Nikki Franke

Brief

Franke was borne March 31, 1951 in New York City. She attended Brooklyn college and fenced there for four years and graduated with honors in 1972. Franke was a member of the 1976 and 1980 U.S. Olympic teams making her the first Black woman to represent the United States in fencing in the Olympic games. She also claimed two U.S. Fencing Association national foil championships (1975, 1978) and represented the U.S. at the 1975 and 1979 Pan American Games.

In 1972, Franke became the progenitor of Temple University's women's fencing program, making history as the first Black woman to coach an NCAA fencing team. While building the program from the ground up, she pursued her own education, earning a master's degree in public health from Temple in 1975 and later a doctorate in 1988. In 1978, she joined Temple's faculty full-time while continuing her coaching duties.

Her coaching legacy is extraordinary: by 2021, her Temple teams had accumulated 874 victories in NCAA competitions, making her one of the most successful collegiate coaches in the sport. Under her guidance, Temple secured an NCAA women's foil team championship in 1991-1992.

In 2017, she was inducted into the USA Fencing Hall of Fame. She has also been inducted into the Temple University Hall of Fame and the United States Fencing Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

Beyond coaching, Franke co-founded the Black Women in Sport Foundation. After 50 remarkable seasons, she retired in 2022, leaving an indelible mark on collegiate fencing and women's sports.

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