37th 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.

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

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]