Iowan and her bell play key role in Scripps National Spelling Bee
For the past century, kids participating in the bee have captured the nation's attention and hearts with buzz-worthy moments.
An Iowan has a front row seat to the action, and a big responsibility when it comes to crowning the winner.
Mary Brooks is the head judge and has been since 2005.
'My main role is listening,' Brooks said. 'We have a panel of judges. We work together, but it is my voice that you hear, and it is my hand you see on that bell. The final decision comes when I either say 'that's correct' or I ring the bell.'
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The bell that lets spellers know when they misspell a word has a story of its own.
'It has become the sound of the bee,' Brooks said.
Brooks inherited it from her late mother-in-law.
'There are Civil War dates engraved in it,' Brooks explained, 'so we know it has a history.'
History that's meaningful to the long-standing event.
'I like the way it looks,' Brooks said. 'It represents history and that some things in our past do last. They do go on.'
And symbolic of Brooks' involvement.
'When I didn't go in 2014 was when I forgot that the bell still needed to go,' Brooks recalls. 'The bell wasn't there and they were using the generic bell, which I have one of those downstairs too. They don't sound anything alike. And there were more comments. They had explained my absence, but they were really more comments about where's the bell? They didn't realize it was my personal bell… So the bell, I know is probably more recognizable than I am.'
It's not hard to recognize Brooks' loyalty to the bee: seen in her home, on her clothes, even dangling from her ears.
This 'queen bee' started with Scripps National Spelling Bee after graduating from high school, when her uncle James H. Wagner was the executive director.
'And he offered me to come into Washington and serve on the staff, college staff,' Brooks said. 'And I just got hooked on it.'
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Hooked for more than 50 years because of the kids.
'They are wordsmiths at the best because it isn't just about the spelling,' Brooks expressed. 'The competition is, but it's so much more about their vocabulary, which is part of the competition as well. And for me, any activity that allows young people to take their passion and their skills and have success is important to me.'
Important for this retired teacher from West Des Moines, who says it's more than students memorizing the dictionary.
'I value language and words. I value literacy and reading,' Brooks said, 'and spelling is all a part of that.'
It's the next generation inspiring society. One example is the winner from 2021, the comeback bee after it was canceled in 2020 due to COVID.
The winning word at the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee was 'Murraya.'
Zaila Avant-garde, a 14-year-old from Harvey, Louisiana, was tasked with spelling the word 'Murraya.'
'She said, 'is it related to the American comedian [Bill Murray]?' I mean she asked that,' Brooks recalled. 'And so instantly, I just got a chuckle. It had nothing to do with Murray, but she was making the connection.'
The comical connection led to her spelling the word correctly to win the competition.
'For that brief moment, the world turned right side up again. This is it. We're back to normal. Just gives me goosebumps!' Mary exclaimed.
The victories are always more enjoyable than the losses. In the last few years, Brooks has made the misspellings more bearable by providing words of encouragement when a speller misses a word.
'And it felt so much better than watching them stand there, hear the bell, hear the spelling, the correct spelling of the word, and then dejectedly walk off the stage,' Brooks said. 'So it started small, but it became – the bee team has labeled it 'Mary's Moments.''
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Moments that allow her to remind spellers of why they participate: 'It is an experience that you can't ever take away from them. And it will always serve them well in whatever direction they choose to go.'
An experience you can watch at home.
'It is reality television. You have no idea what's going to happen when you put kids on stage. Anything can happen,' Brooks explains.
And take something away too.
'The symbol of the bee is so relevant because that bee flies even though it shouldn't be able to,' Brooks said. 'So, we often use that as an example with the kids. There's nothing to stop you. Just because somebody says you can't or you don't think you can, you can!
A lesson that's been taught for 100 years and counting.
The semifinals take place Wednesday night, and the champion will be decided Thursday night.
You can watch the two-night special on the ION television channel or learn more by visiting the Scripps National Spelling Bee's website.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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