Muriel Bower holds the distinction of being the first woman Fencing Master accredited in the United States, by the USAA in 1976.She is the author of the foilist's classic textbook "Foil Fencing", now in its 8th Edition. In the forward to that text's second edition 1972, then-former FIE President Miguel de Capriles described her as "a sensational teen-age Pacific Coast champion before the war (who subsequently) returned to competition to win a well-earned No. 3 national ranking. She is one of the small but bright cluster of California women who dominated the national fencing scene in those years".

She coached the California State University Northridge team during the early 70's and has subsequently been inducted into that University's Hall of Fame. She served on the NCAA Committee for Men’s and Women’s Fencing. She was women's foil coach to the American team at the 1964 Olympic Games fencing in Tokyo, managed the American women's fencing team at the World University Games, Russia, 1973, and served in protocol to fencing at the L.A. Olympic Games, 1984. She subsequently served as Western region Vice-President of the USFCA for two terms, and also as Commisioner of the Western Regional Intercollegiate Fencing Conference and Championships.

A. John Geraci (1919-2000) was the head coach of West Point (1968-76) and Rutgers University (1978-81). He served as Secretary-Treasurer (1972-1980) and president (1980-82). During his term as Secretary-Treasurer he was also the editor of the Swordmaster for six years.

Reverend Lawrence “Larry” Calhoun is known to American fencing as the “Father of the Junior Olympics”. Father Calhoun jump started the Junior Olympic program and led the development of high school fencing in the USA for many years. He was the first chairman of the Junior Olympic committee for the USFA and hosted the first two Junior Olympic National Championships in Niles, Illinois in 1972 and 1973. He served as chairman of the USFCA Awards Committee for 22 years which is responsible for the “Coach of the Year” and collegiate “All American” awards. However, his greatest accomplishment is the growth and development of the many young fencers at Notre Dame HS, Niles, IL. 1966-76, St. Francis HS, Mountain View, CA. 1975-76, Le Mans Academy, Rolling Prairie, IN. 1977-79, Culver Military Academy, Culver, IN. 1979-85, Chaminade Prep, West Hills, CA. 1987-2002, and as assistant coach at the University of Notre Dame 1977-79.

In 1985, Richard Gradkowski who served in the combined roles of Secretary and Treasurer for 16 years (1986-2002) incorporated the USFCA under the laws of the state of Pennsylvania and received tax exempt status in 1987. Maitre Gradkowski held the association together during a difficult period with the help of association historian and former Swordmaster editor Jeffrey R. Tishman.  

Richard Oles, who was the head fencing coach at John Hopkins, served as vice president 1994-96 and later as Certification and Accreditation Board chairman until 2004.

Another transformation was occurring in the in the 1980’s and 1990’s.  A second generation of American fencing masters began to assume leadership of the USFCA. Some of these masters were students of the predominantly French, Italian and Hungarian masters who made up a significant portion of the original membership.  Many other coaches from the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe joined the association.

Gil A. Pezza received his fencing master diploma in 1985 from the Italian Academy of Arms with one of the highest scores in the history of that academy. While a fencer at Wayne State he won two NCAA championships in men’s epee’ and was coached by longtime association member Istvan Donasi. He returned to his alma mater as head coach and served as USFCA president from 1992-94.

Edwin (Buzz) K.Hurst who was an All-American in saber at the Naval Academy and head coach at Stanford served as president 1994-96. He also served as vice-president of the USFA and was the first member to be on the executive committees of both these organizations at the same time.

Emmanuil Kaidanov and Wieslaw Glon formed a powerful coaching duo and won ten NCAA Championships at Penn State. Both were selected twice as “Coach of the Year in 1990-91. They both served on the Certification and Accreditation Board. Janusz Bednarski, another certification board member, assumed the head coaching position at Notre Dame from former vice president and certification board member Yves Auriol.  Edward Korfanty (USFCA 2005 Outstanding Coach of the year) moved to the US from Poland in 1990, and eventually settling in Portland and producing the first American Olympic gold medalist in fencing, Mariel Zagunis (2004 Women’s Saber) since 1904 (see Fencing at the 1904 Olympics). 

In June of 1996, in the first contested election in USFCA history, the late Robert F. Scranton was elected president. He was a student of Maitre Gillet and a graduate of the AFA.  In his acceptance address he recalled that Gillet had taught him that “one should always give back to fencing” Bob Scranton brought the USFCA into the 21^st century. He worked tirelessly through three terms from 1996-2002 to institute many reforms and innovations. Among his many accomplishments are the regional training clinics, rejuvenation of the Annual General Meeting and Conference, certificates of attendance, the apprentice program, the website, a transparent certification process, and cooperative programs with the USFA and other AAI member academies. At one time, he was both webmaster and editor of the Swordmaster in addition to his duties as president. In 1999, he appointed Greg Paye as webmaster who was responsible for a total redesign which included the first “members only” accessible pages on the website. That same year, Scranton appointed Jeremy Schmid as editor of the Swordmaster. Moniteur Schmid (1999-2006) produced some of the most notable Swordmaster editions in the history of the USFCA.

In 1997, Wendell Kubik was the first American Fencing Master to graduate from the German Academy of Arms (ADFD). Wendell was another fencer trained by one of the association’s early masters who returned to his alma mater as head coach (1986-90) and later became president of the USFCA (2002-04).  Hungarian born Master Nick Toth was his famous coach at the Air Force Academy (1960-80).

Many of the fencing masters involved in the history of the USFCA can be found in the USFA Hall of Fame. 

History of the International Academy of Arms
On August 17, 1930 in Antwerp, Belgium; a group of Fencing Masters from all over Europe came together during the World Championships to express a will of a world union uniting all Fencing Masters. Of course, this was easier said than done, and twenty-eight more years passed before a temporary committee was formed in 1958 to begin the process of providing agreed upon statutes designed to unite all National Academies. This achievement took form with the official establishment of the Academie D'Armes Internationale (AAI) on April 21 and 22, 1962 in Basil, Switzerland thirty-two years from conception and four years in formulation.

1) To unite all existing National Academies around the world and to encourage certified Masters to constitute National Academies when one doesn't exist in the country where they practice.

2) To assure and to maintain friendly relations between National Academies. 3) To represent its members to public and private institutions and to all other organizations.

4) To contribute to the development of principles, rules, techniques and methods of teaching of fencing in all its aspects.

5) To assure the dissemination of all relative documents relating to fencing.

6) To encourage the technical and educational development of its adherents throughout the world, through the following formats: The organization of seminars and the publications on its website www.escrime.org.  

The AAI is committed to goals relating to the development of examination protocol, as well as the composition of panels to examine candidates; and the organization of contests, such as the World Fencing Masters' Championships. The AAI also organizes meetings and international events related to fencing.

At the 1998 annual Congress in Vichy, France, M. Marcel Dubois was elected AAI President and served for two four year terms until 2006. Votes are cast by each nation according to membership size. The AAI Executive body consists of the President; who appoints a Secretary- General and Treasurer; and four Vice Presidents.

 The USFCA has been an active participant in AAI activities. Beginning in 1965, when the USFCA established its accreditation protocol, USFCA members have participated in many AAI initiatives.  

• USFCA Past President Jean-Jacques Gillet was a Vice President from 1986-1999. 
• Secretary-Treasurer Richard Gradkowski was the North American representative to the Commission on Pedagogy.  
• Fencing Masters from the USFCA competed at the World Fencing Masters’ Championships: in 1970 at the Crystal Palace in London, Ed Richards won the gold medal in foil, Michael D’Asaro won the bronze in saber, and our foil team won the gold. In 1986 in Sindelfingen, Germany, Wes Glon won a bronze medal in saber, as did Edward Korfanty in 1994, in Graz, Austria.  

• Anthony Gilham, past executive committee member, currently serves as an AAI Vice President and as the Commissioner of Sport Fencing, (rules, organization, and championships).

   Current member nations with official AAI National Governing Bodies include: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Great Britain, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States, and there are affiliated individual members in many other nations.