1965

The 38th Scripps-Howard National Spelling Bee took place on June 9th and 10th, 1965. It was held at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C., and 70 spellers participated.

In the 1965 National Competition, future chairman of the Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke, was eliminated on the word “edelweiss” and finished in 26th place.

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About the 38th Bee

Champion

Michael Kerpan, Jr.

Tulsa, Oklahoma

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.

Location

Mayflower Hotel

at the Grand Ballroom

Winning Word

eczema(n)

EK-suh-muh

an acute or chronic noncontagious inflammatory condition of the skin that is characterized by redness, itching, and oozing vesicular lesions which become scaly, crusted, or lichenified and that is often associated with exposure to chemical or other irritants.

This word went from Greek to Latin.

OFFICIALS

Directors

James H. Wagner

Judges

  • John H. Lloyd
  • Leroy C. Dillard
  • Beatrice M. Gudridge

Pronouncers

  • Dr. Richard R. Baker

SPELLER ROSTER

  • Kathleen Archdeacon
  • Mike Askren
  • Alan C. Baird
  • Ceclia Baitinger
  • Ann Baker
  • Eugene Bawdon
  • Ben Bernanke
  • Camilla J. Binette
  • Wanda Carol Blurton
  • Linda Broyles
  • Christine Chandler
  • Akimichi Chinen
  • Janet Ruth Chizeck
  • Gail Alan Cooper
  • Deborah Dewart
  • Edwin W. Dorchak, Jr
  • Bette Edwards
  • Janice Elrod
  • Joseph Finucane
  • Larry Fishman
  • Kathy Fuson
  • David Geringer
  • Michael R. Gifford
  • Victoria Mary Grant
  • Judy Marie Guarr
  • Margaret Hall
  • Patricia Harding
  • Nicky Harris
  • Donald Hickson
  • Danny Himes
  • Linda Himes
  • Fred Hoffman
  • Sara Beth Holt
  • Susan M. Hurley
  • Stuart Isaacson
  • Bernard S. Johnson
  • Mike Jones
  • Marshall Ramsey Jones
  • Michael Kerpan, Jr.
  • Jeffrey Kirsch
  • Liesbeth Krausse
  • Charles Milton Ling
  • Barbara Liyana
  • Richard J. Lizotte
  • Bruce Manning
  • Michael McColl
  • Nancy Miller
  • Vivian Mongold
  • Ralph Moore
  • Linda Moore
  • Connie Payton
  • Kay R. Pechenick
  • Peggy Peretzky
  • Robert Philips
  • Stacy Richardson
  • Timothy Riese
  • Timothy Roth
  • John Thomas Russial
  • Daniel Schoen
  • Stan Schultz
  • Linda Sellers
  • Gail Sorgen
  • John W. Spence Jr
  • Nancy Szokan
  • Peter Treadwell
  • Stephine Tsvioglou
  • Evelyn Van Wagner
  • Bobby Wigden

* Winner
** Runner-Up