Scripps-Howard National Spelling Bee Remarks on Greeting the Participants in the Contest.

THE PRESIDENT. First of all, let me say how delighted I am to have you here. I have a lot of groups come to the White House where I, as President, feel inferior in their presence, but I think this is the most overwhelming superior group I ever had to face. I don't have any doubt that everyone here can spell better than I can. [Laughter] And also my staff is not invulnerable. I noticed this morning in recognizing Jacques Bailly, they misspelled his name. [Laughter] I bet it's not the first time it's happened, is it?

MS. BAILLY. No.

THE PRESIDENT. I am glad to have you here. I've thought a lot this morning, after I saw the news reports and have followed the contest throughout our Nation this year—you're fortunate in being sponsored by, I believe, 108 newspapers. Is that correct? And this contest in pretty much its present form began in 1925, a year after I was born—55 years ago. And I know that you are the final superb product of one of the most intense competitions in the world.

As far as the number of contestants is concerned, I think beginning with roughly 8 million, a few thousand are chosen to compete in the final stages and ultimately a very tiny group come to the finals. So, you've been the product of a massive effort which culminates in a great achievement for all of you and a very gratifying moment for just one, and then everybody else suffers both the trauma of getting ready, the excitement of intermediate victories, and also experience a final defeat except one.

And that's kind of the way with life. We have in this country an opportunity to strive for excellence on our own, but with a lot of necessary help from teachers, from close family members, from those who work tedious hours, to make champions out of all of you. And when anybody succeeds in our competitive society, where each human being is so important, it requires those two things: one's own ability and initiative and hard work, and the support and encouragement of many others.

I'm very grateful that you would come and honor me today. We have observed with a great deal of interest the fact that Dr. Baker¹ I believe—is Dr. Baker here? Dr. Baker began the contest this year, I think by reading the 12,555th word that he has read in these top competitions. And when a President speaks, people do listen at times, but when Dr. Baker says a word, people really listen to what he says. [Laughter]

Thank you, Dr. Baker.

How many of you knew what "elucubrate" meant before yesterday? [Laughter] Did you, Dr. Baker?

¹ Dr. Richard Baker, pronouncer for the national competition.

DR. BAXTER. Not until I looked it up.

THE PRESIDENT. Did you, Jacques?

MR. BAILLY. No.

THE PRESIDENT. I didn't either. I looked it up this morning. How many of you know what it means now? I know what it means now. [Laughter]

Well, those kinds of words, to be able to spell them requires a great deal of knowledge-not about that particular word, but about the derivations of words. I think it came from a French word meaning to study by candlelight or something of that kind, didn't it? And it means, of course, to express something and to work on something—do you want to finish, Jacques?— [laughter] —by studious effort. And that's a good summary, I think, for the wonderful achievement that you've experienced.

Well, again, my thoughts are these: Congratulations to you. You represent the finest aspects of a wonderful country: competition, initiative, achievement, and a temporary disappointment in not being standing here with me where Jacques is, because not everybody can win the top prize. But in the process, you've learned a lot, and you've learned a lot about our country, you've learned a lot about one another. And I'm very grateful to be part of it. Jacques, would you like to say a word?

MR. BAILLY. No. [Laughter]

THE PRESIDENT. No? Jim, would you like to say just a word?

MR. WAGNER. I would just like to say, if I can say it, that the hardest word I had to pronounce was "politicization." That means to politicize, which means those who want to make something political out of everything, and that's a good thing. [Laughter]

THE PRESIDENT. That's a word I try to avoid. [Laughter]

Somebody asked a student once what does "synonym" mean. He said that it means trying to find the word that says what you want to say that you can spell, and I think that's true with politicization. It's got too many syllables in it. [Laughter]

But I want to thank you all for coming. Congratulations to you, and I'd like to go around the edge and shake hands with as many as I can. Thank you again. Congratulations to you all.