Joe Levis

Joseph Levis was introduced to fencing at MIT where he became its first intercollegiate champion by winning the IFA foil individual in 1926. In 1928, at his first Olympics, he became the first American to advance to the final round in foil individual, but in 1932, Levis very nearly reached the pinnacle of success. He finished second in the individual foil, considered the finest result attained by an American fencer in international foil competition to that time.

Levis won nine AFLA national championships, six in foil individual, two in outdoor foil, and one in three-weapon individual. He was also a member of four national championship teams. During the 1940’s, in an effort to maintain the team at his alma mater, he turned professional and started coaching at MIT. In 1954, he requested reinstatement as an amateur and that year won the metropolitan and national championships after a layoff of 13 years. When he stopped competing in fencing, he and his wife took ballroom dance lessons, and they began competing in that sport, often defeating much younger couples.

Levis’s business career was in his family marble and tile company. In addition to coaching at MIT he later coached the Harvard fencing team.