5th Scripps National Spelling Bee explained
The 5th National Spelling Bee was held at the National Museum in Washington, D.C., on May 21, 1929, by the Louisville Courier-Journal. Scripps-Howard would not sponsor the Bee until 1941.
The winner was 12-year-old Virginia Hogan of Nebraska, a student at St. John's Parochial School in Omaha,[1] correctly spelling the word luxuriance, followed by asceticism. In second place came Viola Strbac of Milwaukee, Wisconsin (who had failed to properly spell luxuriance),[2] followed by Teru Hayashi of Ventnor City, New Jersey, a Japanese-American who stumbled on "panacea".[3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]
Hogan was first bee winner from her state. She died in Fremont, Nebraska, in 1976.[(24 November 1976). Spelling champ dies, Lincoln Star (married name Virginia Hogan McDonald)] Nebraska did not have another winner until the 40th Bee in 1967.[9]
Notes and References
- (4 May 1929). State Grade School Spelling Champ, Lincoln Journal Star (article on Hogan winning Nebraska state bee on Friday, May 3, 1929, noting her school)
- (26 May 1929). Speller sobs over failure, Milwaukee Journal
- (22 May 1929). Omaha Girl Spells "Luxuriance" In Huge Tongue-Twister Contest, And Wins National Championship, Evening Independent
- (24 May 1929). An Honor for Wisconsin Children, Milwaukee Journal
- (24 May 1929). Bag of Gold Hers, Troy Times (Troy, New York) (photograph of Hogan)
- (3 June 1929). Education: Bee, Time (magazine) "Unfalteringly she spelled "luxuriance" correctly, after Viola Strbac of South Milwaukee had failed by suggesting "l-u-x-u-r-i-e-n-c-e". Little Teru Hayashi of Ventnor, N. J., spelled rapidly, unerringly, until confronted with 'panacea'."
- (8 May 1929). Best Spellers At School 6 in Training For Albany Championship May 17, Albany Evening News
- (22 May 1929). Girl from Capital District Outspells Five Champions Before Meeting Defeat, Albany Evening News
- Dejka, Joe (22 May 2016). Omaha eighth-grader, already Midwest champion, is headed to Scripps National Spelling Bee, Omaha World-Herald