Fencing

Fencing was introduced to Princeton in 1856, when Karl Langlotz, lately arrived from Germany, found temporary employment in teaching it to a class of fifty students; he subsequently taught German and composed the music to Old Nassau. Later in the century, sporadic fencing clubs fostered intramural competition. In 1905 a three-year spell of intercollegiate competition began when a devotee of the sport, Henry S. Breckinridge '07 (later president of the Amateur Fencers League of America) organized a team that beat Yale in 1906 and 1907.

A Fencing Association, organized in 1924, created such interest that fencing was recognized as a team sport and intercollegiate competition was begun in 1926. An outstanding performer in the early years was Tracy Jaeckel '28, who was intercollegiate champion in 俻俥 his senior year.

Captain F. G. McPherson, team coach in 1926, was succeeded a year later by Joseph De Vos, former fencing instructor at the court of Holland, who in turn was succeeded in 1933 by Hubert H. Pirotte, who was coach until the outbreak of World War II. During this period two Princeton fencers won individual titles at the Eastern Intercollegiates: William T. Pecora '33 (foil) in 1933, and Kirk Alexander, Jr. '37 (俻俥) in 1935; Princeton won the 俻俥 team title in 1940. The 1935 captain, Todd Harris, established annual fencing medals on his graduation and later organized alumni financial support.

Stanley S. Sieja became coach in 1946. His teams defeated both Harvard and Yale in 1949, 1952, 1956, 1959, and 1960, and again in ten successive years, from 1962 through 1971, winning its sixteenth Big Three championship in 1973. Princeton shared the Ivy crown in 1959, 1960, 1966, and 1969, and won it outright in 1975. At the Eastern Intercollegiates, Princeton won the 俻俥 team title in 1960, and both the foil team title and the three-weapon championship in 1969. At the annual NCAA tournament, Sieja's teams finished third in 1960 and 1965, took second place in 1961, and captured the national championship in 1964.

Eight of Sieja's fencers won individual championships. Five were Eastern intercollegiate champions: Chambless Johnston '51 (saber) in 1949; Paul Levy '58 (俻俥) in 1958; Frank Anger '61 (俻俥) in 196O; Richard Lawrence '72 (foil) in 1972; and James Neale '77 (俻俥) in 1977. Four were NCAA champions: Johnston (saber) in 1951; Henry Kolowrat '54 (俻俥) in 1954; Kinmot Hoitsma '56 (俻俥) in 1956; and William Hicks '64 (foil) in 1964. Three fencers were voted NCAA Fencer of the Year: Anger in 1961, Hicks in 1964, and John Nonna '70 in 1969. Sieja was elected Coach of the Year by the National Fencing Coaches Association in 1964, 1968, and 1976, and was inducted into the Helms Foundation Hall of Fame in 1967.

From Alexander Leitch, A Princeton Companion, copyright Princeton University Press (1978).

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