18th Scripps National Spelling Bee explained

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".^{[1] [2] [3]}

Earnhart was the first 11-year-old to win the bee since Frank Neuhauser won the 1st bee in 1925.^[4]

Notes and References

1. (27 May 1942). El Paso Schoolboy Wins Spelling Honors, Victoria Advocate
2. (27 May 2016). 1942 Scripps National Spelling Bee Championship, National WWII Museum Blog
3. (8 June 1942). Meet the Champ, TIME
4. Maguire, James. American Bee: The National Spelling Bee and the Culture of Word Nerds, p. 73 (2006)