Frank Neuhauser: First Spelling Bee Champ Dead at 97

Frank Neuhauser, the 1st national spelling bee champion has died at the age of 97. Frank was only 11 when he won the contest back in 1925 by correctly spelling "gladiolus." The prizes given to Neuhauser at the time included a prestigious White House trip, during which he met then President Calvin Coolidge. Frank also received $500 in gold.
Upon his return home, his town threw him a parade. This was obviously during the good ol' days before TV, video games, and all those distracting gadgets of today. Neuhauser's accomplishments did not end with just this win though. He attended law school and became a patent lawyer. Frank Neuhauser died on March 11th in Silver Spring, Md. He was home at the time of his death.