1941

The 17th Scripps-Howard National Spelling Bee took place on May 28th, 1941. It was held at the National Press Club Auditorium in Washington, D.C., and 29 spellers participated.

Louis Edward Sissman graduated as “Class Poet” from Harvard University in 1949 and received the Guggenheim Fellowship in 1968. His work was published in The New Yorker, Harper’s Magazine and The Atlantic.

Learn more

About the 17th Bee

Champion

Louis Edward Sissman

Detroit, Michigan

Louis Edward Sissman, age 13, sponsored by the Detroit News, won the $500 prize by correctly spelling the word “initials.”

Louis was a poet, essayist and advertising executive. He wrote poems and book reviews that were published in The New Yorker and also contributed to Harper’s Magazine. He died in 1976.

Location

National Press Club Auditorium

Winning Word

initials(n)

ih-NIH-shuls

the first letters of an individual's name and surname.

This word went from Latin to French.

OFFICIALS

Directors

Max B. Cook

Judges

  • William Harold Martin
  • Mrs. Wilford L. White
  • Dr. Belmont Farley

Pronouncers

  • Dr. W. Hayes Yeager

SPELLER ROSTER

  • Edith Bain Van Keuren
  • Anne Beekley
  • Paul H Benard
  • Sidney Bergman
  • Jean Boyle
  • Margaret Brodie
  • June Burgbacher
  • Scott Crom
  • Phyllis Davis
  • Reymundo De La Torre
  • Marian Diedling
  • Marian Ericson
  • Edna Gordon
  • Eddie Hall
  • Kenneth Havely
  • Phyllis Hendren
  • Douglas Keitly
  • Rita Kesterson
  • Joan Kohler
  • Miriam Lieverman
  • Homer Lyon Jr
  • Alice Mary Zandanel
  • Sara Meredith
  • Alton Newton
  • Charles Pentecost
  • Rebecca Searcy
  • Louis Edward Sissman
  • Lawrence Snider
  • Thomas Walker

* Winner
** Runner-Up