The 14th National Spelling Bee was held at the National Museum in Washington, D.C., on May 31, 1938.(31 May 1938). Spelling Bee Finals: 22 Boys and Girls Compete for $1750 Cash Prizes, The New York Sun Scripps-Howard would not sponsor the Bee until 1941.
The winner was 12-year-old Marian Richardson, who attended a one-room schoolhouse in Floyd County, Indiana, correctly spelling the word sanitarium. Jean Pierce of Kenmore, New York placed second after failing to correctly spell pronunciation.List of National Spelling Bee Champions(1 June 1938). Farm Girl Wins Spelling Bee, Lawrence Journal-World
Winner Marian Richardson, later Byrnes, dedicated her life to advocacy. As a college student, she organized one of Indiana University's first NAACP chapters, later becoming a Chicago teacher, a mother of four, and a fierce environmental hero. In 1979, she successfully rallied her neighbors to block a transit facility from destroying the prairie behind her Chicago home. She spent decades leading environmental task forces, stopping a proposed airport, and shuttering a hazardous waste incinerator. She died on May 20, 2010.Eldeib, Duaa. (30 May 2010). Southeast Side activist fought for environment, Chicago Tribune
References