Julia Jones Pugliese - Biography

Julia Jones Pugliese (May 9, 1909 – March 6, 1993) was an American fencer.

Born Julia Jones, she married Anthony Pugliese. She started her fencing career at NYU and became the first women's US National Intercollegiate champion in 1929.

Julia Jones-Pugliese took up fencing as a New York University student in 1927 and five years later began a 60-year career as one the nation's premier coaches. She was the first woman to coach a collegiate fencing team, leading N.Y.U. to national championships in 1933 and 1938, and coached the Hunter team to a national title in 1970. Mrs. Jones-Pugliese was the Hunter coach from 1956 until her death in 1993.

For Mrs. Jones-Pugliese, stature was athletic destiny. Deciding she was too short to join the N.Y.U. basketball team, she took up fencing and helped found the National Intercollegiate Women's Fencing Association. The association, whose membership grew from 4 to more than 70 colleges, conducts what is considered the oldest collegiate championship for women in any sport.

Career

• 1928: Founded (with Dorothy Hafner and Elizabeth Ross), the IWFA (later, NIWFA)
• 1928: Winner, IWFA Individual Championship (and member of winning NYU team)
• 1932-38: Coach of NYU team when it won IWFA championships in 1932, 1933, and 1938
• 1956-93: Coach of Hunter College fencing teams
• 1970: A Fencing Coach of World University Games team. Hunter team won NIFWA title, named NIFWA coach of the year.
• 1977: United States women’s and men’s fencing coach at Maccabiah Games
• 1981: United States women’s and men’s fencing coach at Maccabiah Games
• 1992: NIFWA Coach of the Year

Hall of Fame and Awards

• 1976: NYU Athletics Hall of Fame
• USFA Hall of Honor
• 2002: International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame "Pillar of Achievement"

Trivia

The Team Medals and Individual Foil Champion trophy for the NIWFA are named after Julia Jones (under her maiden name), and fashioned in her likeness.

External links

• Julia Jones -- NY Times Obit
• Pillar Achievement Bio
• NIFWA page on their founder, Julia Jones
• NYU Hall of Fame
• NIWFA Awards Page
• Julia Jones's page from the USFA Hall of Honor