11th Scripps National Spelling Bee
| 11th National Spelling Bee | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Date | May 28, 1935 |
| Location | National Museum in Washington, D.C. |
| Winner | Clara Mohler |
| Age | 13 |
| Residence | Coventry Township, Ohio[1] |
| Sponsor | Akron Beacon Journal |
| Sponsor location | Akron, Ohio |
| Winning word | intelligible |
| No. of contestants | 20[2] |
| Pronouncer | Charles E. Hill[3] |
| Preceded by | 10th Scripps National Spelling Bee |
| Followed by | 12th Scripps National Spelling Bee |
The 11th National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, D.C. at the National Museum on May 28, 1935.[2] Scripps-Howard would not sponsor the Bee until 1941.
The 20 spellers had a banquet at the Hamilton Hotel on the evening of May 27 before proceeding to the National Museum the next day for the competition.[1]
The winner was Clara Mohler, 13, of Ohio, correctly spelling the word interning, which had been misspelled by the prior speller, followed by intelligible.[1][4] Paul McCusker, 13, of Niagara Falls, New York took second, followed by Bruce Ackerman of Illinois in third.[5][6]
As of 2026, Mohler is one of five spellers from the Akron area and sponsored by the Akron Beacon Journal to win the Bee, a list that also includes Dean Lucas in 1927, Alma Roach in 1933, Jean Chappelear in 1948, and William Kerek in 1964.[7]
Mohler later obtained a degree in foreign languages from Ohio University and was an educator for over 40 years. She died in 2013.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Price, Mark J. (17 May 2015). Local history: Coventry girl, 13, spelled her way to national fame in 1935 bee, Akron Beacon Journal
- ^ a b (20 May 1935). Dinner Planned for Bee Champs, Nassau Daily Review
- ^ (7 March 1935). Spelling, News Journal
- ^ Chesley, Mabel Norris (1 November 1975). Spelling Bee A Big Event, Daytona Beach Morning Journal (memories of Akron reporter of 1935 contest)
- ^ (30 May 1935). Girl Is Winner In National Spelling Bee, Pittsburgh Post Gazette
- ^ (22 June 1935). Catholic School Pupil Takes 2nd Place in Nat'l Spelling Bee Archived 2014-11-08 at the Wayback Machine, Arkansas Catholic, p. 6, col. 1
- ^ 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)