5th Scripps National Spelling Bee

5th National Spelling Bee
{
DateMay 21, 1929
LocationNational Museum in Washington, D.C.
WinnerVirginia Hogan
Age12
ResidenceNebraska
SponsorOmaha World-Herald
Sponsor locationOmaha, Nebraska
Winning wordasceticism
No. of contestants21[1]
PronouncerFrancis A. Litz and Charles E. Hill[2]
Preceded by4th Scripps National Spelling Bee
Followed by6th Scripps National Spelling Bee

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,[3] correctly spelling the word luxuriance, followed by asceticism. In second place came Viola Strbac of Milwaukee, Wisconsin (who had failed to properly spell luxuriance),[4] followed by Teru Hayashi of Ventnor City, New Jersey, a Japanese-American who stumbled on "panacea".[1][5][6][7][8][9]

Hogan was first bee winner from her state. She died in Fremont, Nebraska, in 1976.[10] Nebraska did not have another winner until the 40th Bee in 1967.[11]

  1. ^ a b (22 May 1929). Omaha Girl Spells "Luxuriance" In Huge Tongue-Twister Contest, And Wins National Championship, Evening Independent
  2. ^ 15 June 1929). Catholic School Girl Wins National Spelling Contest, The Bulletin (Catholic Laymens Association of Georgia)
  3. ^ (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)
  4. ^ (26 May 1929). Speller sobs over failure, Milwaukee Journal
  5. ^ (24 May 1929). An Honor for Wisconsin Children, Milwaukee Journal
  6. ^ (24 May 1929). Bag of Gold Hers, Troy Times (Troy, New York) (photograph of Hogan)
  7. ^ (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. ^ (8 May 1929). Best Spellers At School 6 in Training For Albany Championship May 17, Albany Evening News
  9. ^ (22 May 1929). Girl from Capital District Outspells Five Champions Before Meeting Defeat, Albany Evening News
  10. ^ (24 November 1976). Spelling champ dies, Lincoln Star (married name Virginia Hogan McDonald)
  11. ^ Dejka, Joe (22 May 2016). Omaha eighth-grader, already Midwest champion, is headed to Scripps National Spelling Bee, Omaha World-Herald