James Arthur Margolis (born July 17, 1936) is an American Olympic épée fencer.[1]

James Margolis
Personal information
Full nameJames Arthur Margolis
Born (1936-07-17) July 17, 1936 (age 87)
New York, New York, United States
Sport
SportFencing
EventEpee
College teamColumbia University

Early life edit

Margolis was born in New York, New York, and is Jewish.[2][3] His brother Don also fenced for Columbia University, coming in third in the NCAA nationals in épée in 1963.[4] He later lived in Teaneck, New Jersey.[5]

Fencing career edit

He fenced for the Columbia Lions fencing team. Margolis was the 1957 NCAA épée champion, as well as the 1957 IFA champion, fencing as a junior for Columbia University, from which he graduated in 1958.[2][6][7][4] He was All-Ivy League in 1957 and 1958, All-American in 1957, and Eastern Champion in épée in 1957.[4] He then joined the U.S. Navy, and became a Lieutenant.[8]

In 1960, Margolis placed third in epee at the Amateur Fencers League of America (AFLA) national tournament.[1]

Margolis also competed on behalf of the United States in the individual and team épée events at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome.[9] He was the Ivy League's first Olympian in fencing.[10]

He competed in the 1960 Pan American Games.[7] Margolis won a gold medal in team épée at the 1963 Pan American Games.[11]

Margolis was inducted into the Columbia University Athletics Hall of Fame.[7]

After his fencing career concluded, Margolis worked in the life insurance business for 40 years, and served as manager at the Brookline Emergency Food Pantry, a food shelter for individuals, families, and seniors in need.[7]

References edit

  1. ^ a b "James Margolis Bio, Stats, and Results," Olympics at Sports-Reference.com
  2. ^ a b Bob Wechsler. Day by Day in Jewish Sports History
  3. ^ Bernard Postal, Jesse Silver, Roy Silver. Encyclopedia of Jews in Sports
  4. ^ a b c 15 April 1963 Columbia Daily Spectator.
  5. ^ Amateur Athlete
  6. ^ Jay V. Bavishi. Ivies in Athens: the deep bond between two great sporting traditions: the Olympic Games and the Ivy League
  7. ^ a b c d "Hall of Fame Series: James Margolis '58CC & 1954 Men's Fencing - Columbia University Lions"
  8. ^ United States Olympic Committee. Report: Games of the Olympiad
  9. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "James Margolis". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved November 8, 2010.
  10. ^ "Ivy Women in Sports"
  11. ^ Martin Harry Greenberg. The Jewish lists: physicists and generals, actors and writers, and hundreds of other lists of accomplished Jews

External links edit