Frank Neuhauser
Encyclopedia
Frank Louis Neuhauser was an American
patent lawyer and spelling bee
champion, who won the first National Spelling Bee in 1925 by successfully spelling the word "gladiolus
." Today, the bee is known as the Scripps National Spelling Bee
.
Neuhauser was born in Louisville, Kentucky
, on September 29, 1913, to German American
parents. His father, a stonemason, worked on spelling with his son on weekends if the weather was bad.
Neuhauser defeated nine finalists on stage, who had been whittled down from approximately two million schoolchildren, to win the first ever National Spelling Bee, held in Washington D.C. in June 1925. He had prepared for the bee by copying the dictionary into a blank notebook. Neuhauser, who was eleven years old at the time of the contest, met U.S. President Calvin Coolidge
and was awarded five hundred dollars in gold pieces
for his victory. His hometown of Louisville, Kentucky
, gave Neuhauser a parade
in his honor and presented hims with bouquets of gladiolus. His classmates and school also gave him a bicycle. During his later life, Neuhauser often appeared as a guest of honor at more recent spelling bees. He also appeared in the 2002 documentary film
, Spellbound.
Neuhauser went on to obtain a bachelor's degree
in engineering
from the University of Louisville
in 1934. He began working as a small appliance
engineer for General Electric
, which offered to send him to law school in order to gain additional patent lawyers. Neuhauser received his law degree
from George Washington University
in 1940. Neuhauser enlisted in the United States Navy
during World War II
.
Following the end of World War II, Neuhauser returned to General Electric as a patent attorney
. He worked for GE in Connecticut
and New York City
, before moving permanently to Maryland
in the mid-1950s. He remained on the staff of General Electric until 1978, when he left to join Bernard Rothwell & Brown, a law firm
based in Washington D.C.
Neuhauser formerly chaired the patent law divisions of both the District of Columbia Bar Association and the American Bar Association
. He was the former president of the American Intellectual Property Law Association
and the former chairman of the National Council of Patent Law Associations.
Neuhauser died from myelodysplastic syndrome
at his home in Silver Spring, Maryland
, on March 11, 2011, at the age of 97. He was survived by his wife of 66 years, Mary Virginia Clark Neuhauser; four children - Linda, Frank, Charles and Alan; and five grandchildren.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
patent lawyer and spelling bee
Spelling bee
A spelling bee is a competition where contestants, usually children, are asked to spell English words. The concept is thought to have originated in the United States....
champion, who won the first National Spelling Bee in 1925 by successfully spelling the word "gladiolus
Gladiolus
Gladiolus is a genus of perennial bulbous flowering plants in the iris family...
." Today, the bee is known as the Scripps National Spelling Bee
Scripps National Spelling Bee
The Scripps National Spelling Bee is a highly competitive annual spelling bee in the United States, with participants from other countries as well. It is run on a not-for-profit basis by The E. W...
.
Neuhauser was born in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, on September 29, 1913, to German American
German American
German Americans are citizens of the United States of German ancestry and comprise about 51 million people, or 17% of the U.S. population, the country's largest self-reported ancestral group...
parents. His father, a stonemason, worked on spelling with his son on weekends if the weather was bad.
Neuhauser defeated nine finalists on stage, who had been whittled down from approximately two million schoolchildren, to win the first ever National Spelling Bee, held in Washington D.C. in June 1925. He had prepared for the bee by copying the dictionary into a blank notebook. Neuhauser, who was eleven years old at the time of the contest, met U.S. President Calvin Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge
John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. was the 30th President of the United States . A Republican lawyer from Vermont, Coolidge worked his way up the ladder of Massachusetts state politics, eventually becoming governor of that state...
and was awarded five hundred dollars in gold pieces
Gold coin
A gold coin is a coin made mostly or entirely of gold. Gold has been used for coins practically since the invention of coinage, originally because of gold's intrinsic value...
for his victory. His hometown of Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, gave Neuhauser a parade
Parade
A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of some kind...
in his honor and presented hims with bouquets of gladiolus. His classmates and school also gave him a bicycle. During his later life, Neuhauser often appeared as a guest of honor at more recent spelling bees. He also appeared in the 2002 documentary film
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
, Spellbound.
Neuhauser went on to obtain a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
from the University of Louisville
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...
in 1934. He began working as a small appliance
Small appliance
Small appliance refers to a class of home appliances that are portable or semi-portable or which are used on tabletops, countertops, or other platforms in the United States of America...
engineer for General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
, which offered to send him to law school in order to gain additional patent lawyers. Neuhauser received his law degree
Law degree
A Law degree is an academic degree conferred for studies in law. Such degrees are generally preparation for legal careers; but while their curricula may be reviewed by legal authority, they do not themselves confer a license...
from George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
in 1940. Neuhauser enlisted in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Following the end of World War II, Neuhauser returned to General Electric as a patent attorney
Patent attorney
A patent attorney is an attorney who has the specialized qualifications necessary for representing clients in obtaining patents and acting in all matters and procedures relating to patent law and practice, such as filing an opposition...
. He worked for GE in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, before moving permanently to Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
in the mid-1950s. He remained on the staff of General Electric until 1978, when he left to join Bernard Rothwell & Brown, a law firm
Law firm
A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other...
based in Washington D.C.
Neuhauser formerly chaired the patent law divisions of both the District of Columbia Bar Association and the American Bar Association
American Bar Association
The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...
. He was the former president of the American Intellectual Property Law Association
American Intellectual Property Law Association
The American Intellectual Property Law Association is a national bar association that was formed in 1897 to improve intellectual property laws and educate the public about such issues....
and the former chairman of the National Council of Patent Law Associations.
Neuhauser died from myelodysplastic syndrome
Myelodysplastic syndrome
The myelodysplastic syndromes are a diverse collection of hematological medical conditions that involve ineffective production of the myeloid class of blood cells....
at his home in Silver Spring, Maryland
Silver Spring, Maryland
Silver Spring is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It had a population of 71,452 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth most populous place in Maryland, after Baltimore, Columbia, and Germantown.The urbanized, oldest, and...
, on March 11, 2011, at the age of 97. He was survived by his wife of 66 years, Mary Virginia Clark Neuhauser; four children - Linda, Frank, Charles and Alan; and five grandchildren.