Frank Neuhauser facts for kids

Frank Louis Neuhauser (born September 29, 1913 – died March 11, 2011) was an American lawyer and a famous spelling champion. He won the very first National Spelling Bee in 1925 when he was just 11 years old. He won by correctly spelling the word "gladiolus". Today, this competition is known as the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Frank Neuhauser's Early Life

Frank Neuhauser was born in Louisville, Kentucky, on September 29, 1913. His parents were German Americans. His father worked as a stonemason. On weekends, if the weather was bad, his father would help Frank practice spelling.

Winning the National Spelling Bee

In June 1925, Frank Neuhauser competed in the first-ever National Spelling Bee. It was held in Washington D.C. About two million schoolchildren tried out for the bee, but only nine finalists made it to the stage. Frank was one of them.

To get ready for the competition, Frank copied the entire dictionary into a blank notebook. He was only eleven years old when he won the bee! For his victory, he received five hundred dollars in gold pieces. He also got to meet the U.S. President, Calvin Coolidge.

When Frank returned home to Louisville, Kentucky, his town celebrated with a parade in his honor. People gave him many bouquets of gladioli flowers. His classmates and school also gave him a new bicycle. Later in his life, Frank often attended new spelling bees as a special guest. He even appeared in the 2002 documentary film Spellbound.

Frank's Education and Career

After winning the spelling bee, Frank Neuhauser continued his education. In 1934, he earned a bachelor's degree in engineering from the University of Louisville. He then started working as an engineer for General Electric (GE).

GE offered to send him to law school. They wanted him to become a patent lawyer for their company. A patent lawyer helps protect new inventions and ideas. Frank accepted the offer and earned his law degree from George Washington University in 1940. During World War II, Frank served in the United States Navy.

Later Life and Passing

After World War II ended, Frank Neuhauser returned to General Electric as a patent attorney. He worked for GE in Connecticut and New York City. In the mid-1950s, he moved to Maryland.

He continued to work for General Electric. He even managed GE's Washington Patent Operation. In this role, he trained many new patent attorneys. In 1978, he left GE to join a law firm in Washington D.C.

Frank Neuhauser passed away on March 11, 2011, at his home in Silver Spring, Maryland. He was 97 years old. He was survived by his wife of 66 years, Mary Virginia Clark Neuhauser, their four children, and five grandchildren.