US Olympic team coach in 1964, 1968, and 1972 and at several
World Championships. A regular contributor to national and
international fencing journals (writing in both French and English) he
summed up his thoughts on technique and philosophy in the book, MODERN
FENCING.
Maestro Csaba Elthes was a legendary fencing master who immigrated to
the U.S. to become the coach to the U.S. Olympic Bronze Medalist in
1984, Peter Westbrook.
Coach of U. of Illinois (1941-72); winner of the
NCAA team championship (1956, '58). Coach of Penn State University
(1972-80). One of the principal organizers of fencing in the Midwest.
Co-founder of the NFCAA (1941). President of the NFCAA. Captain of CCNY
(1939).
Richard Gradkowski (Coach of the Saltus Club) and
Jean-Jacques Gillet (Cornell Coach) watching the 1989 Jr. Olympics in Colorado
Springs. Photo by Andy Shaw
"A game of chess played on your feet, requiring agility, power and
intelligence."
That's how coach Henry Harutunian describes fencing. It's a sport that
provides strength of character for one's entire life. For more than 30 years,
Yale fencers with the will have been counting on Harutunian to hone the
skill.
In 1955, my parents enrolled me in a fencing class at the Westside
Jewish Community Center in Los Angeles. I was twelve years old. The man
teaching the class was Mel North, a very charismatic coach. I became a
charter member of Salle Du Nord in 1956. In 1957, the coaches of
Southern California created the Junior League of Southern California so
that fencers age fourteen through sixteen years old could have
organized competition with their peers. This was one of the precursors
ofthe Junior Olympics. There were about three hundred boys and girls,
all foil fencers. We fenced all pools from the preliminaries to Finals.
I was undefeated during the two years I competed in the League.
(1871-1957) - Concurrently coach of Columbia (1898-1948) and the New
York AC (1891-1954) (where he was also boxing coach). Produced numerous
intercollegiate and national champions and Olympians. He was probably
the first American to travel to Europe to study to become a fencing
master and then make a career of it.
AFLA national epee champion (1964, '66, '67, '68, '83).
Member, U.S. Olympic fencing team (1964, '68, '76); member, U.S.
Olympic modern pentathlon team (1964, '68). Olympic silver medalist,
Pentathlon team 1964, World Team Bronze 1962, '63. IFA epee champion
(1964) and NCAA epee champion (1964, '65) for Rutgers.
It is altogether fitting that the sport of fencing played such a vital role in the life of Sherry Posthumus, who spent the bulk of her days touching the lives of others.
Named "Fencing
Coach of the Year" by the National Fencing Coaches Association in 1957. He has
served on the fencing committee for the Olympic games several times. In 1956
Charles Schmitter, for whom the Schmitter
Fencing Collection is named, became the first native born American to
achieve the prestigious Italian Masters Diploma in fencing.
Princeton fencing coach Michel Sebastiani to step down.
Wednesday, 22 June 2005 - From an article at Fencing.net
PRINCETON, N.J. -- Princeton fencing coach Michel Sebastiani
will retire at the conclusion of the 2005-06 season, his 25th at the
Ivy League school, the university announced Thursday.
Born and educated in New York, he was the son of Regis Senac, also a fencing master. The son in his younger days was recognized as one of the leading foilsmen of the world. In his later years, he became an instructor and for a time taught at the New York Athetic Club, and had served as coach of the City College fencing team.
Ferdinand Uebel in 1950 teaching in St. Paul, Minnesota. Mr. Uebel is the coach who started competitive fencing in the state of Minnesota. He was the President of the Minnesota Fencers league going back to the 1920's, taught fencing at the University of Minnesota and was the fencing coach for the St. Paul Turners Fencing team.
The name of Louis Vauthier did not go long unknown. He
began his career as assistant to M. Ayat, a left-handed fencer and one of the
most famous masters in Europe. But Louis
Vauthier was not content to remain an assistant, even to M. Ayat. In 1890, upon
the instigation of friends and in conjunction with M. Fayolle, he opened up his
own academy, the Cercle d’escrime de la Madeline.
Joe Velarde began fencing at the age of thirteen at Seward Park High School and competed in New York City's Public School Athletic League from 1936-39. He was a sophomore and co-captain of Professor Joseph Smith's Brooklyn College Fencing Team when Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, 1941. Joe enlisted in the Army Air Corps and served from 1942-45 in the European Theatre of Operations, flying 60 bombing missions as a B-25 Armorer-Gunner.
Hall of Famer Ralph Zimmerman with his coach Sylvio Vitale at M.I.T
Among fencing coaches, Silvio will be remembered as a colleague gentleman whether it be as a competing team coach, or as an individual co-professional. In his 27 years as head fencing coach at M.I.T. Silvio passed on to his pupils not only the skill of fencing and interest in sports but also a very important component of life, which is gentleman's behavior and candid civilized relationship of mankind.
Jeff Wolfe, a longtime coach at Brentwood High School,
fenced at New York University. After graduating he became a teacher at
Brentwood High School where he began both a Boys' Team and a Girls' Team.
Fencing History 
