The 73rd
Scripps National Spelling Bee
The Scripps National Spelling Bee (formerly the Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee and commonly called the National Spelling Bee) is an annual spelling bee held in the United States. The bee is run on a not-for-profit basis by The E. W. Scri ...
was held in
Washington, D.C.
)
, 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, ...
at the
Grand Hyatt Washington
Grand Hyatt Washington is a hotel in Washington, D.C., in the United States. The 897-room hotel, located at 1000 H Street NW, serves both tourist and business travel. From the time the hotel opened until 2003, it was directly across from the Washin ...
on May 31 – June 1, 2000, 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 ...
.
Twelve-year-old George Abraham Thampy, from
Saint Louis, Missouri
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which ...
won the competition by correctly spelling the word "
demarche".
[(2 June 2000)]
George Thampy claims spelling bee crown
''St. Louis Post-Dispatch
The ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch'' is a major regional newspaper based in St. Louis, Missouri, serving the St. Louis metropolitan area. It is the largest daily newspaper in the metropolitan area by circulation, surpassing the ''Belleville News-De ...
'' Thampy had taken third place in the
prior year's bee, and fourth place in the
1998 bee.
He also took second place in the National Geography Bee a week before winning the Spelling Bee. Thampy was the second home-schooled student to ever win the Bee.
[Johnson, Sharon (2 June 2000)]
'Xanadu' stops Utahn in national spelling bee - Home-schooled boy from Missouri wins
''Desert News'' The first was Rebecca Sealfon at
the 1997 bee.
[(2 June 2000)]
H-O-M-E schooling spells a winner
''The Washington Times''
Second place went to 12-year old Sean Conley of
Newark, California
Newark is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It was incorporated as a city in September 1955. Newark is an enclave, surrounded by the city of Fremont. The three cities of Newark, Fremont, and Union City make up the Tri-City ...
who missed "apotropaic". He went on to win the
next year's Bee. Third place went to 14-year old Allison Miller of
Niskayuna, New York
Niskayuna is a town in Schenectady County, New York, United States. The population was 23,278 at the 2020 census. The town is located in the southeast part of the county, east of the city of Schenectady, and is the easternmost town in the county. ...
, who missed "venire".
There were 248 spellers this year. 138 spellers were eliminated in the first day of competition. The first place prize was $10,000, followed by $5000 for second, and $3000 for third place.
[Holland, Jesse J. (31 May 2000)]
Spellers survive first rounds to make it finals
''Shawano Leader'' (Associated Press)
References
Scripps National Spelling Bee competitions
2000 in Washington, D.C.
2000 in education
May 2000 events in the United States
June 2000 events in the United States
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