USA Fencing

(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – Reverend Lawrence “Larry” Calhoun, who is known as “The Father of the Junior Olympics,” passed away on Saturday, Dec. 14 at 84 years of age in Mishawaka, Ind.

A member of the 2010 U.S. Fencing Hall of Fame class, Calhoun was one of the founders of the USA Fencing Junior Olympic Championships and the first chairman of the Junior Olympic Committee.

Calhoun hosted the first two Junior Olympics in Niles Illinois in 1972 and 1973, helping to develop Team USA’s up-and-coming fencers by offering a world-class competition for U20 athletes.

As a coach, Calhoun improved the landscape of high school fencing, winning high school championships in both Illinois and California, as well as coaching state and national high school champions and many fencers who went on to become NCAA All-Americans.

Calhoun was also an assistant coach at the University of Notre Dame from 1977-79, the chairman of the Illinois Division and the chairman of the United States Fencing Coaches Association Awards Committee for 22 years.

In 2009, he was awarded the title of fellow by the USFCA.