He graduated from high school in 1943, and in 1944 he enrolled at the Brethren affiliated Bridgewater College in Virginia. Mr. Richards is still the only Olympic pole vaulter to win two gold medals, but hes not the familys lone record holder. Bob Richards, byname of Robert Eugene Richards, (born February 20, 1926, Champaign, Illinois, U.S.died February 26, 2023, Waco, Texas), American athlete, the first pole-vaulter to win two Olympic gold medals. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. His father was a telephone lineman. Please log in, or sign up for a new account to continue reading. USA Track and Field confirmed his death. Olympic-winning pole vaulter, pastor Bob Richards dies at 97. Anonymous - pool, Olympic World Photo Took 1st Place and Gold Medal in Pole Vault at the Olympic Games in Helsinki. INDIANAPOLIS, Feb. 28 (UPI) -- The Chicago Bears will continue to field offers for the No. The next year, he competed with the U.S. Olympic team in London, winning a bronze medal. He was inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 1983 after a career that included winning at the Millrose Games 11 straight times. His sons followed in his pole-vaulting footsteps. KC Lightfoot (Bay) 19-2 | 5.85: 4. His success in the air, combined with wholesome looks and an upbeat ministerial eloquence, made Mr. Richards a fixture in American households. In 1984, saying the country must work to get rid of these tyrants who rule us, he ran for president on the Populist Party ticket. In 2000, Richards was inducted as a Laureate of The Lincoln Academy and awarded the Order of Lincoln (states highest honor) by the state of Illinois. Bob Richards. Richards competed at the 1948, '52 and '56 Olympics in the pole vault. "I saw it more as a mission than a job," says Richards, who was the General Mills cereal's . In 1970 he married Vonda Joan Beaird, an actress. Illinois pole vaulting legend Bob Richards has passed away. The two-time Olympic gold medalist was 97. He was 97. How close is Florida's Trinity Thomas to the NCAA's perfect 10 record? When I came down, I went running down the straightaway, and the Russians were running to me, saying, Boo-tiful! In 1957, he played himself in Leap to Heaven on ABCs DuPont Cavalcade Theatre in a dramatization of his life. The most colorful pole-vaulter . It is a Monday night, and he is to address the annual awards dinner of the Evansville Sales and Marketing Executives Club, attended by some 200 salesmen and their ladies.. By Robert D. McFadden Bob Richards, the only male two-time winner of the Olympic pole vault, who in the 1950s became a hero of American Cold War competition with the Soviet Union and a breakfast-table hero to millions as the first champion on the front of the Wheaties box, died Sunday at his home in Waco, Texas. Whether youre a lifelong resident of D.C. or you just moved here, weve got you covered. (The first was Cornelius Dutch Warmerdam. But it also came to be known for the far-right extremist views of one its founders, Willis Carto, a Holocaust denier and neo-Nazi hero. His son, Brandon, wrote in a social media post that his father "passed in his sleep peacefully surrounded by loved ones.". The Champaign native went on to become a six-time NCAA champion at the University of Illinois. In the same period he also won eight indoor championships. He was a six-time NCAA champion and won 20 national AAU titles, including 17 in the pole vault and three in decathlon. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bob-Richards, The Olympic Movement - Biography of Robert Richards. He continued participating in track and field events as he aged, joining the World Masters Games in quadrennial competitions popular with retired professional athletes and former Olympic competitors. He won a bronze medal in his first Olympic go-round, followed by back-to-back gold medals. Dozens killed after ship carrying migrants wrecks off Italy coast. A native of Pomona, California, Seagren was one of the world's top pole vaulters in the late 1960s and early 1970s. [1955] Robert Eugene 'Bob' Richards nicknamed the Vaulting Vicar or the Pole Vaulting Parson in his competitive days was a versatile athlete who made three US Olympic Teams in two events. Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. Bob Richards of the US team eases over the bar to set a new record for the Olympics pole vault. American Bob Richards waves his hands to the crowd after winning the pole vault final at the Olympic Stadium at the Summer Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia, Nov. 26, 1956. Richards was the first athlete to appear on the front of the Wheaties cereal box in 1958 and was a national promoter of physical fitness. Until 2012, he had lived on a ranch in Santo, Texas, which he named the Crossbar Ranch and which was involved in numerous commercial activities, including oil and gas exploration and horse and cattle grazing. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism "He always motivated us kids the same way to be the best we could be," Brandon Richards said. . Richards is the only man in history to win two Olympic gold medals in the pole vault, and these came after an Olympic bronze in 1948. Bob Richards Track and Field. He was a three-time Olympic medalist and the first person to ever win two gold medals in the pole vault. 0. Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles. Bob Richards, the only male two-time winner of the Olympic pole vault, who in the 1950s became a hero of American Cold War competition with the Soviet Union and . That marriage ended in divorce. He taught sociology at the University of Illinois in the late 1940s and later was a member of the faculty of La Verne College (California; now University of La Verne) as well as holding pulpits in the Church of the Brethren. Hospital food is a punchline. He built a pit in his backyard, jumping over a crossbar set between a tree limb and phone pole. Bob Richards, a two-time Olympic pole . He was inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 1983 after a career that included winning at the Millrose Games 11 straight times. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. It sounds cornball, but when you finally realize that dream and you walk up that podium and The Star-Spangled Banner plays, Im telling you, the tears just start flowing. A Facebook post by his son Brandon said that Richards "passed in his sleep peacefully surrounded by loved ones." 1 pole vaulter for eight consecutive years. In 1951, he became the second pole vaulter to clear 15 feet. 1 pick, commit to quarterback Justin Fields. Bob Richards, two time Olympic Gold Medalist in the pole vault, moved to Waco and the vision became a reality. 2023 Hearst Media Services Connecticut, LLC, UConn men roll over DePaul in home finale, Former UConn men's basketball coach Fred Shabel has died, Xavier No. The school said in a release he held the ranking as the No. He began his higher education in 1944 at Bridgewater College (Virginia), where he played basketball and continued pole vaulting, and then transferred to the University of Illinois, where he received his A.B. 1 overall pick in the 2023 and are committed to quarterback Justin Fields next season, general manager Ryan Poles told reporters Tuesday in Indianapolis. Bob Richards. ; three children from his second marriage, Brandon Richards and Thomas Richards, both of China Spring, Tex., and Tammy Richards LeSure of Mansfield, Tex. INDIANAPOLIS, Feb. 28 (UPI) -- The Atlanta Falcons released veteran quarterback Marcus Mariota, the team announced Tuesday. Bob Richards, a two-time Olympic pole vault gold medalist who also became an ordained minister, died Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023. Mayor Lori Lightfoot came in third and becomes the first elected Chicago mayor to lose a reelection bid since 1983, when Jane Byrne, the citys first female mayor, lost her Democratic primary. Although he broke Olympic records and Russian hearts, and he became one of Americas most lionized and familiar celebrities a motivational speaker and Wheaties pitchman who personified wholesome values and once ran for president of the United States on a third party ticketRichards, even at the peak of his athletic power, was not the greatest American pole-vaulter of all time. The Buffalo Sabres' mostly injury-free season at forward took a decidedly darker turn Saturday night when the club placed top-line right winge. He started at quarterback for his high school football team. American pole vaulter Bob Richards, left, talks with Brazilian pole vaulter Helcio Buck-Silva during a break in a training session in Helsinki, July 11, 1952. He took gold medals at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Finland, and the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. Bob Richards, a two-time Olympic pole . Keep reading with unlimited digital access. Robert Eugene Richards was born on Feb. 20, 1926, in Champaign, Illinois, the third of five children of Leslie and Margaret (Palfrey) Richards. But they didnt believe they could win the Olympics. Be Nice. 1 in '79. Feb. 20, 1926 - Feb. 26, 2023. Bob Richards, byname of Robert Eugene Richards, (born February 20, 1926, Champaign, Illinois, U.S.died February 26, 2023, Waco, Texas), American athlete, the first pole-vaulter to win two Olympic gold medals. He also won decathlon championships in the 1951 and 195455 AAU meets. 'Bo was a legend', 5 CT companies hiring for 100 or more positions, Elizabeth's Cafe in Madison to be razed for new restaurant, housing, The Best Window Replacement Companies in CT, Guide to Legal Cannabis Dispensaries in CT, The Best Kitchen Remodeling Companies in CT, The Best Bathroom Remodeling Companies in CT, Video of fatal police shooting of CT man will not be released yet, Cannabis activists want more CT criminal cases dropped, expunged, CT DOT faces criticism following overnight tree-cutting, Haar: $1M in payouts approved, and CT still has a garbage crisis. He was 97. In fact, as a youth Richards, the son of a broken home, had run with a gang of thieves and brawlers, and five of his friends went to prison for robbery. 2023 University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics. From Champaign, Illinois, Richards went on to become a six-time NCAA champion at the University of Illinois. Robert Eugene Richards was born on Feb. 20, 1926, in Champaign, Ill., the third of five children of Leslie and Margaret (Palfrey) Richards. Matt Ludwig (unat) 19- | 5.80: 5. [1952] Was the Gold Medalist in Pole Vault at the Pan American Games in Mexico City. In addition to the gold medals he won at the 1952 Olympics in Finland and the 1956 Games in Australia, Mr. Richards won 17 national pole vault championships and was ranked No. In the wake of his sporting success, Wheaties made Richards the first athlete to grace the cover of its cereal box, a tradition that continues to this day. Keep it Clean. Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. His parents were divorced when he was a teenager, but a minister gave him a home, steered him away from the streets and awakened his interest in religion. He also was the oldest living Olympic track and field champion before his death. INDIANAPOLIS -- Bob Richards, a two-time Olympic pole vault gold medalist who also became an ordained minister, died Sunday. Then, for the next hour, the floor was his. Robert Eugene Richards was born on Feb. 20, 1926, in Champaign, Ill., the third of five children of Leslie and Margaret (Palfrey) Richards. Please subscribe to keep reading. "He was the greatest dad I could ever ask for and I will miss him dearly.". Pole vaulter Rev. Your current subscription does not provide access to this content. He became a pastor who went all around to give lectures, leading to a career as a motivational speaking. Advertisement. Ex-NFL star Irv Cross, who died in 2021, diagnosed with CTE. USA Track and Field confirmed his death. Be Truthful. Pole vault. Robert Eugene "Bob" Richards (born February 20, 1926), nicknamed the "Vaulting Vicar" or the "Pole Vaulting Parson" in his competitive days, was an American athlete who was known for pole vaulting in the Olympics.He competed in the 1948 (where he won a bronze medal), 1952 (gold medal), and 1956 Summer Olympics (gold medal) as a pole vaulter, and as a decathlete in 1956. His first Olympic go-round, followed by back-to-back gold medals in the pole vault ( unat ) |., Feb. 26, 2023 -- the Atlanta Falcons released veteran quarterback Marcus Mariota, floor., or sign up for a new record for the No club placed top-line winge! ' mostly injury-free season at forward took a decidedly darker turn Saturday night when the club top-line! 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