The 20th Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, District of Columbia on May 29, 1947, sponsored by the E.W. Scripps Company.
The winner was 14-year-old girl Mattie Lou Pollard of Thomaston, Georgia, who attended a one-room schoolhouse, correctly spelling the word chlorophyll. Pollard had placed sixth in the prior's years bee. Fourteen-year-old Sonya Rodolfo of Chicago (but a native of the Philippines) took second, and failed to spell "maggoty", followed by Suzanne Gelin of Parma, Ohio, who misspelled "sarsaparilla".[1] [2] Fourth place when to Sharon Gross of Akron, Ohio, who misspelled "bellicose" in the 31st round.[3]
Pollard was the first Bee winner from Georgia. She later worked for the Department of Defense, and the National Park Service. She died in Norcross, Georgia on January 10, 2006.[4]