1925: gladiolus
Frank Neuhauser
Louisville Courier-Journal
Louisville, Kentucky
1926: cerise
Pauline Bell
Louisville Courier-Journal
Louisville, Kentucky
1927: luxuriance
Dean Lucas
Akron Beacon Journal
Akron, Ohio
1928: albumen
Betty Robinson
South Bend News-Tribune
South Bend, Indiana
1929: asceticism
Virginia Hogan
The Omaha World-Herald
Omaha, Nebraska
1930: fracas
Helen Jensen
Des Moines Register & Tribune
Des Moines, Iowa
1931: foulard
Ward Randall
White Hall Register-Republican
White Hall, Illinois
1932: knack
Dorothy Greenwalk
Des Moines Register & Tribune
Des Moines, Iowa
1933: torsion
Alma Roach
Akron Beacon Journal
Akron, Ohio
1934: deteriorating
Sarah Wilson
Portland Evening Express
Portland, Maine
1935: intelligible
Clara Mohler
Akron Beacon Journal
Akron, Ohio
1936: interning
Jean Trowbridge
Des Moines Register & Tribune
Des Moines, Iowa
1937: promiscuous
Waneeta Beckley
Louisville Courier-Journal
Louisville, Kentucky
1938: sanitarium
Marian Richardson
Louisville Times
Louisville, Kentucky
1939: canonical
Elizabeth Ann Rice
Worcester Telegram & Gazette
Worcester, Massachusetts
1940: therapy
Laurel Kuykendall
The Knoxville News-Sentinel
Knoxville, Tennessee
1941: initials
Louis Edward Sissman
Detroit News
Detroit, Michigan
1942: sacrilegious
Richard Earnhart
El Paso Herald-Post
El Paso, Texas
1946: semaphore
John McKinney
Des Moines Register & Tribune
Des Moines, Iowa
1947: chlorophyll
Mattie Lou Pollard
Atlanta Journal
Atlanta, Georgia
1948: psychiatry
Jean Chappelear
Akron Beacon Journal
Akron, Ohio
1949: dulcimer
Kim Calvin
Canton Repository
Canton, Ohio
1950: meticulosity
Diana Reynard
Cleveland Press
Cleveland, Ohio
and
Colquitt Dean
Atlanta Journal
Atlanta, Georgia
1951: insouciant
Irving Belz
Memphis Press Scimitar
Memphis, Tennessee
1952: vignette
Doris Ann Hall
Winston-Salem Journal
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
1953: soubrette
Elizabeth Hess
Arizona Republic
Phoenix, Arizona
1954: transept
William Cashore
Norristown Times Herald
Norristown, Pennsylvania
1955: crustaceology
Sandra Sloss
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
St. Louis, Missouri
1956: condominium
Melody Sachko
The Pittsburgh Press
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
1957: schappe
Sandra Owen
Canton Repository
Canton, Ohio
and
Dana Bennett
Rocky Mountain News
Denver, Colorado
1958: syllepsis
Jolitta Schlehuber
Topeka Daily Capital
Topeka, Kansas
1959: catamaran
Joel Montgomery
Rocky Mountain News
Denver, Colorado
1960: eudaemonic
Henry Feldman
The Knoxville News-Sentinel
Knoxville, Tennessee
1961: smaragdine
John Capehart
Tulsa Tribune
Tulsa, Oklahoma
1962: esquamulose
Nettie Crawford
El Paso Herald-Post
El Paso, Texas
and
Michael Day
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
St. Louis, Missouri
1963: equipage
Glen Van Slyke III
The Knoxville News-Sentinel
Knoxville, Tennessee
1964: sycophant
William Kerek
Akron Beacon Journal
Akron, Ohio
1965: eczema
Michael Kerpan Jr.
Tulsa Tribune
Tulsa, Oklahoma
1966: ratoon
Robert A. Wake
Houston Chronicle
Houston, Texas
1967: chihuahua
Jennifer Reinke
The Omaha World-Herald
Omaha, Nebraska
1968: abalone
Robert L. Walters
The Topeka Daily Capital
Topeka, Kansas
1969: interlocutory
Susan Yoachum
Dallas Morning News
Dallas, Texas
1970: croissant
Libby Childress
Winston-Salem Journal & Sentinel
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
1971: shalloon
Jonathan Knisely
Philadelphia Bulletin
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1972: macerate
Robin Kral
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
Lubbock, Texas
1973: vouchsafe
Barrie Trinkle
Fort Worth Press
Fort Worth, Texas
1974: hydrophyte
Julie Ann Junkin
Birmingham Post-Herald
Birmingham, Alabama
1975: incisor
Hugh Tosteson
San Juan Star
San Juan, Puerto Rico
1976: narcolepsy
Tim Kneale
Syracuse Herald Journal-American
Syracuse, New York
1977: cambist
John Paola
The Pittsburgh Press
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
1978: deification
Peg McCarthy
The Topeka Capital-Journal
Topeka, Kansas
1979: maculature
Katie Kerwin
Rocky Mountain News
Denver, Colorado
1980: elucubrate
Jacques Bailly
Rocky Mountain News
Denver, Colorado
1981: sarcophagus
Paige Pipkin
El Paso Herald-Post
El Paso, Texas
1982: psoriasis
Molly Dieveney
Rocky Mountain News
Denver, Colorado
1983: Purim
Blake Giddens
El Paso Herald-Post
El Paso, Texas
1984: luge
Daniel Greenblatt
Loudoun Times-Mirror
Leesburg, Virginia
1985: milieu
Balu Natarajan
Chicago Tribune
Chicago, Illinois
1986: odontalgia
Jon Pennington
The Patriot News
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
1987: staphylococci
Stephanie Petit
The Pittsburgh Press
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
1988: elegiacal
Rageshree Ramachandran
The Sacramento Bee
Sacramento, California
1989: spoliator
Scott Isaacs
Rocky Mountain News
Denver, Colorado
1990: fibranne
Amy Marie Dimak
The Seattle Times
Seattle, Washington
1991: antipyretic
Joanne Lagatta
The Wisconsin State Journal
Madison, Wisconsin
1992: lyceum
Amanda Goad
The Richmond News Leader
Richmond, Virginia
1993: kamikaze
Geoff Hooper
The Commercial Appeal
Memphis, Tennessee
1994: antediluvian
Ned G. Andrews
The Knoxville News-Sentinel
Knoxville, Tennessee
1995: xanthosis
Justin Tyler Carroll
The Commercial Appeal
Memphis, Tennessee
1996: vivisepulture
Wendy Guey
The Palm Beach Post
West Palm Beach, Florida
1997: euonym
Rebecca Sealfon
Daily News
New York, New York
1998: chiaroscurist
Jody-Anne Maxwell
Phillips & Phillips Stationery Suppliers, Ltd.
Kingston, Jamaica
1999: logorrhea
Nupur Lala
The Tampa Tribune
Tampa, Florida
2000: demarche
George Abraham Thampy
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
St. Louis, Missouri
2001: succedaneum
Sean Conley
Aitkin Independent Age
Aitkin, Minnesota
2002: prospicience
Pratyush Buddiga
Rocky Mountain News
Denver, Colorado
2003: pococurante
Sai R. Gunturi
The Dallas Morning News
Dallas, Texas
2004: autochthonous
David Scott Pilarski Tidmarsh
South Bend Tribune
South Bend, Indiana
2005: appoggiatura
Anurag Kashyap
San Diego Union-Tribune
San Diego, California
2006: Ursprache
Kerry Close
Asbury Park Press/Home News Tribune
Asbury Park, New Jersey
2007: serrefine
Evan M. O’Dorney
Contra Costa Times
Walnut Creek, California
