Norman C. Armitage

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"Norman Armitage" redirects here. For the mayor of Cali, Colombia, see Norman Maurice Armitage.

Norman Cudworth Armitage
Personal information
Birth nameNorman Cudworth Cohn
BornJanuary 1, 1907
Albany, New York, United States
DiedMarch 14, 1972(1972-03-14) (aged 65)
New York, New York, United States
Sport
CountryUnited States
SportFencing
College teamColumbia University
Achievements and titles
Olympic finals1928, 1932, 1936, 1948, 1952, 1956
Medal record
Men's fencing
Representing  United States
Men's fencing
Bronze medal – third place 1948 London Sabre team

Norman Armitage (January 1, 1907, as Norman Cudworth Cohn, – March 14, 1972) was an American saber fencer.

Early life[]

Armitage, who was Jewish,[2] was born in Albany, New York.

Fencing career[]

College[]

Armitage began fencing for the Columbia Lions fencing team when he was a student at Columbia University. He won the 1928 Intercollegiate Fencing Association sabre championship.[3]

He later attended New York University Law School, where in 1937 he earned a law degree, and in 1939 he earned a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree in patent law.[1]

National sabre championships[]

In won 10 times in 25 appearances at the national championships: in 1930, from 1934 to 1936, from 1939 to 1943, and in 1945.[3] He holds 17 national championship titles, more than any other US sabre fencer.[4]

Olympics[]

Armitage competed in six Olympics, 1928–36 and 1948–56, only taking a break for World War II. He competed in the Olympics over a 28-year span.[5] He carried the U.S. flag in the Olympic opening ceremony in 1952, and 1956.[3]

At the 1928 Summer Olympics, he competed (as Norman Cohn) in the individual and team events. The American team was eliminated in the first round, and Armitage reached the semifinals in individual sabre. At the 1932 Summer Olympics, he reached the finals in the team event and finished fourth. In individual sabre, he placed ninth.[6]

Armitage competed at the 1936 Summer Olympics in spite of severe chemical burns on his right hand suffered in January of that year. (He was a chemical engineer and later a patent attorney.)[3] He reached the semifinals in individual sabre, and placed fifth in the team sabre event.[6]

He won his only medal, a bronze, at the 1948 Summer Olympics, in the team sabre event.[7][8]

At the 1952 Summer Olympics, Armitage competed in the team sabre event but not the individual sabre. They finished fourth.[6]

Hall of Fame[]

Armitage was the first person to be inducted into the USFA Hall of Fame, in 1963.

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b "Norman Armitage, Fencing Star And Textile Executive, Dies at 65". The New York Times. March 15, 1972. p. 50.
  2. ^ Taylor, Paul (2004). Jews and the Olympic Games: The Clash Between Sport and Politics. Sussex Academic Press. p. 224. ISBN 9781903900871.
  3. ^ a b c d "Armitage, Norman C." hickoksports.com. July 3, 2004. Archived from the original on November 9, 2006. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
  4. ^ "US National Sabre Champions: National Champions 1888 – 2000: Men's Sabre". Fairfield Avenue School of Fencing. Archived from the original on March 30, 2005.
  5. ^ "Norman Cohn-Armitage". Sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
  6. ^ a b c "Armitage, Norman (Norman C. Cohn)". Jews In Sports. Archived from the original on July 15, 2015. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
  7. ^ "Olympics Statistics: Norman Armitage". databaseolympics.com. Archived from the original on February 23, 2012. Retrieved May 1, 2010.
  8. ^ "Norman Armitage Olympic Results". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020. Retrieved May 1, 2010.

External links[]

Olympic Games
Preceded by Flagbearer for  United States
Helsinki 1952 		Succeeded by
James Bickford
Olympic Games
Preceded by
James Bickford
 Flagbearer for  United States
Melbourne 1956 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from ""