1960s Champions

Henry Feldman

Henry Feldman, age 13, sponsored by the Knoxville News Sentinel, won the $1,000 prize by correctly spelling the word “eudaemonic.”

Henry graduated from Swarthmore College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He became a math professor at Harvard University’s School of Public Health.

John Capehart

John Capehart, age 12, sponsored by the Tulsa Tribune, won the $1,000 prize by correctly spelling the word “smaragdine.”

John became a senior medical student at the University of Oklahoma, then a heart surgeon in Dallas.

Nettie Crawford

Nettie Crawford, age 13, sponsored by the El Paso Herald-Post, won the $1,000 prize by correctly spelling the word “esquamulose.”

Nettie married and became Nettie Pfister. She became a first lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force stationed in Montana. She graduated from New Mexico State University with a degree in biology and from Pepperdine University with a master’s in counseling.

Michael Day

Michael Day, age 14, sponsored by the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, won the $1,000 prize by correctly spelling the word “esquamulose.”

Michael Day attended the University of Illinois College of Medicine. He was a family practice doctor at Carle Health who retired in 2010.

Glen Van Slyke III

Glen Van Slyke III, age 13, sponsored by the Knoxville News Sentinel, won the $1,000 prize by correctly spelling the word “equipage.”

Glen graduated from Rice University and then law school. He practiced trial law in Houston.

William Kerek

William Kerek, age 12, sponsored by the Akron Beacon Journal, won the $1,000 prize by correctly spelling the word “sycophant.”

William became an internal medicine specialist in Ohio. He graduated from the Ohio State University College of Medicine and Public Health in 1976.

Michael Kerpan, Jr.

Michael Kerpan, Jr., age 12, sponsored by the Tulsa Tribune, won the $1,000 prize by correctly spelling the word “eczema.”

Michael graduated from Harvard University and the University of Chicago Law School. He became an attorney.

Robert A. Wake

Robert A. Wake, age 13, sponsored by the Houston Chronicle, won the $1,000 prize by correctly spelling the word “ratoon.”

Bob earned a bachelor’s degree in math from MIT, then a doctorate from Brown University. He worked as a college professor and insurance regulator. No image of this champion has been found on record.

Jennifer Reinke

Jennifer Reinke, age 14, sponsored by the Omaha World-Herald, won the $1,000 prize by correctly spelling the word “Chihuahua.”

Jennifer became a word and spelling bee philanthropist: She created a scholarship to be donated each year to the Thayer County (Nebraska) spelling bee champion, and funded a renovation for her hometown library in Deshler, Nebraska, which was renamed the Jennifer Reinke Public Library in 2016. She also worked in the office of her family business.

Robert L. Walters

Robert L. Walters, age 14, sponsored by The Topeka Daily Capital, won the $1,000 prize by correctly spelling the word “abalone.”

Robert graduated from Fort Hays State University and was a parts buyer for an automotive supply company for 20 years. He died in 2018. No image of this champion has been found on record.

Susan Yoachum

Susan Yoachum, age 14, sponsored by The Dallas Morning News, won the $1,000 prize by correctly spelling the word “interlocutory.”

Susan was part of a San Jose Mercury News reporting team that won a Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the 1989 Bay Area earthquake. She died in 1998.