| 16th Scripps National Spelling Bee | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Date | May 26, 1942 |
| Location | Auditorium of the National Press Building, Washington, D.C.[1] |
| Winner | Richard Earnhart |
| Age | 11 |
| Residence | El Paso, Texas |
| Sponsor | El Paso Herald-Post |
| Sponsor location | El Paso, Texas |
| Winning word | sacrilegious |
| No. of contestants | 26[2] |
| Preceded by | 17th Scripps National Spelling Bee |
| Followed by | 19th Scripps National Spelling Bee |
The 18th Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, District of Columbia on May 26, 1942, by the E.W. Scripps Company. There was no National Spelling Bee after this competition until 1946 due to World War II.
The winner was 11-year-old Richard Earnhart of El Paso, Texas, correctly spelling the word sacrilegious. Second place went to 15-year-old Margaret Montgomery of Iowa, followed by Hazel M. LaPrade of Massachusetts, who misspelled "paucity".[3][4][2]
Earnhart was the first 11-year-old to win the bee since Frank Neuhauser won the 1st bee in 1925.[5]
- ^ (22 May 1942). Champ Speller and Teacher Leave for National Spelling Bee, El Paso Herald-Post
- ^ a b (8 June 1942). Meet the Champ, TIME
- ^ (27 May 1942). El Paso Schoolboy Wins Spelling Honors, Victoria Advocate
- ^ (27 May 2016). 1942 Scripps National Spelling Bee Championship, National WWII Museum Blog
- ^ Maguire, James. American Bee: The National Spelling Bee and the Culture of Word Nerds, p. 73 (2006)