The 52nd Scripps National Spelling Bee was held at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C., on June 6–7, 1979, sponsored by the E.W. Scripps Company.
| 52nd Scripps National Spelling Bee | |
|---|---|
 The Mayflower Hotel, site of the 52nd National Spelling Bee. The competition moved to the Capital Hilton the next year. | |
| Date | June 6–7, 1979 |
| Location | The Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. |
| Winner | Katie Kerwin |
| Age | 13 |
| Residence | Colorado |
| Sponsor | Rocky Mountain News |
| Sponsor location | Denver, Colorado |
| Winning word | maculature |
| No. of contestants | 109 |
| Pronouncer | Richard R. Baker |
| Preceded by | 51st Scripps National Spelling Bee |
| Followed by | 53rd Scripps National Spelling Bee |
Competition
editKatie Kerwin McCrimmon, 13, of Colorado won the competition, spelling "maculature". Her brother Greg had been in the 1973 bee, and sister Mary in 1975.[1][2][3][4][5][6] She would later go on to become a TV commentator of the Bee once it began being broadcast on television. The competition saw Julie Won of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania run second, losing on the word "virescence".[2] She had taken third place the previous year. [6]
The competition had 109 contestants, a new record at the time, 63 girls and 46 boys, ranging from age 10 to 14. By the end of the first day, only 32 spellers remained.[4][6][7] The second day started with the completion of the seventh round, which eliminated six more.[4]
Richard Baker served as pronouncer.[8]
References
edit- ^ "Scripps National Spelling Bee list of Champions and Their Winning Words". Archived from the original on 2012-11-17. Retrieved 2015-06-10.
- ^ a b Associated Press (June 7, 1979). "Spelling Bee is Won by Denver 13-Year Old". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Retrieved June 7, 2010.
- ^ Associated Press (June 7, 1979). "Under A Spell (photos)". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Retrieved June 7, 2010.
- ^ a b c United Press International (June 6, 1979). "'Maculature' Is Winning Word". Daily Record (Washington). Archived from the original on January 24, 2013. Retrieved June 7, 2010.
- ^ Reader's Direst 1980 Almanac and Yearbook, p.690 (1980) (ISBN 978-0895770790) ("Katie Kerwin, 13, of Denver, won the National Spelling Bee by spelling "maculature" correctly")
- ^ a b c (8 June 1979). Spelling bee stumps many, but practice pays for champ, Lakeland Ledger (Associated Press)
- ^ Grisham, Sharon (6 June 1979). Tri-State speller goes out in 5th round, Evansville Press
- ^ Macino, Richard (7 June 1979). 'Cochineal' Spells End for Verona Student, Pittsburgh Press
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