12th Scripps National Spelling Bee
The 12th National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, D.C., on May 26, 1936, at the National Museum. Scripps-Howard did not sponsor the Bee until 1941.
| 12th National Spelling Bee | |
|---|---|
| Date | May 26, 1936 |
| Location | National Museum in Washington, D.C. |
| Winner | Jean Trowbridge |
| Age | 13 |
| Residence | Stuart, Iowa |
| Sponsor | The Des Moines Register and Tribune |
| Sponsor location | Des Moines, Iowa |
| Winning word | eczema |
| No. of contestants | 17 |
| Pronouncer | H.E. Warner and Harold F. Harding |
| Preceded by | 11th Scripps National Spelling Bee |
| Followed by | 13th Scripps National Spelling Bee |
The winner was Jean Trowbridge, age 13, of Stuart, Iowa, with the word eczema. Thirteen-year-old Bruce Ackerman, of Tazewell County, Illinois, who took 3rd the prior year, came in second. Catherine Davis, 13, of Indiana took third, falling on "shrieking".
In the final rounds, Trowbridge was first disqualified for "numskull", which Ackerman then spelled as "numbskull" followed by "gnome" for the apparent win. The judges then realized that "numskull" was an acceptable spelling, and the contest continued. Ackerman misspelled "predilection" a few words later, which Trowbridge spelled correctly followed by "eczema" for the win.
The final hour of the competition was broadcast on radio on the Columbia broadcasting system.
As of 2014, winner Jean Trowbridge (married name Tyler) was living in Grand Junction, Colorado.