Adelaide Gehrig

Adelaide Gehrig
Personal information
Full name Adelaide Josephine Pilke née Gehrig
Nickname(s) Adeline
Born June 11, 1887(1887-06-11)
Newark, New Jersey, United States
Died March 5, 1944(1944-03-05) (aged 56)
Residence New York City
Sport
Sport Fencing
Coached by Julio Martinez Castello

Adelaide Gehrig (June 11, 1887 – March 5, 1944) was an American fencer.[1]

Gehrig was the only woman in United States foil history to win four consecutive titles. She was born in 1887 in Newark, New Jersey, to German immigrants John Gehrig (a blacksmith) and Maria Gehrig née Lang. Representing the New York Turnverein, Gehrig was AFLA Women's Foil Champion four years in a row (1920 to 1923), a feat unmatched by any other American woman. In 1924, she represented the United States in Paris, in the first Olympic Games in which women competed. She was no relation to Yankees First Baseman Lou Gehrig, although Lou used to work out at the New York Turnverein as a youth.[2]

References