1964

The 37th Scripps-Howard National Spelling Bee took place on June 3rd and 4th, 1964. It was held at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C., and 70 spellers participated.

Both the winner and the runner-up this year were from Ohio!

Learn more

About the 37th Bee

Champion

William Kerek

Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio

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.

Location

Mayflower Hotel

at the Grand Ballroom

Winning Word

sycophant(n)

SIK-uh-funt

a base or servilely attentive flatterer and self-seeker.

This word is from Latin, which took it from Greek.

OFFICIALS

Directors

James H. Wagner

Judges

  • Mrs. Bessie W. Cramer
  • John H. Lloyd
  • Leroy C. Dillard

Pronouncers

  • Dr. Richard R. Baker

SPELLER ROSTER

  • Bill Abell
  • Jeannie Abell
  • Max Frank Adler
  • Mary Geer Alderman
  • Alan C. Baird
  • Lynn Bender
  • Nancy Boskoff
  • Pamela Brangan
  • Tim Brothers
  • Carolyn Capehart
  • Glenn E. C. Chang
  • Anne Charette
  • Allen Chesney
  • William Clutter
  • Cathy Comstock
  • Kenny Cunningham
  • Patsy Donald
  • Debra Edwards
  • Carol S. Egloff
  • Carol Ference
  • Teresa Fin
  • Douglas S. Friedenberg
  • Anne Fringer
  • Kathryn Fry
  • Sharon Gerdes
  • Karen Gower
  • Chris Gruenewald
  • Lisa Hallas
  • Sarah Jane Hicks
  • Mary Holm
  • Christopher Hunt
  • Donald E. Impson
  • Mary Elizabeth Joy
  • William Kerek
  • Alan Glenn Kyle
  • David E. Labell
  • Debbie Landers
  • Naftali Lewin
  • Ruth Loew
  • Sharon Lowery
  • Maurice E. Magly, Jr.
  • Ann Teresa Malarkey
  • Diane Martin
  • Robert O. Mathews
  • Richard M. Mayward
  • Marianne McCorkle
  • Joyce Ann Mease
  • Bill Morgan
  • Christina Mrugala
  • James Mulligan, Jr.
  • Robin Myers
  • Bill Offield
  • Debra Orth
  • Philip Payne
  • Connie Payton
  • Kay R. Pechenick
  • Baker Peeples
  • Arnold Perlstein
  • Mary Renaud
  • Anne Restivo
  • Susan Rossi
  • Suzi Shwartz
  • Carol Joan Tellefson
  • Felicia Tiritilli
  • Becky Tryon
  • Nancy Tumey
  • Anita Waldeck
  • Janet Wanner
  • Miriam Wildeman
  • Roxanne Wood

* Winner
** Runner-Up