VIDEO: BOB RICHARDS HALL OF FAME INDUCTION SPEECH
VIDEO: BOB RICHARDS' VIDEO FOR WHEATIES
Robert E. "Bob" Richards came to Bridgewater in 1944 and was a two-sport athlete. Richards excelled in basketball, where he was an All Mason/Dixon selection in 1945. But it was on the field that Richards made his mark. As a member of the Bridgewater track team, Richards stormed the Mason/Dixon meet in 1945, capturing titles in six events: low hurdles, high hurdles, broad jump, high jump, javelin, and what would have become Richard's defining event, the pole vault. While still at Bridgewater, Richards traveled to Penn Relays in 1945 and finished third in the pole vault at the prestigious event.
Richards transferred to Illinois to finish his degree, but his talents as a track and field athlete were just blossoming. Richards began an incredible run by capturing the National Decathlon Championship in 1951, a feat that he would duplicate in 1954, and again in 1955. The year 1951 also saw Richards become just the second man in history to clear the 15-foot mark in the pole vault, which he accomplished at the Millrose Games, and subsequently, Richards was honored with the coveted Sullivan Award, given each year to America's outstanding amateur athlete. A member of the 1948 Olympic team, Richards returned to the 1952 Helsinki games and the 1956 Melbourne games, becoming the only athlete in history to win two Olympic medals in pole vault. In all, the "Vaulting Vicar" won 26 National Indoor and Outdoor Championships, and was an All-American in track and field for 11 straight years between 1947 and 1957. Richards' depiction on the Wheaties cereal box in the late 1950's and early 60's gave inspiration to an entire generation of American youth.
An ordained minister in the Church of the Brethren, Richards continued to stay involved with Bridgewater College even at the height of his fame. In 1955, Richards was the main speaker at a kickoff banquet to raise funds for a new athletic building at the college. Richards addressed the BC commencement classes of both 1957 and 1981, and in 1957, was awarded Bridgewater's "Alumnus of the Year" Award. He is a member of numerous Halls of Fame, including the Illinois, Madison Square Garden, National Track and Field, and the United States Track and Field.
