| 19th Scripps National Spelling Bee | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Date | May 24, 1946 |
| Location | Auditorium of the National Press Building, Washington, D.C.[1][2] |
| Winner | John McKinney |
| Age | 13 |
| Residence | Woodbine, Iowa |
| Sponsor | The Des Moines Register and Tribune |
| Sponsor location | Des Moines, Iowa |
| Winning word | semaphore |
| No. of contestants | 29 |
| Pronouncer | Harold F. Harding[3] |
| Preceded by | 18th Scripps National Spelling Bee |
| Followed by | 20th Scripps National Spelling Bee |
The 19th Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, District of Columbia on May 24, 1946, sponsored by the E.W. Scripps Company. There had been no National Spelling Bee since 1942 due to World War II.
There were 29 contestants, ranging in age from 11 to 14. The winner was 13-year-old John McKinney of Woodbine, Iowa, correctly spelling flaccid, followed by semaphore. Mary McCarthy of New York placed second, missing flaccid, followed by Leslie Dean, 12, of New Jersey in third. 10-year-old Jay Noble of Staten Island, New York placed fourth.[4][5][6][1]
The first place prize was a $500 bond (plus $150 in cash).[6]
- ^ a b Berman, Eliza (28 May 2015). When the National Spelling Bee Returned From Its Wartime Hiatus, TIME (collection of photographs taken by a LIFE photographer of the 1946 contest; photos show a National Press Club emblem on the auditorium wall)
- ^ (11 February 1946). P.S. Pupils to Compete in Press Club Spelling Bee, Brooklyn Daily Eagle, p. 7, col. 3.
- ^ (29 June 2004)Iowa native recalls his spelling bee victory, Des Moines Register (article has photo of Woodbine and Harold Harding, identified as the pronouncer for that Bee)
- ^ (25 May 1946). Spelling 'Flaccid' Correctly Won Him $650 And A Trip To New York, Daytona Beach Morning Journal
- ^ (3 June 1946). Education: What's the Good Word?, TIME
- ^ a b (24 May 1946) Want to be good speller? Read a lot, Champions say, St. Petersburg Times (Associated Press)