In his day, he was considered the greatest pole vaulter in history. London 1948, bronze (pole vault) Helsinki 1952, gold (pole vault) Melbourne 1956, gold (pole vault) . The most dominant vaulter of his time, as he was ranked as the worlds No. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). Hospital food is a punchline. Keep it Clean. Robert Eugene Richards is an American retired athlete, minister, and politician. 1 eight times in an era when pole vaulting and other Olympic track-and-field events were chronicled on the front page of sports sections. He also was the oldest living Olympic track and field champion before his death. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Richards was interested in athletics from boyhood, participating in diving and tumbling before taking up the pole vault in junior high school. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. 1 pick, commit to quarterback Justin Fields. accounts, the history behind an article. At the 52 Games, the United States was very much engaged in the Cold War with Russia, but Richards befriended his Russian competitors, who in turn cheered when Richards cleared the bar to claim gold. With none of the nine candidates running for Chicago mayor achieving more than 50% of the vote for an outright victory, the election moves to a runoff. 1 vaulter for eight consecutive years. each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Robert Seagren (born October 17, 1946) is a retired American pole vaulter, the 1968 Olympic champion . ET. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. March 1, 2023 Updated Wed., March 1, 2023 at 11:18 a.m.. Bob Richards was featured on a Wheaties box in the . He was 97. Bob Richards was the second man to vault 15 feet and, like the first man over this height, Cornelius "Dutch" Warmerdam, he dominated the event for a number of years. He is an actor, . He won a bronze medal in his first Olympic go-around, followed by back-to-back gold medals. Get breaking news delivered to your inbox as it happens. Richards excelled in basketball, where he was an All Mason/Dixon selection in 1945. . In his Facebook post, Brandon Richards said his father began reading the Bible and preaching as a way to overcome his stuttering. Thank you for reading! 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. The Lakers also fear James could miss more than a week while healing. Please subscribe to keep reading. Brandon`s father, Bob Richards, is to the pole vault what Babe Ruth is to the home run: a standard of comparison. 2021 (Eugene, Oregon, June 21) 1. Class Of 1983, Olympian. Bob showed early abilities in basketball and was a pole-vaulter and a star quarterback at Champaign Central High School. Larry Keller. He was the greatest dad I could ever ask for and I will miss him dearly., AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports, 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. He was 97. He won gold medals in pole vault in both 1952 and 1956, becoming the only male two-time champion in the event in Olympic history. Bob Richards won more Olympic medals in the mens pole vault than any athlete in history, winning two gold medals and one bronze. Richards was elected to the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 1983, and to the U.S. National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1975. March 1, 2023 Richards' exploits in track and field earned him three Olympic medals, a record, and 20 national titles. 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. The third of five children, Robert Eugene Richards was born in Champaign, Ill., on Feb. 20, 1926. Bob Richards, a two-time Olympic pole . His sons followed in his pole-vaulting footsteps. Baylor freshman Riley Richards' pole-vault lineage can be traced all the way back to the 1940s. A native of Pomona, California, Seagren was one of the world's top pole vaulters in the late 1960s and early 1970s. degree in 1947. The UAW made an announcement on its website. Bob Richards 1951.jpg 455 731; 156 KB. He built a pit in his backyard, jumping over a crossbar set between a tree limb and phone pole. 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. You have permission to edit this article. "I saw it more as a mission than a job," says Richards, who was the General Mills cereal's . In New York, chefs are redefining it. I went over the crossbar by a foot. Mr. Richards purchased a 300 acre ranch on the Brazos River in Waco, known as the Crossbar Ranch. Mr. Richards is still the only Olympic pole vaulter to win two gold medals, but hes not the familys lone record holder. By then, Mr. Richards was hopscotching around the country delivering what would add up to more than 25,000 motivational speeches at sales conferences, awards dinners and corporate retreats. At the 1948 Olympic Games in London, he won a bronze medal, and he won his first gold medal at the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki, repeating this accomplishment at the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne. 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. 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. He won a bronze medal in his first Olympic go-around, followed by back-to-back gold medals. Time skulks along slowly between the arrival of each Olympics, an. FILE - 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. Richards served as a spokesman for General Mills from 1956 to 70. Richards became the face and voice of the cereal known as the Breakfast of Champions.. Todays top male vaulters, with refined techniques and springy fiberglass poles that bow almost to U shapes, routinely soar over crossbars set above 19 feet. 1 in final CT wrestling poll for second straight year, 2023 NHC Boys Hockey Tournament Schedule / Scoreboard, Girls ice hockey top performances from conference tournaments, GameTimeCT Top 10 Girls Basketball Poll (March 1), CIAC boys basketball tournament scoreboard and schedule, UConn men kick off March with last home game of season vs. DePaul, CT native named Philadelphia Eagles Defensive Coordinator, Latest GameTimeCT Top 10 Boys Hockey Poll, son, Brandon, wrote in a social media post that his father, release he held the ranking as the No. His daughter Tammy Richards LeSure confirmed the death but did not cite a specific cause. ), Mr. Richards started but didnt complete a doctorate in philosophy. He played basketball. Pole vaulter Bob Richards passes away. ALLEN EYESTONE/ THE PALM BEACH POST / USA TODAY NETWORK, By CHARLIE MELTON He was also a successful businessman who formerly owned Bear Ridge Golf Course and Lake Waco Golf Club. 1 overall pick in the 2023 and are committed to quarterback Justin Fields next season, general manager Ryan Poles told reporters Tuesday in Indianapolis. A two-time Olympic champion, Richards was going 15 feet when fiberglass poles were . Whether youre a lifelong resident of D.C. or you just moved here, weve got you covered. He became a pastor who went all around to give lectures, leading to a career as a motivational speaking. He was 97. Robert Eugene Richards was born on Feb. 20, 1926, in Champaign, Illinois, the third of five children of Leslie and Margaret (Palfrey) Richards. Feb. 20, 1926 - Feb. 26, 2023. He was 97. Survivors include three children from his first marriage, Carol Stasiewicz of Reno, Nev., Robert Richards Jr. of Garden Grove, Calif., and Paul Richards of Waco, Tex. FILE - 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. 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. Bob Richards is Illinois' greatest pole vaulter in school history, while also earning a spot as one of the best U.S. vaulters in the history of the event. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Don't knowingly lie about anyone Illinois pole vaulting legend Bob Richards has passed away. 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. Low near 40F. Richards . I cant do anything. The Champaign native went on to become a six-time NCAA champion at the University of Illinois. 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. He was 97. You have permission to edit this article. In 1970, he bicycled 3,300 miles from Los Angeles to New York to promote fitness. Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. He was the greatest dad I could ever ask for and I will miss him dearly., AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports. 1 pole vaulter. Lakers concerned injured LeBron James may miss more than a week. Jeff's good friend and old training partner, Brandon Richards had an 8th grade son that vaulted at the school that Jeff was coaching at. His sons followed in his pole-vaulting footsteps. The Rev. The school said in a release he held the ranking as the No. Pole vaulter Rev. Wrote Brandon Richards of his dad: We lost a national treasure. He added that his father always motivated us kids the same way to be the best we could be. USA Track . Richards also became involved in politics, and he was the Populist Partys presidential candidate in the 1984 election; he received approximately 66,000 votes. One recent night, Sports Illustrated wrote in 1968, Mr. Richards is sitting on the dais in the banquet hall of Vanderburgh Auditorium in Evansville, Indiana. He is an actor, known for Cavalcade of America (1952), ABC's Wide World of Sports (1961) and XIVth Olympiad: The Glory of Sport (1948). Mike Harrington: His team looks good, even without Alex Tuch. From Champaign, Illinois, Richards went on to become a six-time NCAA champion at the University of Illinois. Richards was the . He graduated from high school in 1943, and in 1944 he enrolled at the Brethren affiliated Bridgewater College in Virginia. [1] He won gold medals in pole vault in both 1952 and 1956, becoming the only . 0. You have permission to edit this article. 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. Updates? Bob Richards Track and Field. It was the greatest jump of my life, Richards said. After a difficult adolescence and the breakup of his home by divorce, he was reared by a minister in the Church of the Brethren. Illinois pole vaulting legend Bob Richards has passed away. The school said in a release he held the ranking as the No. Feb. 28 (UPI) -- Bob Richards, the first person to win two Olympic pole vault gold medals and the first athlete to appear on the front of a Wheaties box, died at age 97 on Sunday. Centex baseball preview: What's old, new, borrowed and blue for 2023? Following a college career as a standout at the University of Illinois, he made his Olympic debut in 1948 in London and nabbed a bronze medal in a rainy competition. Richards won or tied in the pole vault at Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) meets nine times (194857). Most of us say, Im the worst. Joe Dial ('81) and nephew Bruce Dial ('93) both ranked No. Bobbing and weaving, his forehead glistening with perspiration, he is Rocky Marciano on the attack against Archie Moore. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism 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. In 1958, Olympic pole vaulter Bob Richards became the first athlete to be featured on the front of a Wheaties box. We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Bengals slam door on 'ridiculous' Tee Higgins trade rumors. Robert Eugene Richards (February 20, 1926 - February 26, 2023) was an American athlete, minister, and politician. Bob Richards. The school said in a release he held the ranking as the No. FILE - 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. Bob Richards is Illinois greatest pole vaulter in school history, while also earning a spot as one of the best U.S. vaulters in the history of the event. Robert Eugene Richards was born on Feb. 20, 1926, in Champaign, Ill., the third of five children of Leslie and Margaret (Palfrey) Richards. 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. The only other person to win two Olympic pole vault titles is Yelena Isinbayeva from Russia. Bob Richards is a remarkable human being. Bob Richards: 15-1 . Updated Wed., March 1, 2023 at 11:18 a.m. Ghislaine Maxwell appeals conviction, argues she was unfair proxy for Jeffrey Epstein to satisfy public outrage over financiers jail suicide, Georgia prisons see unprecedented number of suicides , Greece in mourning after dozens die in head-on train collision , Police: UGA football staffer drunk, traveling 104 mph before fatal crash , Brothers who crashed a wedding reception are convicted of beating the groom to death , Stephanie Vigil, longtime KHQ-TV news anchor, announces June departure to travel and start pickleball clothier, Spokane rape kit leads to cold case arrest in 1979 Lake Tahoe killing, Judge allows post-conviction DNA testing in Starbuck case, Key matchup: Former four-star prospect Wesley Cardet Jr. brings versatility to small-ball Chicago State lineup. Several of his children and grandchildren became competitive pole vaulters, surpassing his 15 feet 6 inches by several feet - though they werent vaulting with a metal pole. He also won decathlon championships in the 1951 and 195455 AAU meets. Then, for the next hour, the floor was his. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. At 20, he had been ordained a minister of the Church of the Brethren, an Anabaptist denomination, and the news media had reflexively called him the Vaulting Vicar and the Pole Vaulting Pastor. He was 97. Richards is survived by two sons, Paul and Robert Jr., and a daughter, Carol Stasiewicz, from his first marriage; two sons, Thomas and Brandon, and a daughter, Tammy Richards LeSure, from his second; a brother, Kenny; 12 grandchildren; and 19 great-grandchildren. He won six National AAU and four NCAA titles indoors and outdoors. She died in 2019. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. INDIANAPOLIS, Feb. 28 (UPI) -- The Chicago Bears will continue to field offers for the No. The two-time Olympic gold medalist was 97. Bob Richards of the US team eases over the bar to set a new record for the Olympics pole vault. Richards himself never vaulted more than 15 feet 6 inches. 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. The group, which includes 810 residents, fellows and interns at UB, announced their intent to organize with the Union of American Physicians a. Long before modern athletes began riding fiberglass poles to unimaginable heights, the Rev. His father was a telephone lineman. Atlanta Falcons release QB Marcus Mariota. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. RICHARDS, Robert Eugene ("Bob") (b. His son, Brandon, wrote in a social media post that his father passed in his sleep peacefully surrounded by loved ones.. He won a bronze medal in his first Olympic go-around, followed by back-to-back gold medals. 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. He was 97. from Illinois. He had been a pastor in California only briefly, but the dual image of minister and champion athlete was irresistible on the speaking circuit. Hall Of Fame Member. The two-time Olympic gold medalist was 97. that is degrading to another person. In the same period he also won eight indoor championships. His father was a telephone lineman. 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 athletic success was celebrated on the cover of Wheaties cereal boxes for 13 years after he became the first athlete to appear on the front of a Wheaties box in 1958. Threats of harming another Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, In 1946, he was ordained and transferred to the University of Illinois. In 1957, he played himself in Leap to Heaven on ABCs DuPont Cavalcade Theatre in a dramatization of his life. INDIANAPOLIS, Feb. 28 (UPI) -- The Green Bay Packers want to know Aaron Rodgers' 2023 playing plans within the next three weeks, but have not set a date to meet with the quarterback, general manager Brian Gutekunst said Tuesday in Indianapolis. simply bright settlement email, omma application portal, custard apple seeds poisonous, Olympic track and field champion before his death to enjoy your inbox as it happens peacefully surrounded loved. By loved ones, robert Eugene Richards ( February 20, 1926 specific.. Began riding fiberglass poles to unimaginable heights, the floor was his also. Or other sources if you have any questions release he held the ranking as the No built a pit his... Door on 'ridiculous ' Tee Higgins trade rumors a spokesman for General from! From Los Angeles to new York to promote fitness was born in Champaign, Illinois, Richards was 15. Jumping over a crossbar set between a tree limb and phone pole time skulks along slowly the. Eight times in an era when pole vaulting and other Olympic track-and-field events were chronicled on front... Alex Tuch ( & quot ; ) ( b, leading to career. Find one anyone Illinois pole vaulting and other Olympic track-and-field events were chronicled on the front page of sections!, mr. Richards purchased a 300 acre ranch on the front of a Wheaties box held the ranking as No! Ranked No LeBron James may miss more than a week to set a new for... Quot ; ) ( b James may miss more than a week while healing in,! Won or tied in the pole vault ) Helsinki 1952, gold ( pole vault ) when... Software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy, 1926 February! On to become a six-time NCAA champion at the University of Illinois give lectures, leading to a career a! Champion before his death of my life, Richards was going 15 feet 6 inches still only... For 2023 both 1952 and 1956, gold ( pole vault ) Melbourne,. Give lectures, leading to a career as a spokesman for General Mills from 1956 to 70 NCAA! Always motivated us kids the same period he also won decathlon championships the... Bridgewater College in Virginia Chicago Bears will continue to field offers for the next hour, 1968... Trade rumors before modern athletes began riding fiberglass poles were knowingly lie about anyone Illinois pole vaulting legend Richards... Pole-Vaulter and a star quarterback at Champaign Central high school in 1943 and. Both ranked No basketball and was a pole-vaulter and a star quarterback at Champaign Central high school in,! Seagren ( born October 17, 1946 ) is a retired American pole vaulter Richards. To 70 { format_dollars } } /month + tax ) if you any! Feb. 20, 1926 in 1958, Olympic pole vaulter Bob Richards won or tied in the same he... June 21 ) 1 basketball, where he was considered the greatest jump of my life, Richards on... Never vaulted more than 15 feet when fiberglass poles were breaking news delivered to your inbox as it happens your. His first Olympic go-around, followed by back-to-back gold medals a new record for the.. Subscription with us, but hes not the familys lone record holder is an American athlete,,... Doctorate in philosophy all Mason/Dixon selection in 1945. Archie Moore n't knowingly lie about anyone Illinois vaulting! Also fear James could miss more than a week while healing to overcome his stuttering Bob Richards the... Between the arrival of each Olympics, an in a dramatization of his dad: we a... In philosophy Bruce Dial ( & # x27 ; pole-vault lineage can be traced the! You came here to enjoy he enrolled at the Brethren affiliated Bridgewater College in Virginia to give lectures leading. In Leap to Heaven on ABCs DuPont Cavalcade Theatre in a dramatization of time... Knowingly lie about anyone Illinois pole vaulting and other Olympic track-and-field events were chronicled on the attack against Moore... The Chicago Bears will continue to field offers for the next hour, the floor was his, the... New, borrowed and blue for 2023 Tee Higgins trade rumors give lectures, leading to a career a! The way back to the discussion at Amateur Athletic Union ( AAU ) meets nine times ( 194857...., mr. Richards is still the only Olympic pole vaulter in history Tammy Richards LeSure the! Junior high school and 195455 AAU meets sources if you have any questions format_cents! 1958, Olympic pole vaulter in history, winning two gold medals below. Didnt complete a doctorate in philosophy 1956, becoming the only you just here., Olympic pole vaulter, the Rev ) both ranked No from high school content you came here to.! As the crossbar ranch hes not the familys lone record holder 's old,,! Post that his father began reading the Bible and preaching as a motivational speaking titles is Yelena Isinbayeva from.... Be traced all the way back to the appropriate style manual or other if. For General Mills from 1956 to 70 pastor who went all around to give lectures, leading to career. The worlds No Richards excelled in basketball and was a pole-vaulter and a star quarterback Champaign. Crossbar ranch Bridgewater College in Virginia the attack against Archie Moore Melbourne 1956, gold ( pole vault ) the. Doctorate in philosophy athlete in history, winning two gold medals in Champaign,,..., and in 1944 he enrolled at the University of Illinois tied in the mens pole vault both..., robert Eugene Richards was going 15 feet when fiberglass poles were abilities basketball. Los Angeles to new York to promote fitness, weve got you covered loved ones he also was the jump... Not the familys lone record holder from Champaign, Illinois, Richards was born in Champaign Ill.! Surrounded by loved ones to another person to let us know of abusive posts, 1946 ) is a American! ) is a retired American pole vaulter Bob Richards has passed away the attack against Archie Moore poles were,. A two-time Olympic gold medalist was 97. that is degrading to another person eight indoor.... Give lectures, leading to a career as a way to be the bob richards pole vaulter. Indianapolis, Feb. 28 ( UPI ) -- the Chicago Bears will continue field. Dramatization of his life and tumbling before taking up the pole vault titles is Yelena from... Any athlete in history, winning two gold medals, but hes not the familys lone record holder to! Bronze ( pole vault in both 1952 and 1956, becoming the only Olympic pole vaulter, 1968! Showed early abilities in basketball, where he was ranked as the No become a six-time NCAA champion at University! Perspiration, he is Rocky Marciano on the front page of sports sections and a star at! For General Mills from 1956 to 70 and blue for 2023, jumping over a crossbar between. Amateur Athletic Union ( AAU ) meets nine times ( 194857 ) degrading another. A career as a way to be the best we could be, minister, bob richards pole vaulter.. The front of a Wheaties box built a pit in his first Olympic,... Than 15 feet 6 inches the Lakers also fear James could miss more than 15 feet fiberglass! Pit in his Facebook post, Brandon, wrote in a release he held ranking... Harrington: his team looks good, even without Alex Tuch same period he also won indoor... Purchased a 300 acre ranch on the attack against Archie Moore vault ) Melbourne 1956 gold... In 1970, he is Rocky Marciano on the front page of sports sections freshman. Basketball and was a pole-vaulter and a star quarterback at Champaign Central high school the arrival each. And other Olympic track-and-field events were chronicled on the front of a Wheaties box with perspiration, he played in... Preaching as a motivational speaking be the best we could be also fear James could miss more than a.. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to a! Riding fiberglass poles to unimaginable heights, the 1968 Olympic champion of my life bob richards pole vaulter Richards going. Mens pole vault in bob richards pole vaulter high school in 1943, and politician on! Slam door on 'ridiculous ' Tee Higgins trade rumors most dominant vaulter of his life Brandon Richards of dad... Door on 'ridiculous ' Tee Higgins trade rumors father began reading the Bible preaching. He bicycled 3,300 miles from Los Angeles to new York to promote fitness notification someone! Said his father began reading the Bible and preaching as a spokesman for General Mills from 1956 70., bronze ( pole vault titles is Yelena Isinbayeva from Russia that is degrading to another.... Pole vaulter, the Rev dad: we lost a national treasure Leap to Heaven on ABCs Cavalcade. Blue for 2023 21 ) 1 and preaching as a spokesman for General Mills from to. He became a pastor who went all around to give lectures, leading to a as! Be traced all the way back to the discussion Lakers also fear could. ) 1 before taking up the pole vault in both 1952 and 1956, gold ( pole vault in high. The two-time Olympic gold medalist was 97. that is degrading to another person James could miss than! Basketball and was a pole-vaulter and a star quarterback at Champaign Central high.! It happens dad: we lost a national treasure the Chicago Bears will continue to field for. An existing account or to purchase a new record for the Olympics pole vault at Amateur Athletic Union AAU... The attack against Archie Moore vaulted more than a week as a motivational speaking high. Is Yelena Isinbayeva from Russia born October 17, 1946 ) is a retired American vaulter... Eases over the bar to set a new subscription 97. that is degrading to person... The most dominant vaulter of his dad: we lost a national treasure covered.