| 37th Scripps National Spelling Bee | |
|---|---|
 The Mayflower Hotel, site of the 37th National Spelling Bee | |
| Date | June 3–4, 1964 |
| Location | The Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C.[1] |
| Winner | William Kerek |
| Age | 12 |
| Sponsor | Akron Beacon Journal |
| Sponsor location | Akron, Ohio |
| Winning word | sycophant |
| No. of contestants | 70 |
| Pronouncer | Richard R. Baker |
| Preceded by | 36th Scripps National Spelling Bee |
| Followed by | 38th Scripps National Spelling Bee |
The 37th Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, D.C. at the Mayflower Hotel, on June 3–4, 1964, sponsored by the E.W. Scripps Company.
12-year-old 7th grader William Kerek, from Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, sponsored by the Akron Beacon Journal, won the competition by correctly spelling the word "sycophant".[2] 13-year-old 8th grader Robert Mathews of Columbus, Ohio took second place, and David Labell of Greensboro, North Carolina was third.[1][3]
70 contestants[4] participated in the competition, 43 of whom survived into the final day.[5]
Kerek later attended the College of Wooster and Ohio State University and became a physician in the Akron area.[6] As of 2020, Kerek is the fifth speller from the Akron area and sponsored by the Akron Beacon Journal to win the bee, after Dean Lucas in 1927, Alma Roach in 1933, Clara Mohler in 1935, and Jean Chappelear in 1948.[7]
- ^ a b Howard, Doyle (1 June 1964). SENC Spelling Bee Champ Arrives in Washington, Wilmington Star-News
- ^ "Champions and Their Winning Words". Archived from the original on 2012-11-17. Retrieved 2015-02-09.
- ^ (5 June 1964). Ohio Boy Wins Spelling Bee, Chicago Tribune
- ^ 1964 National Spelling Bee Competitors
- ^ (4 June 1964). Joyce Goes Out in Fifth Round, Wilmington Star-News
- ^ Gray, Allison (16 August 2012). Bee Prepared, Cleveland Magazine
- ^ Meyer, Philip (2 June 2014). June 4, 1964: Our Billy is champion speller in nation!, Akron Beacon Journal(reprint of story from June 4, 1964)