Alberto Rivera
  • Laura Rebecca Robertson
  • Travis Rodkey
  • Mariela G. Rodriguez
  • Kiran Sajja
  • Mark Arun Sawkar
  • Damon L. Sayles
  • Camille Deanne Schafer
  • Jeffrey David Sellers
  • David Sembrano
  • Anupama Seshan
  • Mary Margaret Shaffer
  • Ya-Shin Michelle Shih
  • Kimberly Christina Shipman
  • Karla Kathleen Shirley
  • Phonesagnam Joe Silivongxay
  • Chanda Kay Slabaugh
  • Rebecca Ann Snowden
  • Daniel Christopher Snyder
  • Amy Marie Sorrentino
  • Emily Dianne Sparkman
  • Antonia Spiliakos
  • Anne Miriam Stameshkin
  • Criag Mark Stansfield
  • Tessa Alfonsaamary Sundaram
  • Aaron Asano Swenson
  • Edward Tamiso
  • Steve M. Tarbutton
  • Kipp Tyson Teamey
  • Amee V. Tejani
  • Nicole Lenee Thomas
  • Maggie C. Thomas
  • Laura Ellen Toothman
  • Matthew James Trask
  • Jeremiah Ramon True’
  • Anna Mary Varghese
  • Kelly E. Vaughan
  • Maria Sofia Velez
  • Sarita Venugopal
  • Jennifer Lyn B. Vidal
  • Tim Robert Vroom
  • Todd Erik Wallace
  • Natalie Wang
  • Hope R. Wasburn
  • David Washburn
  • John Henry Watson
  • Alex Edward Weathers
  • Jaime Catherine Webb
  • Casey Lee Weiss
  • Taylor West
  • Judd Wheatley
  • Shani-Jinaki Whipple
  • Logan A. Whitehurst
  • Devin L. Wicker
  • Eliza Pearl Wilby
  • Vanessa J. Wilczak
  • Freddie M. Williams
  • Erica Dawn Williamson
  • Matthew Brian Winkel
  • Lauren Brooke Wray
  • Hilary Zitlau

* Winner
** Runner-Up