Cortez Peters Sr.

Cortez W. Peters, Sr. (December 23, 1906-December 1964) was the world speed typing champion. Originally from Maryland, Peters lived most of his life in Washington, D.C.

Cortez Peters Sr. is often believed to the greatest speed typing champion of all time. While other speed typing champions have come close to matching his numerous world records, they have only done so on modern computer keyboards in which much higher typing speeds can be attained.

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 article on Cortez Peters Jr.

Peters 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. For those who have never typed on a manual typewriter, they require incredible finger strength and are extremely difficult to type at high rates of speed on. Cortez could type at astonishing speeds on manual typewriters for hours at a time without a single mistake. He 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 an estimated 45,000 students.

Peters, along with his son, developed special competition keyboarding methods and techniques that became the foundation of modern typing instruction worldwide.

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