James Murray Anniversary Dinner
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James Murray Anniversary Dinner
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Date
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May 1942
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volume
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7
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2
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3
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3
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en
A Tribute to 50 Years of Coaching
JAMES MURRAY ANNIVERSARY DINNER
ONCE every so often fencers have the opportunity to assemble to pay homage to some fencer, team or date of fencing significance. An exceptional occasion of this kind offered itself on April 30 when James Murray rounded out his fiftieth year as fencing master at the New York Athletic Club. A record such as Jimmy's is seldom achieved in any type of activity; in a sport which requires strenuous athletic activity it is phenomenal.
James Murray was hired as N. Y. A. C. fencing master early in 1892. Over a span of 50 years he has directed the fencing room and supervised the scheduled fencing sessions at the club every week throughout spring, fall and winter. Assisted by James Castello from 1914 to 1925 and by George Santelli from 1927 to date, he has consistently turned out winning teams in one weapon or another. Many are the fencers who, active or not today, can look upon Jimmy Murray as their original inspiration in the sport.
Jimmy Murray has been referred to as the Dean of American Fencing. This title came to him spontaneously. Where it originated a few years ago is problematical, but the fact remains that this title fitted him so aptly that it has never been questioned. His personal skill, his quiet manner, his gentlemanly courtesy, his modesty; all these have given him the respect of professionals and amateurs alike.
Upon relatively short notice, 43 fencers assembled in the fencing room at the New York Athletic Club to pay homage to their fencing master. It had originally been planned to keep this anniversary an exclusive N. Y. A. C. affair, but the drawing power of Jimmy Murray was too great to maintain any adherence to such an arrangement. At least four generations of fencing elite “stormed the gates” and there is no question but that, had the fencing grapevine been in action a few more days, the fencing room would have been too small to hold the diners.
The entire evening carried a spirit of spontaneity that matched the spirit in which the guests had assembled. Leo G. Nunes, N. Y. A. C. fencing captain, acted as Master of Ceremonies and found no hardship in his task. He had merely to call upon anyone present to find a willing speaker who was pleased to tell interesting anecdotes about Jimmy Murray and fencing. He also read telegrams from such absentees as Dr. Graeme M. Hammond, Gustavus T. Kirby, Millard and Harold Bloomer and others who had found it impossible to be present that evening. Dr. Hammond's absence was particularly regrettable because he had been one of the club's and country's leading fencers when James Murray had first been employed. In Dr. Hammond's absence the time record went to William L. Bowman, the 1908 American Foil Champion, who had taken his first fencing lesson from Murray in 1901. The youngest fencers were the five members of the Columbia University fencing squad which, trained by Jimmy Murray, had won the Intercollegiate Foil Team Championship less than two weeks before. Except for Dr. Hammond, every President of the A. F. L. A. was present.
As the evening ended, Mr. Nunes, in behalf of the fencers, presented Mr. Murray with a silver cup properly engraved to commemorate the evening and a check in token of their esteem.
Two weeks later, James Murray was also guest of honor at the N. Y. A. C. all-sports dinner, the annual dinner given in honor of that club’s national champions of the previous year. On April 17, he was also guest of honor at the spring cotillion at the Fencers’ Club. The A. F. L. A. will honor him on June 19 at its gala night at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.
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Portrait reprinted with permission of Artist Gil Parche, creator of Hall of Fame of Fencers.
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depicts
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Photograph : "James Murray Dean of American Fencing Masters"
