Patri J. Pugliese

Who was Patri J. Pugliese?

Patri J. Pugliese was a historian of science, dance, and fencing, as well as a noted teacher of historical dance. He received his Ph.D in the History of Science from Harvard in 1982, but was best known for his work as a dance historian specializing in the 19th century and for his dissemination of facsimiles of once exceedingly rare historical works on fencing. Fencing was in Dr. Pugliese’s blood: His mother, Julia Jones Pugliese, was the first U.S. women’s intercollegiate fencing champion in 1929 and worked as a professional fencing coach until 1994. In many ways, he himself can be regarded as the father of the modern study of the history of European swordsmanship; it was through the texts he provided that many scholars were first introduced to the importance of martial expression to early modern culture.

Dr. Pugliese was well-known not only for the study and dissemination of historical dance and fencing treatises, but also for his teaching and charitable work. He was a founding member of the Commonwealth Vintage Dancers in Boston and the Higgins Sword Guild at the Higgins Armory Museum in Worcester, Massachusetts.