46th Scripps National Spelling Bee
| 46th Scripps National Spelling Bee | |
|---|---|
 The Mayflower Hotel, site of the 46th National Spelling Bee | |
| Date | June 13-14, 1973 |
| Location | The Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. |
| Winner | Barrie Trinkle |
| Age | 13 |
| Residence | Fort Worth, Texas |
| Sponsor | Fort Worth Press |
| Sponsor location | Fort Worth, Texas |
| Winning word | vouchsafe |
| No. of contestants | 78[1] |
| Preceded by | 45th Scripps National Spelling Bee |
| Followed by | 47th Scripps National Spelling Bee |
The 46th Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, D.C. at the Mayflower Hotel on June 13-14, 1973, sponsored by the E.W. Scripps Company.
The winner was 13-year old Barrie Trinkle, a seventh-grader at McLean Middle School in Fort Worth, Texas, spelling "vouchsafe." It was her third time in the national bee; she had finished fifth the prior year (and 28th in 1971), and wore the same blue jumper (her "lucky" dress) that she had worn in her prior bees.[1][2][3] Second place went to 14-year old Stephen Hayes of Oxon Hill, Maryland, who fell on "onomastics."[1][4][5]
There were 78 entrants this year, from ages 10-14 and grades 5-8.[2] The competition lasted 17 rounds and used 518 words.[4] By the end of the first day of competition, seven rounds were completed, and the field was reduced to 25.[3] Trinkle won $1,000 for placing first.[3]
Trinkle later became a word panelist for the spelling bee and co-wrote the book How to Spell Like a Champ: Roots, Lists, Rules, Games, Tricks, & Bee-Winning Tips from the Pros (2006).[6]
References
- 1 2 3 Ritt, Carl (14 June 1973). 13-year-old Texas girls wins national spelling bee, Evansville Press
- 1 2 Ritt, Carl (13 June 1973). Mike Kelley passes first test, Evansville Press
- 1 2 3 (14 June 1973). Texas girl wins prize for spelling, Eugene Register Guard (Associated Press)
- 1 2 (14 June 1973). 'Onomastics' Decides Spelling Bee, Milwaukee Journal (Associated Press)
- ↑ Maguire, James. American Bee: The National Spelling Bee and the Culture of Word Nerds, 14 Champion's Profile (2006)
- ↑ Barrie Trinkle, Gannett Online, Retrieved 7 July 2015