Short Biographies of the Team
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Short Biographies of the Team
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June 25, 1936
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13
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SHORT BIOGRAPHIES OF THE TEAM
John G. Hurd
John was born in Sacramento, California, in 1914 of American parents. He began fencing in 1930 at Harvard University under Rene Peroy, and won the Intercollegiate championship in Foil in 1934. In 1935, he took third place in the National Foil Championships and has a good record for the Olympic tryouts. He is now a member of the Salle Peroy in Cambridge, Mass. His hobbies are golf and tennis. He is at present studying law at the Harvard Law School.
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Bela de Nagy
"Bela" was born in Hungary and educated in Budapest and the Austrian-Hungarian Naval Academy in Fiume. Graduated as Electrical Engineer from the Royal Hungarian University in Budapest, where he became an assistant professor. During the War, he was a pilot and first officer of the famous Navratil scout squadron. Credited with several enemy planes and decorated four times. Bela began fencing in 1909 under Hungary’s beloved maestro, Italo Santelli. At first it was merely to prepare himself in case of a duel, but he has never stopped since then. He won the Intercollegiate championships of Austria and Hungary for three years and won the International memorial competition of gold medalists once. The second time he placed second to Giorgio Santelli. Bela was a member of the Board of Governors of the Hungarian Fencing League and thinks Italo Santelli the world’s best fencing master. Gives Santelli the credit for placing Hungary in the sabre supremacy. Bela came to this country in 1924 and the outdoor sabre, although at that time it was not dignified with a title. He is an excellent horseman and was on the staff of engineers which designed the electrification of the Penn railroad between New York and Washington.
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Joseph Levis
"Joe" was born in Boston in 1905 of Italian parents. He went to English Prep and then to M.I.T. where he began fencing in 1922 under J. L. Danguin. He placed second in the 1925 intercollegiates and won the title in 1926. He has also been a pupil of Rene Pinchart and Rene Peroy. In 1928 he won both the Jr. Foil and Jr. Epee. Has won the National Foil title four times, in 1929, 1932, 1933, and 1935, as well as the National Outdoor foil of 1931 and 1933. He started fencing initially on the inspiration of his father’s record as a swordsman in Italy, and then on the inspiration of Lt. Calnan. Joe was captain on the U.S. Teams against England and Italy in 1924. He placed second in the 1932 Olympics and is the captain of the present team. His hobby is tennis. He is president of the Freeport Marble and Tile Co.
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Tracy Jaeckel
"Tracy" was born in New York City in 1905 of American parents. He attended Exeter and then Princeton, where he began fencing under Joseph DeVos in 1926. He began fencing because Princeton didn’t have squash courts then. Tracy won the Intercollegiate championship in 1928. He is now a member of the Fencers Club and a pupil of Rene Pinchart. Was runner-up in the nationals of 1933 and 1935 and placed third and second in the Outdoors of 1933 and 1935 respectively. He was a member of the 1932 Olympic team and was mentioned in the captain’s report as one of our best international fencers. He was also a member of the British-American team. His hobbies are tennis, squash, and riding. He is Advertising Manager for Jaeckel Inc.
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Frank S. Righeimer Jr.
"Frank" was born in Chicago in 1909 of American Parents. He attended the Austin High School and Tabor Academy before going to Yale University where he began fencing in 1926 under Robert Grasson. While at Yale, Frank won both the foil and epee Intercollegiate championships of 1929 and was National indoor and outdoor champion the same year in Epee. He also placed third in the National foil championships. In 1934, Frank was Midwest champion in foil and epee. He is a graduate of Harvard Law School and is at present a lawyer on the staff of General Counsel to the Securities and Exchange Commission. His duties in Washington and elsewhere have prevented him from entering many of the important competitions in the last two years. Frank’s other hobbies are tennis, golf, and bridge.
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William T. Pecora II
"Bill" was born in Newark, N.J. in 1913 of Italian parents. He began fencing at Barringer H.S. under Prof. G. Cetrulo and entered Princeton in 1929 where he continued under Joseph De Vos. Bill won the N.J. Jr. Foil and the Intercollegiate Foil Championships in 1933 and was on the British American team in 1934. He is this year’s New England foil champion, and claims more broken blades than any other young fencer. He gives most of the credit for his fencing to Hubert Pirotte of Princeton, but is now a member of the Salle d'Armes Peroy in Cambridge. His hobby is geology. He is a student in the graduate school of Harvard where he hopes to get his Masters and Doctors degree.
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John F. Potter
"John" was born in Paris, France in 1910 of French-American parents. He began fencing in Paris in 1924 and continued at Yale under Robert Grasson. While in college he held the Intercollegiate foil title for three years in a row and placed third in the National Foil Championships of 1931. John is also an excellent skier and has a national reputation in this sport. He also goes in for tennis and riding. He is now a member of the N.Y.A.C. and is assistant buyer for Saks Fifth Avenue.
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Nickolas Muray
"Nick" was born in Hungary, where he attended the Royal Hungarian Art School. He also studied art and engraving at Budapest and then went to Germany to study photography for three years. Nick began fencing in Chicago in 1918 and won his first tournament in 1919. He held the National Sabre title in 1927 and 1928, the Metropolitan title in 1931 and 1934, and the Metropolitan Foil title in the same two years. He is a senior in all three weapons and has held the National three-weapon championship. He began fencing for exercise. He is at present engaged in color photography. His hobby. He is a member of the N.Y.A.C. and has won the club title several times.
