26th Scripps National Spelling Bee | |
---|---|
Date | May 1953 |
Location | Department of Commerce auditorium, Washington, D.C. |
Winner | Elizabeth Hess |
Age | 13 |
Residence | Arizona |
Sponsor | Arizona Republic |
Sponsor location | Phoenix, Arizona |
Winning word | soubrette |
No. of contestants | 53 |
Pronouncer | Benson S. Alleman |
Preceded by | 25th Scripps National Spelling Bee |
Followed by | 27th Scripps National Spelling Bee |
The 26th Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, District of Columbia in May 1953, by the E.W. Scripps Company.
The winner was 13-year-old Elizabeth Hess of Arizona, correctly spelling the word soubrette. 11-year-old Raymond A. Sokolov of Detroit, Michigan placed second, falling on "spermaceti," after finishing 22nd the prior year. Third place went to 13-year-old David Hudson of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, who had placed sixth the prior year.
There were 53 contestants this year, and 541 words were used. The contest started at 8:45 am and continued until 5:40pm except for a lunch break and brief recesses.