EVENING PROGRAM Fencers Club: Past, Present and Future A Celebration at the University Club Tuesday, May 10, 2016
Fencers Club is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to the pursuit of excellence through the sport of fencing. We actively support a culture of sharing by performing community services through fencing and beyond.
Photo by Daniel Shea
Photo by Originel Magazine
Congratulations, Olympians!
Ibtihaj Muhammad
Coaches Simon and Irene Gershon
Coach Akhi Spencer-El (PWF/FC)
Photo by Serge Timacheff
Photo courtesy of the Egyptian Fencing Federation
Miles Chamley-Watson
Nzingha Prescod
Juliana Barrett (rsa)
Coach Buckie Leach (PWF/FC)
Coach Kornel Udvarhelyi
Table of Contents Evening Program ................................................................... 2 Mission and Vision ................................................................ 3 Special Recognitions ............................................................. 4 Silent Auction Item List ......................................................... 5 Donors and Supporters ........................................................ 6 Fencers Club’s Permanent Home ........................................ 7 Board of Directors and Staff ................................................ 8 Fencers Club Olympians ................................................. 9 - 30
Evening Program Tuesday, May 10, 2016 6:00 to 6:30 p.m. - Guest arrivals and Silent Auction announcement 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. - Official Welcome, introduction of FC Olympians, presentation of gifts 7:00 to 7:15 p.m. - Executive Director’s remarks and special recognitions 7:15 to 7:30 p.m. - Video presentation of Fencers Club Today 7:30 to 7:45 p.m. - Architect’s presentation for new space 8:15 p.m. - Closing remarks, Silent Auction ends and departures
Mission and Vision Thank you for your participation in our event, Fencers Club: Past, Present and Future. Fencers Club, as the oldest continuously existing fencing organization in the Western Hemisphere, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the pursuit of excellence both on and off the fencing strip. We are inspired and motivated by the challenges and opportunities that the Olympic sport of fencing offers us. Through fencing, we aim to make a positive impact in our members’ lives and make sustainable contributions to our local and international communities. Today, we honor all Fencers Club Olympians, going back to 1904. We thank some of our key members of the Fencers Club community who have been an integral part of our success and, at times, supported our very existence. We showcase our varied and far-reaching programs that earned us recognition from both the US Olympic Committee and the International Fencing Federation (FIE). We will also share our vision for the future of Fencers Club and unveil the plans for our new permanent home, which will provide more than 25,000 square feet of brand new space in Midtown West. Thank you for your support, friendship, and for your trust. The Fencers Club Board of Directors, dedicated and talented FC Staff, our amazing cadre of coaches and I will continue to strive to do great work that will benefit our members and families, as well as our local and global communities. Sincerely, Liz Cross Executive Director
Special Thanks Fencers Club would like to acknowledge David and Melissa Raso for hosting this historic event. Your vision and support are critical in continuing to grow and provide programs that benefit our members and the community at large in a sustainable manner. Thank you! We also gratefully acknowledge the Marmara Group for partnering with us in hosting international athletes and coaches as our guests. Your hotels are beautiful and comfortable. Our guests are extremely grateful for your hospitality and care given to every detail to make their stay in New York City a truly memorable experience. Fencers Club: Past, Present and Future
Special Recognitions James Melcher We are most grateful to Jamie for his lifelong commitment to Fencers Club—in the past, present and future—in many significant ways. Jamie’s commitment starts with his passion for the sport of fencing and attitude toward mentoring and helping developing students. He has given his time and shared his resources with the Club and its members for more than 40 years. Throughout his time at Fencers Club as both a fencer and former Chairman of the Board, Jamie has been a quiet, steadfast leader. Jamie is the single most significant benefactor of Fencers Club. However, to address his contributions to the Club in only this way would almost sideline his critical role in our community. Jamie’s generosity, passion, commitment and genuine kindness are qualities we all try to emulate. The FC Board of Directors, staff, coaches, and members, through our combined efforts and actions, hope to show our appreciation in a meaningful way. Robert Dow Bob has been a member of Fencers Club for more than 50 years. He is the only member whose parents were also members of Fencers Club and Olympians. Coming from a family with a rich history of fencing, Bob has shared what comes naturally to him—sportsmanship, generosity and respect—with the members of Fencers Club, and with the Peter Westbrook Foundation. Through Bob’s vision of making fencing possible for children of all backgrounds, the sport has grown and enriched many lives. Many of these children have grown to be outstanding adults in fencing and in all areas of human endeavors. In addition to his outstanding achievements in business, Bob and his family have dedicated themselves to supporting worthy educational causes. We are honored to have him as a member of Fencers Club. Rex Chung Rex Chung is Chairman of the Fencers Club Board of Directors. He has served in this capacity for almost 5 years, taking on the responsibility after Jamie Melcher stepped down to find more time for fencing. During Rex’s tenure and under his guidance, the club has grown and is now financially solvent. He is a thoughtful leader who thinks clearly and acts decisively. Living in Hong Kong does not interfere with him being an active member of Fencers Club, and he is proactive in all manners of policy-making discussions and decisions. Rex’s keen insights and energy are inspirational. His generosity in effort, time and financial support is commendable and critical to sustain our programs, continue to fulfill our not-for-profit mission, and to secure Fencers Club’s future. Thank you, Rex, for your vision and for tirelessly advocating to fulfill our common goal of creating a great community through fencing that sets high standards locally and internationally. May 10, 2016 at the University Club
Silent Auction Item List 1. Fencing lesson for 4 with 6-time Olympic Gold Medalist Valentina Vezzali 2. Hotel and Airfare for two for the 2017 Paris Fencing World Cup 3. Hamilton Broadway tickets for two 4. Two Met Opera Orchestra tickets during the 2016-17 season 5. Two-night stay at Marmara Park Avenue luxury hotel and spa 6. Unlimited Classes at Aerospace High Performance Center (NYC) 7. Training session with Olympic Sliver Medalists Keeth and Erinn Smart 8. Ice Skating session with Olympian at Brookfield Place in Battery Park City 9. Gourmet Dining Experience at L’Artusi in the West Village 10. Speaking Engagement with history-making Olympian Ibithaj Muhammad 11. Speaking Engagement with Professor Jean-Marc Oppenheim 12. Gourmet Dining with Union Square Hospitality 13. Chemical Peel with Dr. Michelle Yagoda, MD, PC 14. Botox Treatment with Dr. Michelle Yagoda, MD, PC 15. Chess Session with world-renowned instructor Bruce Pandolfini 16. Fencers Club Summer Training Camp 17. One Week of the Fencers Club Summer Day Camp 18. Fencing Lessons and Classes with Coach Alexey Cheremsky 19. Fencing Lessons with Coach Ed Elterman 20. Fencing Sessions with Coach Kornel Udvarhelyi 21. Custom made gold, pearl and topaz necklace by Shinn Jewelry 22. Custom made gold, pearl and topaz earrings by Shinn Jewlery 23. Custom made gold and pearl earrings by Shinn Jewelry All proceeds from the Silent Auction will go towards our Building Fund. Your donation is taxdeductible to the full extent allowed by law. Your generosity and support are greatly appreciated. Fencers Club: Past, Present and Future
Donors and Supporters 1883 Society - $10,000 and up Mr. James Melcher Mr. Robert Dow Mr. and Mrs. Rex Chung Mr. David Raso and Mrs. Melissa Raso
Gold Medal - $5,000 and up Dr. Alan Hirschfeld and Ms. Barbara Gould Adam Weintraub and Mishi Hosono
Silver Medal - $2,500 and up Annik Wolf Radical Fencing The Omar Family
Bronze Medal - $1,000 and up Mr. Saar Banin and Ms. Lisa Rosenblum The Lee Family The Marmara Hotel Group Marcel Miernik Ibtihaj Muhammad Dr. Michelle Yagoda
Friends & Supporters Khalid Al-Shuaibi The Chapman Family Alexey Cheremsky Ed Elterman Lori Friedman Simon and Irene Gershon Melissa Gregory and Eduskate Michaela Grimm and Jorge Orvananos Momoyo and Taichi Kamimura Hugh and Sandra Lawson Achiko Lortkipanidze Michele Marotta
John and Jean Nonna Jean-Marc Oppenheim The Pae Family Bruce Pandolfini Robert Pavlovich The Pelosky Family Mikhail Petin Diane Reckling Erinn and Keeth Smart Kornel Udvarhelyi Boris Vaksman Ute Wartenberg May 10, 2016 at the University Club
Image courtesy of Iliad Development
Introducing Fencers Club’s New Permanent Home at 509 W. 38th Street
Estimated Completion: Fall 2017 Architect: John Tinmouth, AIA, LEED AP
Principal, Tinmouth Chang Architects
Fencers Club: Past, Present and Future
Board of Directors Rex Chung, Chairman EIG Global Energy Partners Managing Director and Co-Head of Asia Philippe Bennett, President Partner, Alston & Bird Law Firm Annik Wolf, Vice President Guggenheim Museum, Arts Education Board, Strategic Planning Committee Tony Lee, Treasurer Managing Partner, One Rock Capital Investment Julio Mazzoli, Secretary Attorney at Law Office of Julio Mazzoli, PC Alan Getz President, Vanguard Investors Alan Hirschfeld Neurosurgeon at Harlem Hospital David Raso Senior Managing Director and Partner, Evercore ISI Erinn Smart 2008 Team Silver Medalist Peter Westbrook Foundation Denis Tolkachev Analyst, Capital Group Adam Weintraub Koko Architecture + Design, Owner Peter Westbrook Executive Director, Peter Westbrook Foundation
Fencers Club Staff Liz Cross, Executive Director Adam Schafer, Programs Director Isis Washington, Programs Coordinator Barbara Gould, Member Services May 10, 2016 at the University Club
Olympians 1904 Games: St. Louis, USA Charles Tatham earned two silver medals and one bronze medal at the 1904 Olympic Games. Tatham was the Secretary of the Amateur Fencers League of America (AFLA), the precursor to USA Fencing, for 30 years. Albertson Van Zo Post won a gold medal in the now obsolete form of “single-sticks” fencing. He also won a silver medal in foil and a bronze medal in saber. He was one of only a handful of fencers to win national championships in all three weapons. He was national foil champion in 1895, epee champion in 1896, and saber champion from 1901 through 1903. Van Zo Post also competed in all three weapons at the 1912 Olympics. Aside from fencing, Van Zo Post was a civil engineer and wrote two novels, Retz (1908) and Diana Ardway (1913).
Albertson Van Zo Post (seated), with William Scott O’Connor, Charles Tatham and C.C. Nadal circa 1891.
William Scott O’Connor won a silver medal in 1904. He co-founded the AFLA in 1891 in New York City and served as its secretary until 1925. He was also a member of the Fencers Club board and its Executive Committee. Charles Fitzhugh Townsend won a silver medal in the team foil competition and placed fifth in the individual epee event in the 1904 St Louis Olympics. After graduating from Columbia University with a degree in Physics, he became a professor of electrical engineering.
1908 Games: London, England No U.S. competitors
1912 Games: Stockholm, Sweden Albertson Van Zo Post (see 1904)
1916 Games: Berlin, Germany Cancelled due to World War I.
Fencers Club: Past, Present and Future
Olympians 1920 Games: Antwerp, Belgium Leonard “Leon” Schoonmaker was the US men’s fencing champion at the 1920 Antwerp Olympic Games. He competed in both the individual epee and foil events. Arthur St. Clair Lyon was a legendary fencer The 1920 US Olympic Fencing Team and coaches. of his era. He was a two-time U.S. men’s saber champion and a member of three US Olympic teams (1920, 1924, and 1928). He won a bronze medal in men’s foil team at the 1920 Games in Antwerp. Lyon is the only American fencer to win a US national team title in all 4 possible team events, including: men’s foil team, men’s epee team, men’s saber team, men’s 3-weapon team. He was both a member of the Fencers’ Club and the New York Athletic Club, and was the Captain of the 1924 US Olympic Team. Lyon (left) and Breckinridge.
Henry Skillman Breckinridge was a member and captain of the US fencing team at the 1920 and 1928 Summer Olympics. At the 1920 Games, he won a bronze medal in the team foil event. Before his Olympic career, he was educated at Princeton and Harvard Law School. In 1913 (at the age of 27), he was appointed United States Assistant Secretary of War by President Woodrow Wilson. During World War I he commanded a battalion in the American Expeditionary Force in France. After the war, he became a prominent New York attorney and, as president of the Navy League, was instrumental in organizing the first US Navy Day in 1922.
1924 Games: Paris, France Irma Hopper competed in the women’s individual foil events in the first Games at which women fencers participated in 1924. She also fenced in the 1928 Summer Olympics. Harold Van Buskirk was a three-time member of the US Olympic fencing team (1924, 1928, and 1932). During World War I, he was an officer in charge of the US Navy Camouflage Section. He got his Irma Hopper start fencing at Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn in 1909 and continued to fence in college while at the University of Pennsylvania. He was president of the AFLA for four years and moved to Texas after WWII where he was the fencing coach for Rice University for 20 years. As a highly renowned fencing official, he was invited to referee the fencing portion of the modern pentathlon events at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. Albert Strauss competed in the team sabre event at the 1924 Summer Olympics. Arthur St. Clair Lyon (see 1920).
May 10, 2016 at the University Club
Olympians 1928 Games: Amsterdam, Netherlands Rene Peroy competed in the team foil event at the 1928 Summer Olympics. Nick Muray, born Mandl Mikl贸s in Hungary, was an American Olympic fencer who participated in the 1928 and 1932 Summer Olympics. Norman Cohn-Armitage made six Olympic teams, and his span of 28 years between appearances is unmatched among US Olympic athletes. At the 1948 Olympics, Armitage was on the bronze medal winning US sabre team. He was selected to carry the US flag twice in opening ceremonies, once at the 1952 Games and again in 1956; he is one of only three athletes in Team USA history to have this honor. He was also was a member of six national championship teams during his career. Armitage took up fencing while a student at Columbia and, in 1928, won the IFA sabre individual championships and a spot on his first Olympic team. After graduating from Columbia with degrees in science and chemical engineering, he went on to pursue his law degree at NYU. Due to his outstanding achievements and lifetime contributions to American fencing, Armitage was one of the first inductees into the USA Fencing Hall of Fame in 1963. Henry Skillman Breckinridge (see 1920) Dernell Every (see 1932) Irma Hopper (see 1924) Joseph Levis (see 1932) Arthur St. Clair Lyon (see 1920) Harold Van Buskirk (see 1924) Fencing at the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam.
Fencers Club: Past, Present and Future
Olympians 1932 Games: Los Angeles, USA Tracy Jaeckel won a bronze medal in the team epee event at the 1932 Summer Olympics and also competed in the 1936 Games. He is a member of the USA Fencing Hall of Fame. Joseph “Joe” Levis competed in three Olympics and captured the silver medal in individual foil (defeating the famous 6’ 7” Italian fencer Giulio Gaudini) and the bronze in team foil at the 1932 Games. He also won a national three-weapon championship in 1929 and nine national foil championships, the last of Joe Levis (left) on the Los Angeles which came in 1954 when Levis, at age 48, returned Olympic podium for silver in 1932. from a 17-year hiatus to win gold in what was called “the greatest comeback in the history of American fencing.” Levis was also a coach at MIT, his alma mater, and became a competitive ballroom dancer later in life, winning several amateur competitions with his wife. Dernell Every won a bronze medal in the team foil event at the 1932 Summer Olympics. He was a member of three US Olympic teams: 1928, 1932 and 1948.Every took up fencing while at Yale and won back-to-back Intercollegiate Fencing Association foil titles in 1927 and 1928. With a competitive career spanning more than 20 years (1928-1951), Every won three national individual foil titles and was a member of 10 national championship foil teams. Gustave Heiss was a US national fencing champion and winner of a bronze medal in team épée fencing at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. He also competed at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, where the American team placed fifth. He was a four-time US national epée champion (1933, 1934, 1936, and 1941). He attended Tulane University before finishing his studies as a Colonel at the US Military Academy at West Point. During WWII, Heiss was wounded at the Battle of the Bulge and received the Bronze Star, Silver Star and Purple Heart for his bravery. Harold Van Buskirk (see 1924) Nick Muray (see 1928) Norman Cohn-Armitage (see 1928)
May 10, 2016 at the University Club
Olympians 1936 Games: Berlin, Germany
Although perhaps best remembered for Jesse Owens’ historic four gold medal victories in track and field, the 1936 Games were the first Olympics in which epee fencers competed using electronic scoring machines. Foil events were fenced “electric” for the first time in 1956 and sabre in 1988. Warren Dow was a member of the 1936 US Olympic fencing team in Berlin. He was also a two-time AFLA national foil champion (1942 and ‘43) and served as the organization’s secretary from 1942-48. Later in life, Dow also served as an amatuer coach for the US Military Academy. Both his wife Helena (see 1948) and son Robert (see 1972) were also Olympic fencers. José de Capriles was a three-time Olympian who graduated from New York University in 1933 and later Warren Dow earned law degrees there in 1942 and 1954. He was the Intercollegiate Fencing Champion his senior year of college. During World War II, he served with the Army Air Corps and participated in both the Normandy Landings and the Battle of the Bulge. Known for his fencing abilities with all weapons, in 1946 de Capriles was US champion with the foil, and runner-up with the epee and sabre—then the only fencer to be on the podium in one year with all three weapons at the US championships. De Capriles served as captain of the US fencing team at the 1955 Pan-American Games and won two gold medals in team foil and team sabre, and one silver medal in team epee. De Capriles also served as a president of the Amateur Fencers League of America, and a vice-president of the Fédération Internationale de Éscrime (FIE). In his professional career, he served for many years as legal counsel for the Lehigh Valley Railroad. Norman Cohn-Armitage (see 1928) Gustave Heiss (see 1932) Tracy Jaeckel (see 1932) Joe Levis (see 1932)
1940 Games: Tokyo, Japan Cancelled due to World War II.
1944 Games: London, England Cancelled due to World War II. Fencers Club: Past, Present and Future
Fencing “electric” epee for the first time at the 1936 Games in Berlin.
Olympians 1948 Games: London, England Maria Cerra Tishman was the 1937 AFLA National foil champion and the IWFA Intercollegiate Champion, fencing for Hunter College. She qualified for the 1948 Games in London at 30 years old and, although it would be her first and only international competition, she made history with her fourth place result, which still stands as the best finish ever in an individual event at the Games for a US women’s foil fencer. She was the first woman to be a part of the US Olympic Fencing Committee and the first woman to officiate a national final.
Maria Cerra Tishman and Helena Mroczkowska Dow
Helena Mroczkowska Dow was a four-time national fencing champion in foil and US Olympic team member who was part of what is believed to be the only mother-fatherson trio—all fencers—in US Olympic history. She was an Olympian in 1948 while her late husband Warren Dow had been one in 1936, and her son Robert was a member of the 1972 US Olympic team. She coached the women’s varsity team at FarleighDickinson University from 1967-69. Daniel Bukantz took up fencing while growing up in the Bronx. He went on to become a national and internationally recognized leader in the sport as both an athlete and official. He was a member of four consecutive US Olympic Teams (1948, ’52, ’56 and ’60) and won four national individual foil titles. A longtime member of Fencers Club, Bukantz also competed on nine national championship teams and won the foil event at the 1950 Maccabiah Games in Israel. After graduating from City College (during which time he also won the Intercollegiate Fencing Association’s national foil title), Bukantz attended NYU’s dental school and served in the US Army Dental Corps with the 87th Division during the Battle of the Bulge in WWII. After the war, Bukantz returned to New York to start a successful dental practice for approximately 40 years. Even while practicing dentistry, Bukantz remained deeply involved in fencing. He served as a head referee for several Olympics, the last of which was the 1984 Los Angeles Games. He was inducted into the USA Fencing Hall of Fame for his lifetime of service and contributions to the sport. Austin “Gus” Prokop competed in the team foil event at the 1948 Summer Olympics. After graduating from Stuyvesant High School, Gus served as the lieutenant in the army during WWII in North Africa, Italy, Germany and France. Norman Cohn-Armitage (see 1928) José de Capriles (see 1936) Dernell Every (see 1932) Nathaniel Lubell (see 1952)
May 10, 2016 at the University Club
Olympians 1952 Games: Helsinki, Finland Nathaniel “Nate” Lubell started fencing while attending the City College of New York. His 1936 CCNY Fencing Team won the New York City Championships, and he is a member of the CCNY Athletic Hall of Fame. In addition to being a three-time Olympian (1948, ‘52 and ‘56) Lubell was US foil champion in 1948 and, at the 1951 Pan-American Games, took the individual foil bronze while helping the US team capture the gold medal in the team foil and saber. He was a lifelong member of Fencers Club, serving as its President during the 1970s. He also coached fencing at West Point from 1962-66. Alfred Skrobisch competed in the individual and team epee events at the 1952 Summer Olympics. Skrobisch was one of a team of engineering students at Columbia University who developed the first electrical scoring machines for fencing (see 1936). James Strauch competed in the team epee event at the 1952 Summer Olympics. Edward “Ed” Vebell competed in the individual and team épée events at the 1952 Summer Olympics, making it to the semi-finals in the individual event. Vebell, whose fencing career spanned more than 40 years, was inducted into the US Fencing Hall of Fame in April, 2014. In 1942, at age 20, Vebell was drafted into the Army and served in North Africa, where his talent for illustration earned him a commission with Stars & Stripes military magazine. Not only did that keep him off the front lines, it allowed him a unique opportunity to continue fencing with some of the best French and Italian teachers in the world. After the war, Vebell stayed in Europe to illustrate the Nuremberg Trials. His work has been featured in Time, Life, Sports Illustrated and Reader’s Digest, just to name a few. You can even see some of his portraits of Fencers Club members and coaches at the club today. Albie Axelrod (see 1960) Norman Cohn-Armitage (see 1928) José de Capriles (see 1936)
Ed Vebell (right) demonstrating a touch while training in France, circa 1944.
Fencers Club: Past, Present and Future
Self-portrait of Ed Vebell and his wife, Elsa.
Olympians 1956 Games: Melbourne, Australia Abram Cohen held the US National Men’s Epee title while also winning the AFLA President’s 3-Weapon Championship for two consecutive years (1955 and ’56). He was also a member of the US Olympic Team at the 1956 Games in Australia. He fenced for City College and was on the NCAA-winning team in 1948. Cohen was inducted into both the CCNY Athletic Hall of Fame and the USA Fencing Hall of Fame for his exploits as a fencer, which also include winning the Giorgio Santelli Masters’ Sabre trophy twice, as well as competing for the US in the Pan-American Games and World Championships throughout his long fencing career. Cohen served in the military from 1943-46 and, after the war, became a successful businessman in the paper converting industry. Hal Goldsmith emigrated from Germany to the US as a child with his family and attended Stuyvesant High School and City College, where he won the 1952 NCAA individual foil title. As a member of Fencers Club, he helped the club win five AFLA team foil titles and a three-weapon title. He competed at the 1952, 1956, and 1960 Olympics and was a member of several US Teams for the Pan-American Games, winning two individual foil gold medals, one team gold and two team silver medals, one in foil and one in epee. Goldsmith worked in the insurance industry, with most of his professional career at the international firm Frenkel and Company. Albert Axelrod (see 1960) Daniel Bukantz (see 1948)
May 10, 2016 at the University Club
Olympians 1960 Games: Rome, Italy Albert Axelrod was a ferocious fencer of his time. He started fencing at Stuyvesant High School and then, after serving in the Navy during World War II, won both collegiate individual and team championships for City College. After graduating, he joined the Grumman Corporation as an electrical engineer and used most of his spare time to continue training as a fencer. He was a member of five US Olympic Teams and won an individual bronze medal in 1960—only the fourth American to medal in the Olympics, and the last until Peter Westbrook did so in 1984. Axelrod was 39 when he won his bronze medal, fencing against opponents half his age. He also won four national foil championships (the last at age 49) and medaled in another eight throughout his career. Axelrod was inducted into the US Fencing Hall of Fame for his remarkable achievements in the sport.
Albert Axelrod receiving the bronze medal at the 1960 Rome Games.
Eugene Glazer fenced on two US Olympic Teams, in both 1960 and 1964. In addition to those teams, Glazer won a gold medal in team foil at the 1959 Pan American Games. He was also the NCAA foil champion in 1960, while attending NYU. Glazer is a member of New York University’s Athletic Hall of Fame. Henry Kolowrat, Jr. was an epee fencer and member of the US Olympic Team for the 1960 Games. Like teammate Gene Glazer, Kolowrat also won a team gold medal (in epee) at the 1959 Pan American Games. Daniel Bukantz (see 1948) Hal Goldsmith (see 1956)
The 1960 U.S. Olympic Fencing Team Fencers Club: Past, Present and Future
Olympians 1964 Games: Tokyo, Japan Robert Blum had one of the most broadly successful careers in US fencing history, earning either national or international points in five different decades. First with Salle Santelli and later with Fencers Club, he won a total of 10 national sabre team titles. In addition to competing on two US Olympic Teams, Blum was an Olympic official for sabre four times in 1964, ’68, ’76 and ’84. When not fencing, Blum had a well-respected legal career in government that spanned six decades, including serving as part of New York Mayor John V. Lindsay’s administration. Herbert Cohen, brother of Abe Cohen (see 1956), got his start fencing at Abraham Lincoln High School in Brooklyn. He went on to become NCAA foil champion for NYU in both 1961 and ’62, as well as national foil champion in 1964. He was a member of the bronze-medal winning 1963 US Pan American team, as well as a competitor in the Maccabiah Games in Israel. He was also a coach for several programs, including Stuyvesant High School, Teaneck High School and NYU. Cohen was coached by Michel Alaux. Albert Axelrod (see 1960) Eugene Glazer (see 1960)
1968 Games: Mexico City, Mexico Jeffrey Checkes graduated from NYU in 1962 and fenced competitively for Fencers Club. He joined the 1968 US Olympic Team for both individual and team foil events. He also earned several national and international medals, including a silver team medal at the 1967 Pan American Games, a silver medal at US nationals in 1968 and another that same year at the Martini and Rossi international invitational tournament. Albert Axelrod (see 1960) Herbert Cohen (see 1964)
The 1968 U.S. Olympic Fencing Team May 10, 2016 at the University Club
Olympians 1972 Games: Munich, West Germany Tatyana Adamovich was born in Belarus, then a part of the Soviet Union, and moved to the United States in 1968, after an already highly successful sports career competing for the USSR. After moving to America, Adamovich joined Fencers Club and quickly became the national women’s foil champion (1973) and competed at the world championships in both 1971 and ’73, in addition to being a member of the 1972 US Olympic Team. After competing, Adamovich became a highly successful coach in the New York area, coaching for several schools and colleges, and eventually founding her own club. In 1998, she received the US Olympic Committee’s “Gold Ring Award” for her outstanding support of the Olympic Movement. Adamovich is also a member of the US Fencing Hall of Fame. Robert Dow hails from a family of Olympians—his father Warren (see 1936) and his mother Helena (see 1948) were both fencers on US Olympic Teams. Dow himself competed in sabre at the 1972 Games. He has been a lifelong supporter of education and fencing, and has contributed much to the legacies of both Fencers Club and the Peter Westbrook Foundation. Dow also ardently supports schools and education, having earned his PhD in Economics from NYU’s prestigious business school. He spent his professional career with investment company Lord Abbett & Co., recently retiring as its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Dow was coached by Csaba Elthes. Albert Axelrod (see 1960) Herbert Cohen (see 1964) Paul Apostol (see 1976)
The 1972 U.S. Olympic Fencing Team Fencers Club: Past, Present and Future
Olympians 1972 Games, continued... James Melcher competed in both the individual and team epee events at the 1972 Olympics. Melcher began fencing as an undergraduate at Columbia University and, after graduating, began a successful career on Wall Street that culminated in founding his own investment firm, Balestra Capital. Merging his professional and athletic talents, he was a member of the US Olympic Committee’s investment committee for several years and served as both a board member and chairman of Fencers Club. Through a lifetime of membership to Fencers Club, Melcher continues to contribute his time and knowledge to mentor younger fencers, as well as provide significant financial support to Fencers Club. Melcher was coached by Michel Alaux. John Nonna got his start fencing as a freshman at Princeton, where he quickly excelled to make All-Ivy and All-American teams as an undergraduate. He served in the US Naval Reserve for several years (during which time he qualified for the 1972 Olympics) before going back to NYU Law School. After earning his law degree, Nonna had a successful legal practice focusing on the insurance industry. He went on to become the Mayor of Pleasantville, NY and a Westchester County legislator. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, and has been active in the New York State Bar Association. John Nonna was coached by Semyon Pinkhasov and Michel Alaux. Ruth White competed in foil for both NYU and Fencers Club, winning national championships in both 1969 and 1972. She also won individual silver and team gold medals at the 1971 Pan American Games. White was the first American woman to reach the final round of the World Junior Championships. White competed at the 1972 Olympics and then entered NYU Medical School. She studied internal medicine and maintains a successful practice in California. White has been inducted into both the NYU and US Fencing Hall of Fames. Ruth White was coached by Michel Alaux.
May 10, 2016 at the University Club
Olympians 1976 Games: Montreal, Canada Peter Westbrook is a national and Pan American sabre fencing champion, a six-time Olympian and Olympic bronze medalist (1984 individual) during the course of his long fencing career. Having started the sport in high school in New Jersey, Westbrook quickly came to dominate collegiate, national and international tournaments. He has been deeply involved with Fencers Club throughout his career, and founded the Peter Westbrook Foundation (PWF), a partner organization, in 1991. As a not-for-profit, the PWF uses the sport of fencing to enrich the lives of young people from underserved communities in the New York metropolitan area and empower them with the life skills to succeed. Westbrook was coached by Csaba Elthes and Steve Mormando. Stephen Kaplan competed in both the individual and team sabre events at the 1976 Olympics. In 1975, he won a silver medal in team sabre at the Pan American Games. He attended and later coached at NYU, which inducted him into their Athletic Hall of Fame in 1996. Kaplan is a US Fencing Coaches Association Master and founded his own club, Cobra Fencing Club, in 2002. In his professional career, Kaplan has worked in real estate in New Jersey. Kaplan was coached by Csaba Elthes. Paul Apostol was a two-time Olympic sabre fencer, in addition to national and NCAA champion (representing NYU) and a team silver medalist at the 1975 Pan American Games. Apostol recently retired from fencing, but not before earning several national and world championship titles in the Veteran categories while training at Manhattan Fencing Center. He was the longtime coach for Ramapo High School in New Jersey, as well as a member of the New Jersey Division’s executive committee. He was coached by Csaba Elthes.
1980 Games: Moscow, Soviet Union
Boycotted, U.S. did not attend. However, U.S. Olympic Team members were: Demetrios Valsamis was a member of the 1980 US Olympic Team that did not compete due to the Carter administration’s boycott of the Games in response to the Soviet Union’s 1979 invasion of Afghanistan. Valsamis was a champion in both foil and sabre at the cadet and junior levels, and was an NCAA foil champion competing for NYU. He now coaches at Cobra Fencing Club in New Jersey. Michael McCahey (see 1984) John Nonna (see 1972) Peter Westbrook (see 1976) Fencers Club: Past, Present and Future
Olympians 1984 Games: Los Angeles, USA Joel Glucksman competed as a member of the US sabre team at the 1984 Games in Los Angeles. He graduated from Columbia University and was an assistant coach there. Glucksman currently coaches the fencing program at the Chapin School in New York. Peter Lewison took a fencing class a Baruch College and never looked back. He became the team’s captain and a first-team All-American in 1981 and was inducted into the Baruch College Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007. In addition to two Olympic appearances (1984 and ’88), Lewison also was a national foil champion and US Olympic Committee Athlete of the Year in 1989. Michael McCahey, having picked up fencing at age 10, told his father that he was going to be an Olympian one day. He realized his goal years later as a member of the US foil squad at the 1984 Games. Along the way, McCahey won eight national team and individual titles and was the NCAA Athlete of the Year while fencing as an undergraduate at Notre Dame. After college and the Olympics, McCahey pursued a successful career in the software industry and, always the competitor, took up marathon racing. Sharon Monplaisir is a three-time Olympian and inductee into both the Hunter College Athletics and USA Fencing Hall of Fame. Monplaisir began fencing in high school and quickly developed her natural talent and excelled in women’s foil. She was US national champion in 1988, a seven-time US World Team member, member of two gold medaling-winning US Pan American teams and a fourtime All-American. Monplaisir now runs her own physical training business in New York. Steve Mormando was a member of three US Olympic Teams as a sabre fencer. His competitive career includes 13 US national team titles, plus one gold and four silver medals from the Pan American Games. Mormando remains active as both a fencer and the Head Coach of the NYU fencing program, where he has helped develop six NCAA champions and 40 All-American fencers over the course of his career. Mormando was coached by Csaba Elthes. Michael Lofton, now known as Mika’il Sankofa, was a three-time Olympian sabre fencer, as well as two-time US national individual champion and 10-time US national team champion. He also won the NCAA individual sabre title an unmatched four times, consecutively, while fencing for NYU. After competing, Lofton was involved in developing the Peter Westbrook Foundation up through 2009. He now owns and coaches at Thrust Fencing Academy in Nyack, NY. Lofton was coached by Csaba Elthes. Peter Westbrook (see 1976) May 10, 2016 at the University Club
Olympians 1988 Games: Seoul, South Korea Robert Cottingham is a two-time Olympian and a four-time All-American sabre fencer for Columbia University. At Columbia, he compiled a career record of 108-11 and was named NCAA Fencer of the Year in 1988 as he led the NYU team to an NCAA national championship and won the individual title as well. After Columbia, he continued his successful fencing career as a member of several national, Pan American and world championship teams. Cottingham received his law degree from Rutgers University and is now the head of his own business consulting firm, Sabre88. He remains active in the fencing world, having served on USA Fencing’s Executive Committee and through his dedicated involvement with the Peter Westbrook Foundation. Cottingham was coached by Aladar Kogler. Peter Lewison (see 1984) Sharon Monplaisir (see 1984) Michael Lofton (see 1984) Steve Mormando (see 1984) Peter Westbrook (see 1976)
1992 Games: Barcelona, Spain Robert Cottingham (see 1984) Steve Mormando (see 1984) Michael Lofton (see 1984) Peter Westbrook (see 1976)
1996 Games: Atlanta, USA Peter Westbrook (see 1976)
The 1996 U.S. Olympic Fencing Team at the White House. Fencers Club: Past, Present and Future
Olympians 2000 Games: Sydney, Australia Keeth Smart has competed in three Olympic Games, including winning a team silver as part of the US men’s sabre team in 2008. Smart was also a member of the 1999 Pan American team that won the bronze medal. Smart got his start in fencing as one of the first members of the Peter Westbrook Foundation, along with his sister Erinn. He quickly developed his talent for sabre and won several NCAA titles for St. John’s University, as well as two US national championships and, in 2003, the first American man to be ranked as #1 in the world. Smart went on to receive his MBA from Columbia University and began a career in banking. He remains active as both a coach and mentor with the Peter Westbrook Foundation. Smart was coached by Yury Gelman. Akhnaten Spencer-El started fencing as part of the Peter Westbrook Foundation when he was 13. He soon dominated the men’s sabre category as a three-time national junior sabre champion, two-time senior champion and was ranked the #1 junior men’s sabre fencer in the world in 1998. Spencer-el went on to receive his fencing maestro’s degree from Semmelweis University in Hungary and is now a coach for Fencers Club, the Peter Westbrook Foundation and, most recently, Columbia University. Spencer-El was coached by Yury Gelman.
The 2000 U.S. Olympic Fencing Team May 10, 2016 at the University Club
Olympians 2004 Games: Athens, Greece Jedediah Dupree was a seven-time member of the US national foil team, and he competed in the 2004 Athens Olympics. He was also a two-time national champion, member of the gold medal winning team at the 2003 Pan American Games and an NCAA champion while attending Columbia University. He was the coach for the US national junior team that won back-to-back gold medals in 2011 and 2012, and he was also the foil coach for the 2012 Olympic squad. He has coached at Empire United fencing club and, more recently, was hired as an assistant coach at Harvard University. Kamara James moved to the United States from Jamaica when she was 10 years old. The following year, she took up fencing through the Peter Westbrook Foundation. James honed her skills in epee to earn a berth on the US national team three years in a row, culminating in winning the bronze at the junior world championships in 2003. She competed in the 2004 Olympics at only age 19. She graduated from Princeton University and later moved to California where she passed away at age 29. James was coached by Kornel Udvarhelyi. Dan Kellner started fencing after playing an Olympic-themed video game that included the sport. He quickly devoted himself to excelling in foil, first at his high school and later fencing for Columbia University as a four-time All-American and the NCAA Fencer of the Year in 1998. Although he stopped fencing for a while after failing to make the 200 Olympic Team, Kellner redoubled his efforts and competed in the 2004 Games in Athens. He has several podium finishes at both national and international tournaments, including two gold medals (one individual and one team) from the 2003 Pan American Games. Kellner now owns and coaches at Brooklyn Bridge Fencing Club. During his time at Fencers Club, Dan Kellner was coached by Simon Gershon.
From left: Dan Kellner, Kamara James, Ivan Lee, Jed Dupree, Erinn Smart, Jon Tiomkin and Keeth Smart in 2004. Fencers Club: Past, Present and Future
Olympians 2004 Games, Continued... Ivan Lee began fencing with the Peter Westbrook Foundation and became the first African-American man to win a world fencing championship as part of the US national sabre team in 2001. Lee grew up in Brooklyn and attended St. John’s University, helping the school to its first NCAA Division I championships title with teammate Keeth Smart. He also holds six national titles (five at the senior level) and his four world championship medals (one gold, one silver and two bronze) remain an unmatched achievement among US male fencers. He was selected as the US Olympic Committee’s Male Athlete of the Year for 2001. Lee currently works in law enforcement and serves as Fencing Commissioner for the NYC Public Schools Athletic League (PSAL). He remains active as a fencer and is involved with coaching and mentoring at the Peter Westbrook Foundation. Lee was coached by Yury Gelman. Erinn Smart tried several sports before finding fencing through the Peter Westbrook Foundation. Along with her brother, Keeth (see 2000), she quickly developed into a formidable foil fencer, winning a team silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. She was an alternate for the US Team in 2000 and also competed in the 2004 Games. Smart earned five national championships and team bronze medals at both junior and senior world championships. She attended Barnard College and went on to get her MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. She is active as a board member of both Fencers Club and the Peter Westbrook Foundation, in addition to her job working with DailyBurn, a health and fitness company. Smart was coached by Buckie Leach. Jonathan Tiomkin started fencing at Hewlett High School, where he purportedly beat the team captain on his first day of practice. He later attended St. John’s University and took both NCAA silver and bronze medals. Tiomkin was a two-time national champion and has several international medals to his name, including a world cup bronze. He now lives on Long Island where he owns, operates and coaches at the 5 Towns Fencers Club. Tiomkin was coached by Mikhail Petin and Simon Gershon. Keeth Smart (see 2000)
May 10, 2016 at the University Club
Olympians 2008 Games: Beijing, China Emily Cross was a member of the US women’s foil team that won a silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. From the age of 13, she represented the US at the 2000 cadet and junior world championships, winning her first team bronze medal. The following year, Cross was a member of the US cadet, junior and senior teams, and she remained on the senior team through 2008. In 2003, she won the cadet world championship in women’s foil. Cross attended Harvard University during which time she won her first and second junior world championships and an NCAA championship title. Cross recently graduated from the University of Pennsylvania’s medical school and will start residency this summer at Boston Children’s Hospital, a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital. Emily Cross will be inducted into the USA Fencing Hall of Fame this summer. Cross was coached by Mikhail Petin. Erinn Smart (see 2004) Keeth Smart (see 2000)
Olympians Erinn Smart (left), Hanna Thompson and Emily Cross celebrate their women’s foil team silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Andrea DeMello is a four-time Paralympian who competed in her first Paralympic Games as part of the U.S. team in Beijing in 2008. DeMello is originally from Brazil and became a U.S. citizen in 2003. She fenced in three Paralympic Games for Brazil and then brought her wheelchair fencing experience to the U.S. Paralympic Team. In 1980, DeMello suffered a stroke that left her right side completely paralyzed. But, that did not limit her from achieving her goals. In fact, her fencing training has helped speed her recovery. In 1987, she was the first woman who had a stroke to finish the New York City Marathon. With the help of her sister Valeria, DeMello has her sights set on the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games. DeMello is coached by Simon Gershon and Boris Vaksman.
Fencers Club: Past, Present and Future
Olympians 2012 Games: London, England Miles Chamley-Watson was born in London, and returned there to compete as part of Team USA in the 2012 Olympics. He joined Fencers Club shortly after moving to New York at age nine. In 2008, he made the Junior World Championship team and earned a full scholarship to the Pennsylvania State University. While attending Penn State, he was a 4-time AllAmerican. In 2013, Chamley-Watson became the first ever US man to win an individual world championship in foil. This was followed by his Shanghai Grand Prix victory in 2015, which added to his long list of fencing achievements. He trains at Fencers Club with a gold medal goal for Rio while also pursuing a modeling career. Chamley-Watson is coached by Simon and Irene Gershon. Nzingha Prescod has been fencing since she was nine years old. The Brooklyn native got her start with the Peter Westbrook Foundation and excelled to qualify for six consecutive US cadet/junior women’s foil teams and three US senior teams, as well as for both the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. Prescod made history as the first AfricanAmerican woman to win a world championship medal—a bronze at the 2015 senior world championships. A graduate of Columbia University, Prescod has her eyes on medaling at the Rio Olympic Games and plans to pursue a career in policy work. Prescod trains at Fencers Club and is coached by Buckie Leach. Nicole Ross was born and raised in New York City and began fencing at Fencers Club from a young age. She competed in the 2012 Olympics in women’s foil. Ross graduated from Columbia University, where she was the NCAA champion in 2010. She has also been a member of the US national team since 2010. Professionally, Ross has worked as a program coordinator for the charitable initiative Win4Youth, an organization that raises money for disadvantaged young people around the world through sport, and she is one of the top foil fencers in the world. Ross is coached by Simon and Irene Gershon.
Prescod (left) and Ross
May 10, 2016 at the University Club
Olympians 2016 Games: Rio, Brazil Ibtihaj Muhammad will be the first MuslimAmerican woman to compete for the United States while wearing a hijab. Raised in New Jersey as a practicing Muslim, Muhammad’s mother suggested fencing as it would accommodate her religious dress practices. She fenced in high school and joined the Peter Westbrook Foundation, where she quickly progressed as a sabre fencer. She earned an academic scholarship in 2002 to Duke University, where she was a 3 time All-American. By 2010, Muhammad made her first US National team and four years later she was a member of the US world championship sabre team. She has also served as a sports ambassador for the United States, and is the founder and owner of her own clothing line—Louella. In 2016, Ibtihaj Muhammad was named one of TIME Magazine’s 100 most influential people. Muhammad trains at Fencers Club and is coached by Akhnaten Spencer-El. She will pursue two gold medals this summer in Rio. Juliana Barrett (RSA) holds dual citizenship and will represent the Republic of South Africa (RSA) at the 2016 Games in Rio. Barrett began fencing at Fencers Club from an early age and soon became a national and international competitor. She currently attends Northwestern University and has participated in two NCAA championships, and won a bronze medal at NCAA Regionals. Internationally, Barrett is a four-time national champion in South Africa, won the women’s epee title at the 2015 All-African Games and, most recently, she won the African Zonal Olympic Qualifying Tournament to secure her spot at the 2016 Rio Games. Barrett trains at Fencers Club and is coached by Kornel Udvarhelyi. Miles Chamley-Watson (see 2012): Follow Chamley-Watson as he pursues double gold medals in men’s foil at the 2016 Olympic Games. Nzingha Prescod (see 2012): One of the favorites to medal in women’s foil at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
Fencers Club: Past, Present and Future
Sponsors and Partners
May 10, 2016 at the University Club