Cortez W. Peters, Sr. was the world speed typing champion. He is the father-in-law of Green Bay Packers great Willie Woods. Originally from Maryland, Peters lived most of his life in Washington, D.C. From an early age, Peters was known for his unusual ability to concentrate for long periods of time. It was reportedly very difficult to distract him while he was typing.
Peters, along with his son, developed special competition keyboarding methods and techniques that became the foundation of modern typing instruction worldwide. His son, Cortez Peters, Jr. became the world champion after him. His son's records only bettered his own records due to the advent of more advanced, electric and electronic keyboards that permitted higher typing speeds. Also see the grave of Cortez Peters, Jr.
Peters won his first international typing championship in 1925 with a 141 word per minute perfect timing on a manual typewriter. His continual improvement as a typist coupled with the advent of more advanced typewriters allowed him set a typing world record of 180 words per minute, without a single mistake (an average of 15 keystrokes per second), on a manual typewriter, later on in life. He holds numerous unbroken records, including 148 words per minute, for 60 straight minutes, without a single error, without subtracting out time required to change typing paper.
He appeared on a variety of television shows, including "What's my line", various educational programs, and news programs. He even appeared on "Ripley's Believe it or Not" in the mid 1950s when he typed 100 flawless words per minute on a manual typewriter while outdoors in subfreezing temperatures while wearing fingerless mittens.
Cortez Peters Sr. opened the Cortez Peters business schools in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Chicago. The schools were the first black-owned schools in the field, and during their tenure trained approximately 45,000 students. Both Peters Sr. and Peters Jr. made careers out of teaching their craft to others.
In the first photo, Cortez Peters Sr. is photographed sitting at a late model Royal typewriter.
In the second photo, Cortez Peters Sr. demonstrates typing to Taylor High School students and staff.
In the third photo, Cortez Peters Sr. demonstrates on a news channel exactly why he is the world's fastest typist.
In the fourth photo, Cortez Peters Sr. is seen donating ten brand new typewriters to the U.S. Government in support of the Government's drive to own "600,000 machines" for the World War II effort. Photo taken in November, 1942.
Peters, along with his son, developed special competition keyboarding methods and techniques that became the foundation of modern typing instruction worldwide. His son, Cortez Peters, Jr. became the world champion after him. His son's records only bettered his own records due to the advent of more advanced, electric and electronic keyboards that permitted higher typing speeds. Also see the grave of Cortez Peters, Jr.
Peters won his first international typing championship in 1925 with a 141 word per minute perfect timing on a manual typewriter. His continual improvement as a typist coupled with the advent of more advanced typewriters allowed him set a typing world record of 180 words per minute, without a single mistake (an average of 15 keystrokes per second), on a manual typewriter, later on in life. He holds numerous unbroken records, including 148 words per minute, for 60 straight minutes, without a single error, without subtracting out time required to change typing paper.
He appeared on a variety of television shows, including "What's my line", various educational programs, and news programs. He even appeared on "Ripley's Believe it or Not" in the mid 1950s when he typed 100 flawless words per minute on a manual typewriter while outdoors in subfreezing temperatures while wearing fingerless mittens.
Cortez Peters Sr. opened the Cortez Peters business schools in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Chicago. The schools were the first black-owned schools in the field, and during their tenure trained approximately 45,000 students. Both Peters Sr. and Peters Jr. made careers out of teaching their craft to others.
In the first photo, Cortez Peters Sr. is photographed sitting at a late model Royal typewriter.
In the second photo, Cortez Peters Sr. demonstrates typing to Taylor High School students and staff.
In the third photo, Cortez Peters Sr. demonstrates on a news channel exactly why he is the world's fastest typist.
In the fourth photo, Cortez Peters Sr. is seen donating ten brand new typewriters to the U.S. Government in support of the Government's drive to own "600,000 machines" for the World War II effort. Photo taken in November, 1942.
Cortez W. Peters, Sr. was the world speed typing champion. He is the father-in-law of Green Bay Packers great Willie Woods. Originally from Maryland, Peters lived most of his life in Washington, D.C. From an early age, Peters was known for his unusual ability to concentrate for long periods of time. It was reportedly very difficult to distract him while he was typing.
Peters, along with his son, developed special competition keyboarding methods and techniques that became the foundation of modern typing instruction worldwide. His son, Cortez Peters, Jr. became the world champion after him. His son's records only bettered his own records due to the advent of more advanced, electric and electronic keyboards that permitted higher typing speeds. Also see the grave of Cortez Peters, Jr.
Peters won his first international typing championship in 1925 with a 141 word per minute perfect timing on a manual typewriter. His continual improvement as a typist coupled with the advent of more advanced typewriters allowed him set a typing world record of 180 words per minute, without a single mistake (an average of 15 keystrokes per second), on a manual typewriter, later on in life. He holds numerous unbroken records, including 148 words per minute, for 60 straight minutes, without a single error, without subtracting out time required to change typing paper.
He appeared on a variety of television shows, including "What's my line", various educational programs, and news programs. He even appeared on "Ripley's Believe it or Not" in the mid 1950s when he typed 100 flawless words per minute on a manual typewriter while outdoors in subfreezing temperatures while wearing fingerless mittens.
Cortez Peters Sr. opened the Cortez Peters business schools in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Chicago. The schools were the first black-owned schools in the field, and during their tenure trained approximately 45,000 students. Both Peters Sr. and Peters Jr. made careers out of teaching their craft to others.
In the first photo, Cortez Peters Sr. is photographed sitting at a late model Royal typewriter.
In the second photo, Cortez Peters Sr. demonstrates typing to Taylor High School students and staff.
In the third photo, Cortez Peters Sr. demonstrates on a news channel exactly why he is the world's fastest typist.
In the fourth photo, Cortez Peters Sr. is seen donating ten brand new typewriters to the U.S. Government in support of the Government's drive to own "600,000 machines" for the World War II effort. Photo taken in November, 1942.
Peters, along with his son, developed special competition keyboarding methods and techniques that became the foundation of modern typing instruction worldwide. His son, Cortez Peters, Jr. became the world champion after him. His son's records only bettered his own records due to the advent of more advanced, electric and electronic keyboards that permitted higher typing speeds. Also see the grave of Cortez Peters, Jr.
Peters won his first international typing championship in 1925 with a 141 word per minute perfect timing on a manual typewriter. His continual improvement as a typist coupled with the advent of more advanced typewriters allowed him set a typing world record of 180 words per minute, without a single mistake (an average of 15 keystrokes per second), on a manual typewriter, later on in life. He holds numerous unbroken records, including 148 words per minute, for 60 straight minutes, without a single error, without subtracting out time required to change typing paper.
He appeared on a variety of television shows, including "What's my line", various educational programs, and news programs. He even appeared on "Ripley's Believe it or Not" in the mid 1950s when he typed 100 flawless words per minute on a manual typewriter while outdoors in subfreezing temperatures while wearing fingerless mittens.
Cortez Peters Sr. opened the Cortez Peters business schools in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Chicago. The schools were the first black-owned schools in the field, and during their tenure trained approximately 45,000 students. Both Peters Sr. and Peters Jr. made careers out of teaching their craft to others.
In the first photo, Cortez Peters Sr. is photographed sitting at a late model Royal typewriter.
In the second photo, Cortez Peters Sr. demonstrates typing to Taylor High School students and staff.
In the third photo, Cortez Peters Sr. demonstrates on a news channel exactly why he is the world's fastest typist.
In the fourth photo, Cortez Peters Sr. is seen donating ten brand new typewriters to the U.S. Government in support of the Government's drive to own "600,000 machines" for the World War II effort. Photo taken in November, 1942.
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