Dernell Every

Dernell Every is one of the living legends of American fencing, having established a record as a competitor, sportsman, and administrator that is nearly without peer. Every began fencing at Yale when it was the powerhouse of U.S. collegiate fencing. He became the first fencer to win two successive and unshared IFA titles, capturing the foil in 1927 and 1928, and in 1926 he helped Yale win outright all four team championships, a feat equalled since only by NYU in 1971. After college, Every was named to the 1928, 1932, 1936 and 1948 Olympic teams, although in 1936 he was forced to withdraw because of business obligations. Besides his 1932 bronze medal, in 1948 he was a member of the foil team which finished fourth. Every won three individual national titles, and representing either the New York Fencer’s Club or the New York AC, he was a member of 15 national championship teams. Dernell Every was secretary of the AFLA from 1940 to 1944 and again from 1948 to 1952, and was president of the league between those two terms. He was also the wartime editor of The Riposte, the league’s publication. Every’s administrative ability is generally credited with being one of the principal reasons that fencing survived the war in this country