33rd Scripps National Spelling Bee

The 33rd Scripps National Spelling Bee was held at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, District of Columbia on June 8–9, 1960, by the E.W. Scripps Company.[1]

33rd Scripps National Spelling Bee
The Mayflower Hotel, site of the 33rd National Spelling Bee
DateJune 8–9, 1960
LocationThe Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C.
WinnerHenry Feldman
Age13
ResidenceOak Ridge, Tennessee
SponsorKnoxville News Sentinel
Sponsor locationKnoxville, Tennessee
Winning wordeudaemonic
No. of contestants73
PronouncerBenson S. Alleman (last year)
Preceded by32nd Scripps National Spelling Bee
Followed by34th Scripps National Spelling Bee

The winner was Henry Feldman (age 13) of Oak Ridge, Tennessee and sponsored by the Knoxville News Sentinel, correctly spelling the word "eudaemonic". It was Feldman's third time in the competition; he had placed 20th the prior year. Second place went to Betty Jean Altschul of Norfolk, Virginia, who had misspelled "velleity". Altschul was also the shortest competitor, at 4 foot 6 inches, and stood on a dictionary in the final round to use the microphone.[2][3][4]

The competition had 73 entrants, 48 girls and 25 boys. Twenty-four (16 girls and 8 boys) advanced past the first day of spelling into the finals.[5][6] Benson Alleman, an English professor from Kentucky, was the pronouncer, for the 13th and final time, as he died before the next year's competition.[7][8]

References
  1. (4 June 1960). Debbie Griglak to Compete for Many National Spelling Bee Prizes in Washington, Daily Courier
  2. (4 August 1960). Spelling Feldman's Secret, Sarasota Journal
  3. (10 June 1961). 'Eudaemonic' Is Happy Word For Top Speller, Spartanburg Herald
  4. (9 June 1960). Oak Ridge Boy Spelling Bee Winner, Toledo Blade
  5. (8 June 1960). Spelling Bee Begins, Owosso Argus-Press (Associated Press)
  6. (9 June 1960). Girl is favored in spelling bee, Times News (UPI)
  7. Macguire, James. American Bee: The National Spelling Bee and the Culture of Word Nerds, p. 128 (2006)
  8. (28 April 1961). Dr. Baker LEads Bee Archived 2016-08-18 at the Wayback Machine, The UD Flyer News, p. 9.
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