"Sometimes we, as coaches, get into that dictator mode where you just tell and you don't listen and you don't try to understand them." Tom Izzo, Mich. St.
"Fraud is the creation of trust. And then: its betrayal."
William Black, Ph.D.
1958 World Fencng Championships Held at Penn's Hutchinson Gymnasium
I thought you might find interesting the attached piece of fencing history. In 1958, The World Fencing Championships were held at the University of Pennsylvania, and the fencing was conducted in the "then recently" renovated Hutchinson Gymnasium. This was just the first of two times the World Championships have been held in the United States. (The other time in Denver in 1989).
I had been fencing for a year, and one of my friends who attended the championships brought me the official FIE program. I have extrapolated some pages from the official program including the competition schedule and list of competitors, which reads like a "who's who" of famed fencers.
The renderings of Hutchinson Gymnasium and the Palestra from 54 years ago bear compelling witness to the pressing need for the massive renovations planned for Hutchinson Gymnasium. It is now hard to believe that in 1958 Hutchinson Gymnasium was considered a prime location to hold the World Fencing Championships.
Last edited by mike morgan; 02-01-2012 at 01:04 AM.
Reason: To correct accuracy as noted by Coldfire below
My generation was the last to ever make regular season trips via van. The last van trip was made a few seasons later under special circumstances. Chances are that no currently active Tar Heels have or ever will make a van trip.
I now dangle to the left....my tassle. Get your minds out of the gutter.
"Martin was not an optimist; he was a prisoner of hope." Optimism is about assuming there's evidence that justifies your outlook while hope is about creating the evidence and procuring your own happiness or vision of the world. - Professor West
Two things I noted from the program particularly besides familiar names -
1) German delagation consists of 7 women and 3 men. Still recovering from WW2?
2) The number of Stateless entries.
The stateless fencers were top-level Hungarian fencers who had recently defected to the US following the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. They were granted asylum in the US and the FIE in a daring…yes, the FIE…allowed them to compete as "stateless". Such stateless fencers included outstanding Hungarian National Team members Hamori, Magay, and Orley.
Last edited by mike morgan; 02-01-2012 at 01:39 AM.
Mostly carpool, occasional van. Not that a trip < 20min really counts as any sort of trip really.
I now dangle to the left....my tassle. Get your minds out of the gutter.
"Martin was not an optimist; he was a prisoner of hope." Optimism is about assuming there's evidence that justifies your outlook while hope is about creating the evidence and procuring your own happiness or vision of the world. - Professor West
Congratulations, Mike. I know how hard you and other dedicated Penn alum have worked to make this vision a reality. Penn is lucky to have a coach like Andy Ma, and I know how intergral he was to this fundraising process. Great job, and much success in the future.
Two things I noted from the program particularly besides familiar names -
1) German delagation consists of 7 women and 3 men. Still recovering from WW2?
Perhaps - right of the bat the name of the future Olympic Champion and a wunderkind 2 time World Champion jumped out.
The 5 Women Foilists received Team Silver, and this was the second postwar World Championship that Germany medaled at all.
"He was born with a gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad. And that was all his patrimony."
Rafael Sabatini - Scaramouche http://www.facebook.com/SwordSportPR
Dramatic picture in men's foil final at the 1958 World Fencing Championships.
For your perusal, I have attached a picture taken immediately after the winning touch in men's foil at the 1958 World Fencing Championships. It remains among the most dramatic fencing pictures I have seen. The photographer was the American fencer and coach John Geraci. The winning foilist was Giancarlo Bergamini of Italy. Bergamini was a member Italy's silver medal foil team in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, earned the silver medal in individual foil at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics--won by Christian d'Oriola-- and was on Italy's gold-medal foil team in Melbourne. The brick arches and walls of Hutchinson Gymnasium seen in this picture will be completely restored and refaced to remain an integral part of Penn's new fencing facility.
Heretic has said something positive, likable and has seemingly done so with sincerity? I'm now going to grab lunch, stay tuned for reports of whether pigs are in fact hovering precariously overhead on the journey.
I now dangle to the left....my tassle. Get your minds out of the gutter.
"Martin was not an optimist; he was a prisoner of hope." Optimism is about assuming there's evidence that justifies your outlook while hope is about creating the evidence and procuring your own happiness or vision of the world. - Professor West
I thought you might find interesting the attached piece of fencing history. In 1958, The World Fencing Championships were held at the University of Pennsylvania, and the fencing was conducted in the "then recently" renovated Hutchinson Gymnasium. This was just the first of two times the World Championships have been held in the United States. (The other time in Denver in 1989).
I had been fencing for a year, and one of my friends who attended the championships brought me the official FIE program. I have extrapolated some pages from the official program including the competition schedule and list of competitors, which reads like a "who's who" of famed fencers.
The renderings of Hutchinson Gymnasium and the Palestra from 54 years ago bear compelling witness to the pressing need for the massive renovations planned for Hutchinson Gymnasium. It is now hard to believe that in 1958 Hutchinson Gymnasium was considered a prime location to hold the World Fencing Championships.
Very cool post!!!
It's amazing to see Dick Berry listed there representing the U.S. because he is still fencing and coaching! Sadly he no longer competes; he stopped a couple of years ago at age 76.
It's amazing to see Dick Berry listed there representing the U.S. because he is still fencing and coaching! Sadly he no longer competes; he stopped a couple of years ago at age 76.
Dick Berry was indeed was a superb fencer and a fine gentleman. In 1958 (and 1957), he was the United States' individual epee champion. The other 1958 US Individual National Fencing Champions were: Men's Foil…Albert Axelrod; Women's Foil…..Maxine Mitchell; Men's Saber…Daniel Magay.
In a previous post, I had meant to include all the individual champions from the 1958 World Fencing Championships. They were Epee…Hoskins (U.K); Saber…Rylski (USSR); Men's Foil…Bergamini (Italy); Women's Foil…Kiselevia (USSR).
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Originally Posted by Craig
