University of Wisconsin Men’s Fencing, 1911-1991 Of 31 intercollegiate sports the University of Wisconsin has had, men’s fencing has had more Big Ten Championships in university history per years of competition than any other sport established at least 20 years, except track and field and cross country. In the years of Big Ten fencing competition since its beginning in 1926 (none held during WW I and WW II), fencing averaged one championship every 5.5 years, 11 championships total. The Badger fencers have come in second 20 times. That’s 51 percent of the years in first or second place. All 11 championships came in the last half (40 years) of Badger fencing history, i.e., every 2.8 years, along with 13 second place finishes; that’s 60 percent of those years in first or second place. Wisconsin has produced 17 All-American fencers: four in foil, 10 in epee, three in saber. Wisconsin has produced 34 Badgers who won 43 Big Ten or equivalent individual fencing championships: 16 in foil, 12 in epee, 15 in saber. Unlike most other sports, fencing usually has to be taught in college, for few fencers learn fencing in high school or even see or touch a sword. The coach teaches all novices foil and eventually decides who should fence which weapon: foil, epee, or saber. The team was comprised of nine men— three in each weapon during the regular season but two in each weapon for the Big Ten championship meet and, if the record justifies, one in each weapon for the NCAA meet. Tournaments consist of both a team championship and an individual championship in each weapon. (The word “sword” or “swordsman” is rarely used.) Incomplete annual records exist for UW fencing from 1947-1992; before that, no records exist. Write-ups in the Badger yearbook provide little data. Of the 81 years of Badger yearbooks during the 81-year intercollegiate fencing period, 36 of them have team photos. The Wisconsin Athletic Review provided some pictures and good information, but surprisingly few exist. A key word search in the archives for the word “fencing” (“sword fighting” wouldn’t work) also yielded things both tedious and amusing like, “The biggest problem was labor for tree-planting, land-clearing, and fencing [at the University Arboretum in 1933].” A fencing club existed at least by 1890, as recorded in the Badger then, until 1911, as periodic reports indicate. F. E. C. Helm was the instructor in 1894 and perhaps earlier. By 1900, the club was directed by Pierre De Soucy, who had studied fencing in France. Intercollegiate competition began in 1911 and continued 80 years until 1992. (Women’s intercollegiate fencing—foil only—began in 1974 and continued for 17 years until 1992.) In 1911 fencing became part of the Western Intercollegiate Gymnastics Association, which also included wrestling, and meets were held jointly. In 1924, fencing gained individual status. Official Big Ten fencing competition began in 1926, and NCAA fencing competition in 1941. Of the 10 universities in the Big Ten at the time, over the years variously all 10 of them had fencing teams but not at the same time: Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan State, Michigan, Indiana, Purdue, Ohio State, Minnesota and Northwestern. Other university teams that Wisconsin fenced included Notre Dame, Air Force Academy, Wayne State, Chicago, Detroit, Stanford, Cornell, MIT, Duke, North Carolina State, Penn State, Arizona, Winnipeg (Alberta), 1 Wisconsin-Parkside and the always tough Shorewood Fencing Club (Milwaukee Fencing Club). During World War I and World War II, Wisconsin had no fencing team for four years. Official Big Ten Championships ended in 1986 because the conference stopped sponsoring fencing in 1987. At the time, at least seven universities had to have a particular varsity sport in order for it to be an official conference. That status for fencing ended for the Big Ten when certain Big Ten universities dropped fencing as an official intercollegiate sport and gave it club status. From 1987 to 1991, the Midwest Invitational Championship served as a championship tournament in place of the Big Ten, with most or all Big Ten fencing teams participating. According to The Wisconsin Alumni Magazine in 1915, among the several sports in 1913- 14 which were not self-supporting were baseball, rowing, swimming, tennis, cross country, golf, gymnastics, wrestling and fencing. (In 1913-14 fencing cost the university $12.59. In 1914-15, fencing cost the university $40.) In its first seven years, from 1910-11 until 1916-17, the fencing team had four coaches, with no coach during 1917-18 and 1918-19. The first coach, in 1911-12, was either H. H. Burdett, as listed in the Wisconsin Athletic Bulletin (Dec 9, 1911 and Mar 30, 1912), or Walter Meanwell, also listed as coach of wrestling and basketball in 1911. The Wisconsin Athletic Bulletin of Feb 22, 1913 stated that Burdett had left the team in 1912-13 and that no coach was available due to lack of funds, although in The Wisconsin Athletic Review of 1948, Harry MacChesney is listed as fencing coach. From 1919-20 to 1923-24, fencing and gymnastics were coached by the same person, Fred Schlatter. Only one year during the first 16 years from 1910- 11 to 1926-27 did Wisconsin fence against more than one or two opponents. Thus, the rigor of the championship meets then is questionable, but not the dedication to develop and maintain fencing during those early years. Except for the first years and the last year, fencing has had just four coaches during 90 percent (71 years) of its history. Fred Schlatter coached seven years (1919-20 through 1925-26) against a total of 17 teams. Arpad Masley coached 25 years (1926-27 through 1950-51) against a total of 132 teams (5/year). Archie Simonson coached 21 years (1951-52 through 1971-72) against a total of 316 teams (15/year). Anthony Gillham coached 18 years (1972-73 through 1989-90) against a total of 346 teams (19/year). Of the three coaches with more than 20 matches of coaching, Masley’s won-loss record was 62-64 (six ties) (0.492), Simonson’s was 195-121 (0.617), and Gillham’s was 246-100 (0.711). The three Badger coaches have produced some outstanding fencers who have taken individual honors in foil, epee or saber: 35 Big Ten champions or equivalent (seven men, two times; one man, three times) and 16 NCAA All- Americans (two men, two times). An All-American fencer is a man who placed sixth or better in his weapon in NCAA national competition to make the first or second All-America team (three men/team). Arpad Masely was educated at the University of Wisconsin, class of 1918, as a gym teacher, and became a professor in and director of the physical education department. He taught himself fencing and took over the fencing coaching duties in 1926. While his won-loss record is 2 modest (62-64-6, 0.492), he is considered the father of fencing at Wisconsin for his development and maintenance of the fencing program and his tenure of 25 years as the longest-serving fencing coach. During those early years, he produced five individual Big Ten champions and, in 1941, one All-American, in epee—the first NCAA champion All-American in Badger fencing history, joining the first All-Americans in the new NCAA in 1941. Archie Simonson expanded the intercollegiate fencing program from an average of five matches per year before Simonson to an average of 15 matches per year with him, 20 matches per year toward the end of his coaching career. In 1949-50, he was fencing foil and was captain of the team as a student. Two years later, 1951-52, he was teaching foil, epee and saber and was coach of the team as a professional. In March 1955, for the first time in Badger history, he captured the Big Ten championship by beating always-powerful Illinois, among others. Just one year later his team of 1955-56 beat more than 90 percent of its opponents. In his sixth year as a fencing coach, 1956-57, his team was awarded the NCAA third-place trophy, a mere five points behind the national champions—the highest NCAA ranking in Badger fencing history. He captured the Big Ten championship four times (1955, 1957, 1959 and 1967). Simonson’s teams placed first or second in the Big Ten 52 percent of the years he coached. Of the many teams in NCAA competition, his teams placed 15th or better in the NCAA 71 percent and eighth or better 43 percent of the years he coached. He produced 32 percent (12) of the university’s 38 individual Big Ten champions (since 1926) and 76 percent (13) of the 17 UW fencers who became NCAA All-Americans. In addition to his first Big Ten championship team of 1954-55, the most successful teams in the history of Badger fencing were Simonson’s teams of 1955-56, 1956-57 and 1958-59. Only those three teams in Badger fencing history won more than 90 percent of their matches. The team of 1955-56 had a regular-season won-loss record of 11-1 for 0.917, i.e., 92 percent success that year, took third in the Big Ten championship, and placed sixth in the NCAA, with two All- Americans. The team of 1956-57 had a regular-season won-loss record of 12-1 for 0.923, i.e., 92 percent success that year, won the Big Ten championship, and placed third in the NCAA, with two All-Americans.