--- title: Photos From the 1946 Scripps National Spelling Bee description: On May 27 and 28, 2015, the nation's best young spellers continue a tradition that began in 1925. canonical: https://time.com/3856046/spelling-bee/ author: Eliza Berman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-05-28T12:00:52.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:41:06.537Z og:title: When the National Spelling Bee Returned From Its Wartime Hiatus og:description: On May 27 and 28, 2015, the nation's best young spellers continue a tradition that began in 1925. og:url: https://time.com/3856046/spelling-bee/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3a13065fdff841a2/6987ef730b72e3435e6e2026/150512-spelling-bee-06.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2100 og:image:height: 1181 og:image:alt: National Spelling Bee 1946 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: When the National Spelling Bee Returned From Its Wartime Hiatus twitter:description: On May 27 and 28, 2015, the nation's best young spellers continue a tradition that began in 1925. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3a13065fdff841a2/6987ef730b72e3435e6e2026/150512-spelling-bee-06.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # When the National Spelling Bee Returned From Its Wartime Hiatus > Sponsored content. 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Terms and conditions apply. * Savings buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Savings Account. * No ATM fees from Ally Bank at Allpoint and Moneypass ATMs plus we reimburse for fees charged by other ATM owners nationwide up to $10 per statement cycle. * Early direct deposit offers eligible direct deposits up to two days sooner. * Spending buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Spending Account. ## Video: Spellbinding Facts From Scripps Spelling Bee's Past [Watch (HLS stream): Spellbinding Facts From Scripps Spelling Bee's Past](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/QKCEBn81.m3u8) (1:50)  _Published 2015-05-27. The Scripps National Spelling Bee inevitably ends in agony — and a ding — for so many young spellers. But they came a long way to get to this level._  by [Eliza Berman](https://time.com/author/eliza-berman/)  ## Eliza Berman Berman is a senior editor at TIME. May 28, 2015 12:00 PM UTC  A contestant appears to be pondering a tough word or lamenting a missed opportunity. A contestant appears to be pondering a tough word or lamenting a missed opportunity. Walter B. Lane—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  by [Eliza Berman](https://time.com/author/eliza-berman/)  ## Eliza Berman Berman is a senior editor at TIME. May 28, 2015 12:00 PM UTC Like many other nonessential activities, the Scripps National Spelling Bee took a hiatus during World War II as energy and resources were directed toward the war effort. When the competition returned in 1946, LIFE dispatched a photographer to capture the contest. Though the photographs were never published, historical records state that the Bee that year was held in Des Moines, Iowa, and its champion was John McKinney, who correctly spelled the word “semaphore” (noun, French origin, [definition](http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american%5Fenglish/semaphore): “a system of sounding messages by holding the arms or two flags or poles in certain positions according to an alphabetic code”). This year’s bee will be held May 27 and 28\. The words appear to have increased in difficulty over time — _therapy_, _initials_ and _dulcimer_ in the 1940s compared to _appoggiatura_, _guetapens_ and _feuilleton_ in the last decade — but the contestants’ expressions of puzzlement, exasperation and triumph are timeless. _Liz Ronk, who edited this gallery, is the Photo Editor for LIFE.com. Follow her on Twitter_ [_@lizabethronk_](https://twitter.com/LizabethRonk)_._  A contestant at the National Spelling Bee in 1946 ponders a word. Walter B. Lane—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Preparing for the 1946 National Spelling Bee. Walter B. Lane—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Practicing tough words in advance of the spelling bee, Walter B. Lane—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Practicing tough words in advance of the spelling bee, Walter B. Lane—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  The audience looks on as contestants attempt various words. Walter B. Lane—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  A contestant appears to be pondering a tough word or lamenting a missed opportunity. Walter B. Lane—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  National Spelling Bee, 1946. Walter B. Lane—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  National Spelling Bee, 1946. Walter B. Lane—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  The audience looks on at the National Spelling Bee, 1946. Walter B. Lane—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Competing spellers at the National Spelling Bee, 1946. Walter B. Lane—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  National Spelling Bee, 1946. Walter B. Lane—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  A contestant receives attention from the press. Walter B. Lane—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Triumphant contestants at the National Spelling Bee, 1946. Walter B. Lane—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images ## Transcript [00:00] So begins that strange time of year when we all tune in to [00:03] TVs to watch the spoken work. More than that, the spelled [00:07] work. The Scripps National Spelling Bee inevitably ends in [00:10] agony and a ding for so many young spellers. [ NOISE ] [00:12] Doh! All [00:17] of them fighting to be that one verbose victor, if you will. [00:20] E- U- O- N- Y- M euonym! The [00:29] celebrations end The pressure leading up to them were [00:32] often admittedly over the top but to be fair, so are the steps [00:36] these kids took to get to this level of competition. Once [00:39] they've made it past their local and regional levels, the [00:42] contestants have outspelled more than 10 million other [00:45] children. As you can see at this level, the words quickly get [00:48] harder. I was a nervous wreck. [ LAUGH ] So I love my [00:51] baby to death so I had to walk out. I couldn't even stand [00:53] inside. But the national spelling be is held each year at the [00:56] Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center south of [00:59] Washington D. C. Once they reach this spot, spellers have [01:02] to make it through preliminaries, semi- finals, and finals. [01:05] Bio- illogicality. [01:08] The man you'll hear from most often is Jacques Bailly, the [01:11] official pronouncer of the Bee, and it's champion when he [01:14] was a child in 1980. The first ever champion was Frank [01:17] Neuhauser. From Louisville, who in 1925 correctly spelled [01:21] gladiolus for the win. 2014 saw two champions, both Ansun [01:24] Sujoe and Sriram Hathwar correctly spelled the entire [01:29] 25 word spelling list to end in a tie. Sujoe's last word [01:33] was feuilleton. While Hathwar correctly spelled [01:37] stichomythia. Scripts says no one is quite sure why it is [01:40] called a spelling bee. 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