Princetonians: By the Sword

Photo: Jeffrey MacMillan p’14

BY THE SWORD: Jim Adams ’61 arrived at Princeton a nonathlete, but the fencing team was recruiting: no experience necessary. By senior year, Adams had an array of medals and All-American recognition. Afterward, Adams continued to fence competitively, then took a 13-year “sabbatical” to raise his children. In 1995, he joined a national seniors team and is back at it: He is the only American to be national champ in all three weapons — foil, epee, and saber — and he’s done it twice, in 2010 and 2019. “I have countless friends in the fencing world,” he says. “That is my greatest reward.”