Before television and the 24-hour barrage of news, sports and entertainment, there was the National Spelling Bee. And it was a really big deal.
Inaugurated in 1925 by Kentucky’s Louisville Courier-Journal the National Spelling Bee was a way to generate “general interest among pupils in a dull subject.” The first national champion was 11-year-old Frank Neuhauser of Louisville, who correctly spelled “gladiolus” to claim a prize of $500, a lot of money for an 11-year-old. The idea caught on with parents and teachers, and with students who could excel at something other than sports.
By the time the Great Depression arrived, the competition gained new appeal (cash prizes have a tendency to do that). In 1938, Denver would boast its first national winner.
All Colorado students would take the same 100-word written test, and, in anticipation, teachers, parents and students perused lists of words and rehearsed for months. (There was an additional, unspoken rivalry between Catholic and public schools). The 82 pupils with the highest scores would represent their districts in an oral contest on Friday, April 29th, at the Denver City Auditorium. The sessions were broadcast on KLZ radio.
Students from outside of Denver stayed at the Brown Palace Hotel. Contestants were given a tour of Denver by the Denver Cab Company and treated to a luncheon at the Hoft-Schroeder Cafeteria. Honoring the spellers at the bee were Colorado governor, Elias Ammons, and Denver mayor, Benjamin Stapleton. Prize money was $100 for 1st place, $50 for second place and $25 for 3rd place.
Loretta Jackson of Holy Rosary School represented the Globeville neighborhood, but it was Loretta Quinn of Presentation Catholic School in Denver who became the first Colorado champion. By correctly spelling “equanimity” and “occasion,” she and her family were sent to Washington, D. C., to represent Colorado and the Rocky Mountain News at the National Spelling Bee. Before WWII, the awards at the national competition were: $500 first prize, $300 second prize, $100 third prize.
The Denver Catholic Register proudly proclaimed “Denver Cinderella Discovered in Spelling Contest,” and reported that Loretta was an “outstanding pupil,” the oldest of eight children, and that her father had died three years before. A Denver department store gave her a complete outfit for her eastern trip and several businesses offered cash prizes as well. (The Register included her home address in the article). Although Loretta Quinn did not win the national competition, she and her mother enjoyed the trip and the experience.
For years, the national finals were broadcast live on NBC and are now televised on ESPN. The National Spelling Bee is still a really big deal.
Gene Amole, columnist for the late Rocky Mountain News, advised,
“Always sit next to a Catholic girl in the newsroom,
because they know how to spell.”
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