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 88)
New York, New York, United States
Sport
SportFencing
EventEpee
College teamColumbia University

Early life

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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

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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]

See also

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References

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  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
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