38th Scripps National Spelling Bee
| 38th Scripps National Spelling Bee | |
|---|---|
| Date | June 9–10, 1965 |
| Winner | Michael Kerpan, Jr. |
| Age | 12 |
| Residence | Tulsa, Oklahoma |
| Sponsor | Tulsa Tribune |
| Sponsor location | Tulsa, Oklahoma |
| Winning word | eczema |
| No. of contestants | 70 |
| Preceded by | 37th Scripps National Spelling Bee |
| Followed by | 39th Scripps National Spelling Bee |
The 38th Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, D.C. on June 9–10, 1965, sponsored by the E.W. Scripps Company.
70 contestants participated in the competition. 7th grader 12-year old Michael Kerpan, Jr., from Tulsa, Oklahoma, sponsored by the Tulsa Tribune, won the competition by correctly spelling the word "eczema" after 17 rounds.[1] Judy Guarr of Topeka, Kansas took second place.[2] As of 2015, Kerpan is the last of two winners from Oklahoma, the first being John Capehart in the 1961 bee.[2][3]
Second place went to 12-year old Judy Marie Guarr of Kansas who missed "larghetto" after a long battle with Kerpan.[3] Third place was taken by 13-year old Ralph Moore of Ohio.[3][4]
There were 70 contestants this year, ranging from 11 to 15 years old, evenly split with 35 boys and 35 girls, from 32 states, the District of Columbia, and Guam.[5] Three finalists returned from the prior year's bee.[6]
Future Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke was eliminated on the word edelweiss, finishing 26th.[7]
The first place prize was $1,000 (along with a trip to New York City to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show and $100 in spending money). A total of $5,700 in prizes were awarded to all spellers.[5]
References
- ^ Champions and Their Winning Words
- ^ a b Stanley, Tim (1 November 2014). Former national champion speller from Tulsa reflects on his winning run, Tulsa World
- ^ a b c (10 June 1965). Boy Strikes Winning Chord in Spelling Bee, Toledo Blade
- ^ Coyne, Joseph R. (11 June 1965). Boy Scout, 12 Tops National Spelling Bee, Telegraph (Associated Press)
- ^ a b (9 June 1965). 38th Annual Spelling Bee Contest Begins, Rome News-Tribune (Associated Press)
- ^ (9 June 1965). Spelling Contest to Begin Today, Beaver County Times (UPI)
- ^ White, Ben (15 November 2005). Bernanke Unwrapped, Washington Post
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