Jacques Bailly

Jacques A. Bailly (born January 28, 1966) is an American professor who has served as the Scripps National Spelling Bee's official pronouncer since 2003.

Bailly was born in 1966 and grew up in the Denver, Colorado area.

He began participating in spelling bees in sixth grade, training with a nun at his Catholic school.

He reached the National Spelling Bee as an eighth grader and won with the word elucubrate.

Bailly studied Ancient Greek and Latin, receiving his bachelor's degree from Brown University and his PhD from Cornell University.

He learned German in Switzerland with the help of a Fulbright scholarship.

He was the 1980 Scripps National Spelling Bee champion.

In 1990, he wrote a letter to the National Spelling Bee organizers offering his services and was hired as an associate pronouncer.

Bailly became the Bee's chief pronouncer after Alex Cameron's death in 2003.

Bailly works full-time as an associate professor of classics at the University of Vermont, specializing in Greek and Roman philosophy, particularly Plato.

He previously served as the President of the UVM chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.

Bailly is married to Leslyn Hall.

They have two children and a dog.

He portrayed himself in the 2006 film Akeelah and the Bee, which focuses on a girl (played by Keke Palmer) who competes in the National Spelling Bee.