Charles R. Schmitter was an American fencer, Olympic and collegiate coach, and professor emeritus of health and physical education at Michigan State University.
[3] In the Spartan Sports Encyclopedia, Jack Seibold notes, "In a traditional post-season display of dominance over his pupils, Coach Schmitter single-handedly defeated the nine-man varsity squad, 18-9.
According to one student recollection, as late as 1975 "Coach" (then age 67) would keep overly-confident team members' egos in check by standing perfectly still and slowly and steadily advancing his foil point toward their chest; the student was free to parry any way they wished but Coach would evade all attempts while keeping his point in line as required by the rules, inexorably advancing and, at the end of 3–4 seconds, finally touching dead center of the student's chest.
[5] The Great Lakes Sword Club (GLSC) of Michigan holds an annual memorial tournament named after Schmitter.
In addition to fencing, Schmitter was an accomplished tuba and string bass player and a member of the American Federation of Musicians.