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'TIS A PUZZLEMENT!

It's easy to look up the fact that Arthur Wynne originated the first CROSSWORD PUZZLE which was published in the Sunday edition of the New York World on December 21, 1913.

But do you know where the first WORDFIND  type of puzzle originated and who did it?

The first WORDFIND type of puzzle (call it what you like: WORDSEEK, WORDFIND, WONDERWORD etc.) was conceived and printed in the Selenby Digest by Norman Gibat and it happened on March 1, 1968 in Norman Oklahoma--there is no connection between the two Normans; simply coincidence.

The many imitators who copied this format came along much later and each chose their own pet name for the puzzle.  Syndication, of course, is why there are so many different names for the same identical puzzle.  Somehow crossword puzzles, as originated by Arthur Wynne as mentioned above, used the same name no matter the author.  This multiplicity of names likely stems from the fear of copyright laws as well as the urge to make something appear original that really isn't.

These puzzles are seemingly everywhere nowadays or, as they sometimes say, ubiquitous.  In case you're not familiar with the format (as published in newspapers, magazines and pulp books), here is a very small sample puzzle.

The squared off “box” of letters printed below contains ALL of the names listed to the right of the box.  For this small puzzle there are only 3 names but the list of names can be quite large.  To solve the puzzle all you do is find the names in the box and circle or underline them.  They can read horizontally or vertically.  They can also read diagonally and in all cases they can forwards or backwards.  That’s it.  The word can’t turn corners or zig zag.

For those who are curious, Selenby was a small want-ad digest distributed free at Safeway grocery stores and other businesses in Norman Oklahoma.  Selenby was a corruption of Sell N' Buy.  Not very cute, huh, but remember this was back in the Dark Ages before the internet was even thought of. The original page size of Selenby was 8.5 by 5.5 inches. To print the issues Norman bought a rebuilt Multilith 1250 printing press.  He learned to print on this machine and installed it in the small garage behind his home at 925 S. Pickard St in Norman OK.  He built a tiny additional room onto the back wall of the garage and this served as his “editorial office”.  It was just big enough to hold one office desk and a chair or two.

For historical accuracy here is an exact scanned copy of the very first such puzzle ever published.  This was a listing of cities and villages in Oklahoma.

The puzzle was very popular locally and several more followed in later issues of Selenby.  Because of this local popularity some teachers in the Norman schools asked for reprints to use in their classes. One teacher sent copies to various friends in other schools in other states. Undoubtedly one or more of these scattered copies eventually led somebody or somebodies to sell the idea to a syndicate and the rest is history. 

What led up to the release of this puzzle?  That’s another story…   Norman Gibat was an Electronics Engineer working for the U.S. Government during the cold war.  He started the Selenby Digest in 1964, working evenings and weekends on the idea.  And what was this idea?  Essentially it was the modern EBAY, but without the auction power of the internet.  People listed whatever they wanted to sell and they were not charged unless the item sold.  Selenby was pocket sized, like the Reader's Digest, and distributed weekly at local checkout counters in stores throughout the area.

To make the issues more interesting, and thereby increase the pickup rate, Norman wrote some brief articles from time to time.  The written editorials did not seem to attract much attention so Norman sat in his small office one Saturday morning early in 1968 and started fiddling around on a scratch-pad for ideas.  Whatever he devised he knew it had to be simple and straightforward.  After all, most of these issues were read while people were waiting in line at the grocery store.  One thing led to another and within an hour or two he developed the

simple rules for the puzzle and typed up the first one using the streets of Norman OK (see above).

It's perplexing to think about the millions of hours that have been employed by millions of people in constructing and solving these puzzles, which required but a single hour by a single person to conceive.  Arthur Wynne must have felt much the same  about his Crossword puzzles.  Even more-so since Crossword puzzles are probably the commonest in existence, anywhere or anytime.

Norman Gibat, 78, displays issues of the original Selenby Digest that he printed in Norman OK when he was in his mid-30s.

 Written by Kathleen Howard

Any part of this article may be copied without restriction.

On the following page is an article printed in The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City) pointing up the historical significance

 This article on the original development was printed in The Oklahoman    (Saturday March 13, 2004)