While it's not exactly clear when the Northern California Division was originally recognized by the USFA (then, AFLA), it has been around for many years, at least since the 1920s.

Because of the year-round nice climate and energetic atmosphere of the cosmopolitan San Francisco, the Northern California Division drew many top foreign fencers to the Bay Area. These include George Piller, an Olympic gold medalist (1932) sabre fencer from Hungary; Helene Mayer, Olympic silver medalist 1936) and many time world champion women foilist; and Hans Halberstadt, world renown fencing master.

Hans Halberstadt founded the Halberstadt Fencers Club in the 1950s. Piller was the fencing master at the Pannonia Athletic Club. Other notable fencing masters to have started or worked in San Francisco include Charles Selberg, Dr. William O'Brien, Michael D'Asaro, Ferenc Marki, and Marcos Lucchetti. Now, fencers in the Bay Area can obtain lessons and coaching from among a new crop of younger, energetic coaches and masters, including:

• Michael Pacheco from the Sonoma Fencing Academy
• Stuart Kaufman from the Marin Fencing Academy
• Mike Pederson and Paul Soter from the Golden Gate Fencing Center
• Peter Ignatov, Peter Burchard, and Cole Harkness from Halberstadt Fencers Club
• Greg Massialas from the Massialas Fencing Foundation at Halberstadt
• George Platt from Swordplay Fencing Academy
• Abdul Habek from East Bay Fencers' Gym
• Harold Hayes from Pacific Fencing Club
• Will Brown from Fremont Fencers

The list is of course not exhaustive, as there are many other prevots, moniteurs, and just plain coaches who provide instruction, lessons, classes, and other activities related to fencing.

The product of these great coaches left a long legacy in the annals of US Fencing. Here is a short list of some notable fencers in recent Northern California Division history:

• The 1970s
  

  Heik Hambarzumian, Men's Foil

  Gay Jacobsen, Women's Foil

  
  
• The 1980s
  

  Heik Hambarzumian, Men's Foil	George Nonomura, Men's Foil
  Peter Burchard, Men's Foil	Greg Massialas, Men's Foil
  Dean Hinton, Men's Foil	Paul Soter, Men's Epee
  Connie Louie-Handleman, Women's Foil	Robert Cox, Men's Epee
  Craig Cummings, Men's Epee	Bruce Jugan, Men's Epee
  Don Blayney, Men's Foil	Kevin Small, Men's Sabre
  Steve Boides, Men's Sabre

  
  
• The 1990s
  

  Peter Burchard, Men's Foil	Greg Massialas, Men's Foil
  Cole Harkness, Men's Foil	Tris Thompson, Men's Epee
  Peter Skilman, Men's Epee	Laurel Skilman, Women's Epee
  Lisa Erdos, Women's Epee	Jennifer Tondu, Women's Foil
  Olga Chernyak, Women's Foil	Carlo Bello, Men's Foil
  Leo Bello, Men's Foil	Sergio Bello, Men's Foil
  Carlos DeMorelos, Men's Foil	Ken Chilton, Men's Foil
  Derek Cotton, Men's Foil	Peter Grandbois, Men's Foil
  Tom Thleveris, Men's Foil	Eric Hansen, Men's Epee
  Chloe Stinetorf, Women's Foil	Janel Obenchain, Women's Epee
  Alejandro Castillo, Men's Epee	Mark Pohl, Men's Epee
  Karen Ladenheim, Women's Foil	Benn Herrera, Men's Foil
  Eric Dew, Men's Foil	Gerald Cheng, Men's Foil
  Raul Pomares, Men's Foil
  The Halberstadt Women's Foil Team - with 7 straight Pacific Coast Championships

  
  
• The 2000s
  

  Doris Willette, Women's Foil	Ali Glasser, Women's Foil
  Eric Hansen, Men's Epee	Alex Wood, Men's Foil
  Jerry DeRaad, Men's Foil	Gerek Meinhardt, Men's Foil

The list continues to grow with every passing year...

Without a doubt, many prominent national and international fencers have passed through the Golden Gate into the Bay Area, making it either their permanent home or a long-term stay during their productive fencing period.