Fitzhugh Townsend

Biographical information

RolesCompeted in Olympic Games
SexMale
Full nameSamuel George Fitzhugh•Townsend
Used nameFitzhugh•Townsend
BornApril 1872 in New York, New York (USA)
Died11 December 1906 in New York, New York (USA)
AffiliationsFencers Club, New York (USA)
NOC United States
Medals OG
Gold 0
Silver 1
Bronze 0
Total 1

Biography

Fitzhugh Townsend is best remembered as the co-founder and first champion, in 1894, of the Intercollegiate Fencing Association (IFA). He repeated as champion in 1896. After college, Townsend represented the New York Fencers Club and won the AFLA national championship in foil individual in 1900 and 1903. Townsend was an electrical engineering instructor at Columbia from 1897 until his death in 1906 from typhoid fever He was the co-author, with Prof. George F Sever, of Laboratory and Factory Tests in Electrical Engineering. Townsend was the inventor of an improved railway signal device, involving a number of ingenious features, that was under consideration by the New York Central and other railroads at the time of his death.

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal As
1904 Summer Olympics Fencing USA Fitzhugh Townsend
Foil, Individual, Men (Olympic) 3 p1 r1/2
Foil, Team, Men (Olympic) United States 2 Silver
Épée, Individual, Men (Olympic) 5