| 21st Scripps National Spelling Bee | |
|---|---|
 National Press Building | |
| Date | May 28, 1948 |
| Location | Auditorium of the National Press Building, Washington, D.C. |
| Winner | Jean Chappelear |
| Age | 14 |
| Residence | Black Horse, Ohio |
| Sponsor | Akron Beacon Journal |
| Sponsor location | Akron, Ohio |
| Winning word | psychiatry |
| No. of contestants | 40 |
| Pronouncer | Benson S. Alleman |
| Preceded by | 20th Scripps National Spelling Bee |
| Followed by | 22nd Scripps National Spelling Bee |
The 21st Scripps National Spelling Bee was hosted in Washington, District of Columbia on May 28, 1948, by the E.W. Scripps Company. The winner was 14-year-old Jean Chappelear of Ohio, who correctly spelled the word psychiatry.
Second place went to 14-year-old Darrell Flavelle of Washington, D.C., who misspelled "oligarchy", followed by Rosemary Schirmer of White Oak, Ohio who took third after missing "ecclesiastical". Both Chappellear and Flavelle missed "poncho" and "termagant" before the end. Chappellear held a "lucky penny" throughout the contest.
There were 40 contestants ages 11–14, and it ran longer than any prior bees, with a total of 593 words used.
Chappelear was the fourth Akron, Ohio based speller to win the Bee. Jean Ann (Chappelear) Schlupe died in Ohio on February 23, 2021.
References
- Edson, Arthur (29 May 1948). Clutches Good Luck Penny; Wins Match, Daytona Beach Morning Journal (Associated Press)
- Edson, Arthur (29 May 1948). Oligarchy! Blond of 14 Spells Psychiatry to Win U.S. Title, Milwaukee Sentinel (Associated Press)
- Maguire, James. American Bee: The National Spelling Bee and the Culture of Word Nerds, p. 74 (2006)
- (29 May 1948). Black Horse, O., Girl is Nation's Spelling Champ], Marion Star (United Press)
- Meyer, Philip (2 June 2014). June 4, 1964: Our Billy is champion speller in nation!, Akron Beacon Journal(reprint of story from June 4, 1964)
- (7 March 2021). Jean Ann Schlupe (1934-2021) (Obituary), Akron Beacon Journal