Oldest Living Spelling Bee Champion Still Remembers His Winning Word, 70 Years Later (Exclusive)

On May 30, 1954, William Cashore claimed his title as the 27th Scripps National Spelling Bee Champion

There are three things William Cashore remembers most about his time in the 1954 National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.: stepping into the United States Capitol; meeting the rest of the contestants from across the country; and perhaps most importantly, what went through his mind after he won.

The Pennsylvania native was only 14 years old when he claimed his title as the 27th Scripps Spelling Bee Champion on May 30, 1954. At the time, he was a student at Malvern Prep School in Malvern, Pennsylvania.

"It gave me some confidence, for example, in things like public speaking," Cashore tells PEOPLE exclusively. "It was always a point of pride for my family, but nothing that we made a big deal of."

Now 84 years old and a retired neonatologist living in Rhode Island, Cashore is celebrating the 70th anniversary of his big win.

His story was first uncovered by Babbel’s linguistic and cultural expert, Esteban Touma. "We were proud to have found William, and grateful that he was happy to share his memories of his unique moment of national fame at the 1954 Spelling Bee," Touma says.

"Seventy years on, William’s insights are as relevant as ever. His careful preparation for the competition as a child, along with his exposure to different languages around his neighborhood and at school, really show how valuable being multilingual can be," Touma continues.

He adds, "His impressive achievements and continued interest in language learning really highlight how language can shape our futures.”

Related: That's a Word? Look Back at Some of the Winning Terms from the Scripps National Spelling Bee

Thinking back to the competition many years ago, Cashore recalls how he was called to the podium after the previous speller had been disqualified for misspelling the word "uncinated" (meaning bent or hooked). On stage, he spelled it without any trouble.

Then he was given the word "transept," which refers to the aisle that goes across a church between the pews and the altar.

"I knew that word but had never been asked to spell it," he says, adding how growing up his parents would give him lists of words to memorize.

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"But I knew right away what it was. I spelled that, and I just kept telling myself to stay as calm as possible because one way you make a mistake in a competition is by jumping in and trying to spell the word too fast," he continues.

After reciting the word, the announcer raised his hand. "He said, 'Winner,' and I heard my mother yelling 'Woo!' " Cashore shares.

"At that moment, I said, 'Boy, my parents are going to like this,' " he adds. "It's one of my fondest memories, but I didn't let it get in the way of anything else that seemed important."

Following his win, Cashore participated in a celebratory tour with a few of the other contestants. He met Vice President Richard Nixon, was a guest on the Ed Sullivan Show and was even a contestant on the TV quiz show I've Got a Secret.

After that, he traveled home, where his town threw him a small parade. He took home with him his prizes: a 25-volume Encyclopedia Britannica, a trophy and a $500 cash prize.

"I remember that life didn't change very much, but when I went to high school, everybody kidded me by calling me 'Speller.' And it wasn't mean-spirited or anything, it was just a convenient nickname," he says.

The following year he returned to D.C with his family for the Spelling Bee, this time for his brother, who was participating in the competition.

Cashore went on to graduate from high school in 1958. Four years later, he earned a degree from Notre Dame University and following that another degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1966. Then he did multiple years of medical training before spending two years in the Navy.

Eventually, he came to Brown University when the medical school was quite new and worked for about 40 years taking care of premature babies.

He credits his love for spelling and English for helping him accomplish all he's done in life. Now, reflecting back on his journey, he shares advice for people who want to become better spellers.

"The most important thing is to pay a lot of attention to detail," he says. "The other thing is to have a good ear."

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