Hall of Fame
Posthumously Inducted
Flesch was a member of Luxembourg's Olympic Fencing Team in 1960, '64, and '68 in the individual foil competition. In 1967, she was named Sportswoman of the Year in Luxembourg. This was pre-varsity sports at Wellesley. There is not a lot of fencing information from Flesch's time at Wellesley. However, we know that she earned a bronze medal at the 1958
World Junior Championships, which would have overlapped with her time as a Wellesley student. Flesch earned a Bachelor's Degree at Wellesley before she received her M.A. in International Affairs from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, and she studied at The Hague Academy of International Law. In 1969 she became the first female mayor of Luxembourg City at the age of 32, which she remained until 1980.
Besides her work in the Chamber of Deputies (1969–1980, 1984–1989, and 2004–2009), she was also a member of the European Parliament from 1969 to 1980, 1984 to 1985, 1989 to 1990, and 1999 to 2004. She also served there as minister of foreign affairs, foreign trade and development, economic affairs, and justice. At the Council of the European Communities, Flesch served as director general of the European Commission for Culture, Communication and Sport from 1990 to 1999.
Flesch passed away in January, 2026 at age 88.
