Charles Tatham (fencer)
A New York businessman and fencing enthusiast who helped build the organizational backbone of modern American fencing in its early Olympic era.
1854–1939 (age 85)·American fencer·Birthday: September 3
Biography
Charles Tatham lived at the intersection of Gilded Age industry and the burgeoning world of American amateur sport. Born and based in New York City, he worked for his family's lead manufacturing firm in Philadelphia, embodying the era's industrious spirit. His passion, however, was fencing. He was not just a competitor—he earned a place on the U.S. Olympic team for the 1904 Games in St. Louis—but more lastingly, an institution builder. In 1891, recognizing the need for structure in American fencing, Tatham was instrumental in founding the Amateur Fencers League of America, which later evolved into the national governing body, the USFA. His legacy is less about individual medals and more about the framework he helped erect, providing a lasting platform for the sport's growth and competitive standards in the United States.
#1 When Charles Was Born
The biggest hits of 1854
Charles's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1854Born
1859Started school
1867Became a teenager
President: Andrew Johnson
1870Could drive
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1872Could vote
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1875Turned 21
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1884Turned 30
President: Chester A. Arthur
1894Turned 40
President: Grover Cleveland
1904Turned 50
New York City opens its first subway line
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1914Turned 60
World War I begins
President: Woodrow Wilson
1924Turned 70
First Winter Olympics held in Chamonix, France
President: Calvin Coolidge"It Had to Be You" — Isham Jones
1934Turned 80
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stars Fell on Alabama" — Jack TeagardenBest Picture: It Happened One Night
1939Died at 85
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
Key Achievements
- Competed as a fencer for the United States in the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis.
- Was a founding member of the Amateur Fencers League of America (AFLA) in 1891, a precursor to the U.S. Fencing Association.
- Served as an officer and leader within the AFLA for many years, helping to standardize the sport nationally.
Did You Know?
He was born, lived, and died in New York City.
His professional life was in the lead manufacturing business with his father's company.
The 1904 Olympics were the first to feature fencing events in the United States.
“The foil is a weapon of precision, not brute force; its point is its argument.”
