| 43rd Scripps National Spelling Bee | |
|---|---|
 The Mayflower Hotel, site of the 43rd National Spelling Bee | |
| Date | June 3–4, 1970 |
| Location | The Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. |
| Winner | Libby Childress |
| Age | 14 |
| Residence | Mount Airy, North Carolina |
| Sponsor | Winston-Salem Journal & Sentinel |
| Sponsor location | Winston-Salem, North Carolina |
| Winning word | croissant |
| No. of contestants | 74[1] |
| Pronouncer | Richard R. Baker |
| Preceded by | 42nd Scripps National Spelling Bee |
| Followed by | 44th Scripps National Spelling Bee |
The 43rd Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, D.C. at the Mayflower Hotel on June 3–4, 1970, sponsored by the E.W. Scripps Company.
The winner was 14-year-old Libby Childress of Mount Airy, North Carolina, with the winning word "croissant". The competition ended with an 18-word duel with 14-year-old Tom Moe Jr. of Denver, who eventually misspelled "corymb" as "chorimbe".[2][3][4][5]
There were 74 spellers this year, 44 girls and 30 boys.[1] The first-place prize was $1000 (and a trip to New York City), $500 for second, $250 for third, $100 for next five, $75 for next ten, and $50 each for the remaining spellers.[1]
As of 2015, Childress is the last entrant from North Carolina to win the national contest.[6]
- ^ a b c Macino, Richard L. (2 June 1970). Champ Finds D.C. Capital Idea, Pittsburgh Press
- ^ (4 June 1970). Spelling Bee Winners Hies To City Sights, Sarasota Journal (Associated Press)
- ^ Macino, Richard L. (5 June 1970). 'Corymb' Spells Victory In Bee, Pittsburgh Press
- ^ (5 June 1970). Practice Pays for Teen Spelling Champ, Palm Beach Post (UPI)
- ^ (4 June 1970). Champion Speller, Reading Eagle (Associated Press wire photo of Childress and Moe)
- ^ (30 May 2013). Celebrating the ability to spell, Times-News (Burlington, North Carolina)