1967

The 40th Scripps-Howard National Spelling Bee took place on June 8th, 1967. It was held at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C., and 73 spellers participated.

1967 winner Jennifer Reinke won the competition without ever asking for any of the word information, like origin, alternate pronunciations or for it to be used in a sentence!

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About the 40th Bee

Champion

Jennifer Reinke

Deshler, Nebraska

Jennifer Reinke, age 14, sponsored by the Omaha World-Herald, won the $1,000 prize by correctly spelling the word “Chihuahua.”

Jennifer became a word and spelling bee philanthropist: She created a scholarship to be donated each year to the Thayer County (Nebraska) spelling bee champion, and funded a renovation for her hometown library in Deshler, Nebraska, which was renamed the Jennifer Reinke Public Library in 2016. She also worked in the office of her family business.

Location

Mayflower Hotel

at the Grand Ballroom

Winning Word

chihuahua(n)

chuh-WAH-wah

a very small, short- or long-haired dog typically weighing between two and six pounds and having a round head with short, slightly pointed muzzle and large, upright ears.

This word is from a Mexican geographical name.

OFFICIALS

Directors

James H. Wagner

Judges

  • John H. Lloyd
  • Leroy C. Dillard
  • Professor George E. Salt

Pronouncers

  • Dr. Richard R. Baker

SPELLER ROSTER

  • Colette Aziza
  • Mebane W. Baird
  • Ralph Banasiak
  • Karen Bidwell
  • Amy Blumenshine
  • Janet Bowman
  • Vicki Bozzola
  • Patty Bradley
  • Kathie Burns
  • Sally Byers
  • Susan Chastain
  • Anne Clark
  • Mary Clark
  • Katharine Clarke
  • Martha Jane Clewis
  • Teresa Cline
  • Steven G. Cody
  • Jane DeCourcy
  • Scott Denbina
  • Clifford Drowley
  • Patrick Edwards
  • Kevin Fay
  • Scott Firebaugh
  • Falba Foster
  • Fred Freeman
  • David A. Frieze
  • Greg Geno
  • Elizabeth Glasco
  • Patricia Greene
  • Melanie A. Groseclose
  • Diane Hebner
  • Milene Henley
  • Sherry Higgins
  • Kippe Jones
  • Robert Jones
  • Marshall Jones
  • Kathy Keller
  • Kay Kirkpatrick
  • Alexander S. Knisely
  • Carol Lewis
  • Pam Livingston
  • Kathleen Lyden
  • Janet MacIntyre
  • Harriet Margolis
  • Stephen Markowski
  • Mike McCall
  • Lynette Miller
  • Stephen Molk
  • Patrick J. Mulcahey
  • Richard Murphy
  • Paul Narbutas
  • Barbara Norton
  • Joan P. O’Connell
  • Timothy J. O’Toole
  • Charles Payne
  • Ella Perino
  • Teresa Rayacich
  • Jennifer Reinke
  • KayAnn Rizzuto
  • David A. Rosen
  • Timothy Roth
  • Julia Salamon
  • Bill Sando
  • Susan Shaw
  • Kathryn Ann Sheppard
  • Delora Simpson
  • Claire St. Sauver
  • Mary Anna Sullivan
  • Alice C. Weiss
  • Arlene Elizabeth Whitt
  • Dail Willis
  • Rosemary Wolf
  • William Zack

* Winner
** Runner-Up