The 29th Scripps National Spelling Bee was held at the Department of Commerce auditorium in

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

District of Columbia ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

on May 17, 1956, sponsored by the

E.W. Scripps Company The E. W. Scripps Company is an American broadcasting company founded in 1878 as a chain of daily newspapers by Edward Willis "E. W." Scripps and his sister, Ellen Browning Scripps. It was also formerly a media conglomerate. The company is he ...

.(11 May 1956)
63 Young Champions Entered In National Spelling Contest
''Wilmington Star-News'' The winner was 13-year-old Melody Sachko of

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

,Levin Steve (6 July 2003)
Past winners spell out pain and glory of 'The Bee'
''

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'' correctly spelling the word "

condominium A condominium (or condo for short) is an ownership structure whereby a building is divided into several units that are each separately owned, surrounded by common areas that are jointly owned. The term can be applied to the building or complex ...

". Second place went to Sandra Owen, a 13-year-old from

Justus, Ohio Justus is an unincorporated community in Stark County, in the U.S. state of Ohio. History Justus had its start in 1872 when the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railroad was extended to that point. The community was named after William H. Justus, one of t ...

, who failed to spell "afflatus".(18 May 1956)
'Affaltus' And 'Condominium' Win Melody Spelling Crown
''Sarasota Herald-Tribune'' (

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) Third-place was taken by Ann Malone Warren, 13, from

Monticello, Georgia Monticello is the largest city and the county seat of Jasper County, Georgia, United States. The city includes historic buildings such as the Jasper County Courthouse, Monticello High School and the Monticello Historic District. The populati ...

, and fourth went to Karin Carter, 12, of

San Francisco, California San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

.(19 May 1956)
Girl is Winner of Spelling Bee
''Kentucky New Era'' (Associated Press) There were 63 spellers this year, and boys (34) outnumbered girls (29) for the first time. Three spellers were return contestants, including Sachko, who had placed 6th in 1954. 632 words were used, and Bee took eight hours to complete. The first place award was $1,000, doubled from the previous year, with $500 for second place and $250 for third. The next five each received $100, the next ten $50, and the remaining 45 spellers $25 each.

References

Scripps National Spelling Bee competitions 1956 in Washington, D.C. 1956 in education 1956 awards May 1956 events in the United States {{lit-award-stub