Bob Richards | |
|---|---|
 Bob Richards in 1951 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Robert Eugene Richards (1926-02-20)February 20, 1926 Champaign, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | February 26, 2023(2023-02-26) (aged 97) |
| Political party | Populist (1984–1996) American Freedom (2010–2023) |
| Alma mater | University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign |
| Sports career | |
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) |
| Weight | 75 kg (165 lb) |
| Sport | Pole vault, decathlon |
| Club | LAAC, Los Angeles |
| Sports achievements and titles | |
| Personalbest(s) | HJ – 1.91 m (1954) PV – 4.72 m (1957) LJ – 7.09 m (1954) |
Robert Eugene Richards (February 20, 1926 – February 26, 2023) was an American athlete, minister, and politician. He made threeU.S. Olympic Teams in two events: the1948,1952, and1956 Summer Olympics as apole vaulter and as adecathlete in 1956.[1] He won gold medals in pole vault in both 1952 and 1956, becoming the first male two-time champion in the event in Olympic history (a feat only equalled in 2024 byArmand Duplantis).
While still an active athlete, Richards became an ordained minister. He ran forPresident of the United States in 1984 on thePopulist Party ticket.
Richards was the second man to pole vault 15 ft (4.57 m). While a student at theUniversity of Illinois, Richards tied for the national collegiate pole vault title and followed that with 20 nationalAmateur Athletic Union (AAU) titles, including 17 in the pole vault and three in the decathlon.[2][3][4] The first man to clear 15 feet wasDutch Warmerdam, who set the world record of 4.77 m (15 ft7+3⁄4 in) in 1942, long before Richards came into his prime. While Richards was the dominant vaulter of his time, he never set a world record.
Richards later became involved in promoting physical fitness and continued to vault in his later years. He was the first athlete to appear on the front ofWheaties cereal boxes in 1958 (though not the first depicted on all parts of the packaging), and also was the firstWheaties spokesman, setting up the Wheaties Sports Federation, which encouraged participation in Olympic sports.[5] Richards had four sons who were also pole vaulters:Brandon, held the national high school record at 18'2" for fourteen years from 1985;[6] Tom won theCIF California State Meet in 1988; and Bob Jr. was second in the same meet in 1968[7] and later in 1973 ranked #7 in the United States.[8]
Richards was the only male two-time Olympic gold medal winner in the pole vault (1952 and 1956), until Armando Duplantis of Sweden matched that same feat (2021 and 2024). He also won a bronze medal in the pole vault at the 1948 summer games. RussianYelena Isinbayeva is the only other pole vaulter besides Richards to have won three Olympic medals in the pole vault, which she completed in 2012. Richards placed 13th in the decathlon at the 1956 Olympics.
Richards was elected to theU.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 1983 and the United StatesNational Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1975.[9] As he aged, Richards continued participating intrack and field in a variety of events, particularly throwing events. He was one of the first regular participants in the origins of what now has becomeMasters athletics.[10] Richards appeared on the panel game showWhat's My Line? episode #346 January 20, 1957.[citation needed]
Richards was ordained in 1946 as a minister in theChurch of the Brethren (which led to his being nicknamed the "Vaulting Vicar" or the "Pole Vaulting Parson").[11] As future tennis playerBillie Jean King's church minister, Richards inspired King. One day, when King was 13 or 14, Richards asked her, "What are you going to do with your life?" She said: "Reverend, I'm going to be the best tennis player in the world."[12][13] In 1957 the actorHal Stalmaster played Richards as a teenager in an episode of theABCanthology seriesCavalcade of America.[14]
In the1984 United States presidential election, Richards ran forPresident of the United States on the far-right, white nationalistPopulist Party ticket.[15][16] He and running mateMaureen Salaman earned 66,324 votes.
Richards met his first wife, Mary Leah Cline, at Bethany Biblical Seminary in 1946. The couple had three children: Carol, Bobby, and Paul.[17] Richards met his second wife, Vonda Joan "Joni" Beaird, a singer and actress who played Kookie's girlfriend on77 Sunset Strip, when she auditioned for a role in a film Richards was producing. They wed in 1970, and had three children: Brandon, Tommy, and Tammy. Joni was a gourmet cook and co-business partner with Richards in all of his business interests; she preceded Richards, dying on September 20, 2019.[17]
The family home was on Richards beloved Crossbar Ranch inSanto, Texas. In 2012, Richards and Joni retired toWaco, Texas, where as an enthusiastic golfer he ownedLake Waco Golf Club, and collected low volume classic cars.[17]
Richards died on February 26, 2023, six days after his 97th birthday.[18][19]
Richards was inducted as a Laureate ofThe Lincoln Academy of Illinois and awarded the Order of Lincoln (the State's highest honor) by the Governor of Illinois in 2000 in the area of Sports.[20] Richards is referenced in theESPN30 for 30documentary "Survive and Advance", for the impact he had on formerN.C. State coachJim Valvano. Valvano cites hearing Richards speak when he was a teen and themotivational messages he implored. Richards was inducted into the National Fitness Hall of Fame in 2009 and was inducted into the Texas Track and Field Coaches Association Hall of Fame (Class of 2017).[21]
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| New political party | Populist nominee forPresident of the United States 1984 | Succeeded by |
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