The 10th National Spelling Bee was held at the National Museum in Washington, D.C., on May 29, 1934. Scripps-Howard would not sponsor the Bee until 1941.
The winner was 12-year-old Sarah Wilson of Gray, Maine, sponsored by the Portland Evening Express, correctly spelling the word brethren. She had also competed in the finals the prior year. James Wilson, age 13, of Canton, Illinois, placed second after misspelling deteriorating, followed by Helen Sullivan, age 13, of Connecticut.(3 July 1999). Maine speller advances in national competition, Bangor Daily News(8 June 1934). 12-Year-Old Girl Wins $1,000, Nunda News (Nunda, New York)
The prizes for the top three were $500, $300, and $100. The bee was broadcast on the radio, and when Sarah was asked if she had a message for her father, she responded on air "You remember Daddy, you promised me another $500 if I won first place!" She did say she wanted to use the money for college.Maguire, James. American Bee: The National Spelling Bee and the Culture of Word Nerds, p. 71 (2006)
Wilson (later married surname Garrett), graduated from Pennell Institute in her Maine hometown in 1938, the University of Vermont in 1941, and Yale Law School in 1944. She worked in Washington, D.C., as an attorney for the Internal Revenue Service for 41 years, retiring in 1986. She died in Maine on June 10, 1998.Town of Gray, Maine - History, graymaine.org, Retrieved 26 January 2018Sarah Wilson Garett (obituary), Maine Obituaries, Retrieved 26 January 2018(6 June 1998). Obituaries, Washington Post As of 2026, she is the only National Spelling Bee winner from Maine.
References