View source for Alma Richards

{{Short description|American athlete}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2018}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = Alma Richards
| birthname = Alma Wilford Richards
| fullname = Alma Wilford Richards, Esq.
| image = AlmaRichards.jpg
| image_size = 
| caption = Richards in 1912
| birth_date = {{birth date text|February 20, 1890}}
| birth_place = [[Parowan, Utah]], U.S.<ref name=bio>Reese, W. Paul (February 1995) [https://web.archive.org/web/20041010012813/http://historytogo.utah.gov/arichards.html Alma Richards Was Utah's First Olympic Gold Medalist]. ''History Blazer''</ref>
| death_date = {{death-date and age|April 3, 1963|February 20, 1890}}
| death_place = [[Long Beach, California]], U.S.
| height = {{convert|1.88|m|ftin|abbr=on}}<ref name=sr>{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ri/alma-richards-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417172755/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ri/alma-richards-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2020-04-17 |title=Alma Richards}}</ref>
| weight = {{convert|84|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
| alma_mater = Brigham Young High School
| universityteam = Cornell University Big Red
| country = 
| sport = [[Track and field]]
| event = [[High jump]], [[long jump]], [[shot put]], [[discus throw]], [[decathlon]]
| pb = HJ – 1.956 m (1915)<br>LJ – 7.125 m (1915)<br>SP – 14.01 m (1916)<br>DT – 44.12 m (1922)<ref name=tf>[http://trackfield.brinkster.net/Profile.asp?ID=5570&Gender=M Alma Richards]. trackfield.brinkster.net</ref>
| club = 
| coach = [[Eugene L. Roberts]]<ref name=bio/>
| show-medals = yes
| medaltemplates = {{MedalCountry | the {{USA}} }}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Athletics at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]}}
{{MedalGold| [[1912 Summer Olympics|1912 Stockholm]] | [[Athletics at the 1912 Summer Olympics – Men's high jump|High jump]]}}
}}

'''Alma Wilford Richards''' (February 20, 1890 – April 3, 1963) was an American athlete. He was the first resident of [[Utah]] to win a gold medal at the [[1912 Summer Olympics|1912]] [[Olympic Games]], in Stockholm, Sweden, in the running high jump event.<ref name=bio/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/78945 |title=Alma Richards |work=Olympedia |access-date=25 April 2021}}</ref>

==Biography==
Richards graduated from [[Brigham Young High School|Brigham Young prep school]] in 1913, and then attended [[Cornell University]] with a scholarship, where he was also a member of the [[Quill and Dagger]] honor society,<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Alma: BYA Boy Wins Olympic Gold|url=https://magazine.byu.edu/article/alma-bya-boy-wins-olympic-gold/|access-date=2021-08-22|website=Y Magazine|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Alma Richards (1986) - Hall of Fame|url=https://cornellbigred.com/honors/hall-of-fame/alma-richards/278|access-date=2021-08-22|website=Cornell University Athletics|language=en}}</ref> and earned a law degree.<ref name="TrialsAndTriumphs1992">{{cite book |last1=Benson |first1=Lee |last2=Robinson |first2=Doug |date=1 Jan 1992 |title=Trials & Triumphs/Mormons in the Olympic Games |url=https://www.deseret.com/1992/7/19/18995352/trials-triumphs-isn-t-just-golly-gee-whiz-look-at-champs |publisher=[[Deseret Book Company]] |isbn=978-0875796284 |language=en |access-date=13 Oct 2023 }}</ref>

He taught science at [[Venice High School (Los Angeles)|Venice High School]] in Los Angeles for 32 years.<ref name=bio/> Richards was buried, according to his wishes, in the [[Parowan, Utah|Parowan]] Cemetery.<ref name=bio2/> He was posthumously inducted into the [[Utah Sports Hall of Fame]] (1970),<ref>[http://www.utahsportshalloffame.org/honorees/ Honorees]. [[Utah Sports Hall of Fame]]</ref> Helms Hall of Fame and Brigham Young University Hall of Fame.<ref name=bio/>

==Personal life==
Richards’ first wife was Marian Gardiner Richards. They had one child, Joanne Richards. His second wife was Gertrude Huntimer Richards, and they had three children: Mary Richards Schraeger of La Habra Heights, California;  Anita Richards Ricciardi of Whittier California; and Paul Richards of Los Angeles, California.<ref name=bio2>Wallechinsky, David and Loucky, Jaime (2008). "Track & Field (Men): High Jump." In "The Complete Book of the Olympics – 2008 Edition." London: Aurum Press, Limited. p.&nbsp;197.</ref> Richards was a member of [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]], their first member to compete in the Olympics.<ref name="LDSOlympiansIn1999-2000ChurchAlmanac">{{cite book |date=1998 |title=Deseret News 1999-2000 Church Almanac |publisher=[[Deseret News]] |page=555 |location=Salt Lake City, UT |isbn=1573454915 }}</ref>

A movie, ''Raising the Bar: The Alma Richards Story'' was released in April 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 Dec 2025 |title=Raising the Bar: The Alma Richards Story - Official Website |url=https://raisingthebarmovie.com/ |url-status=live |access-date=8 Dec 2025 |website=raisingthebarmovie.com/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=8 Dec 2025 |title=Raising the Bar: The Alma Richards Story |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt34957792/ |url-status=live |access-date=Dec 8, 2025 |website=IMDB.com}}</ref>  It was written and directed by [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints|LDS]] filmmaker, [[T. C. Christensen|T.C. Christensen]], who is a grand-nephew of Alma Richards.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ginos |first=Becky |date=April 1, 2025 |title=T.C. Christensen’s ‘Raising the bar: The Alma Richards story’ set to open April 24 |url=https://www.davisjournal.com/2025/04/01/528151/t-c-christensen-s-raising-the-bar-the-alma-richards-story-set-to-open-april-24#:~:text=Alma%20was%20a%20natural%20athlete,https://raisingthebarmovie.com/. |url-status=live |access-date=8 December 2025 |work=Davis Journal}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Alma Richards}}
* {{World Athletics}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160923134734/https://findingaid.lib.byu.edu/viewItem/UA%20P%202/Series%202/Item%201100/box%207/folder%2070-89/ Photograph of Alma Richards in a triumphal parade after his return from the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, UA P 2 Series 2 Item 1100 box 7 folder 70–89] at [https://sites.lib.byu.edu/sc/ L. Tom Perry Special Collections], [[Brigham Young University]]
* {{Find a Grave|id=9314779}}
* {{Google|id=576560510}}
* {{Olympedia|id=78945}}
* {{Olympics.com|alma-wilfred-richards|Alma Wilfred Richards|org_id=alma-richards|org_name=Alma Richards|org_archive=20190904232523}}
* {{YouTube|id=Kd1kuIhtNOs|title=Olympics 1912 High jumpers (16-second-video)}}
* [https://mormonwiki.com/Alma_Richards:Mormon_Athlete Alma Richards: Mormon Athlete] at [https://mormonwiki.com/ mormonwiki.com/]

{{Footer Olympic Champions High Jump Men}}
{{Footer US NC shot put Men}}
{{Footer US NC high jump Men}}
{{Footer US NC Decathlon Men}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Richards, Alma}}
[[Category:1890 births]]
[[Category:1963 deaths]]
[[Category:American Latter Day Saints]]
[[Category:Latter Day Saints from Utah]]
[[Category:Latter Day Saints from California]]
[[Category:Schoolteachers from California]]
[[Category:20th-century American women educators]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1912 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Cornell University alumni]]
[[Category:Stanford University alumni]]
[[Category:BYU Cougars men's track and field athletes]]
[[Category:USC Gould School of Law alumni]]
[[Category:American men high jumpers]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States in track and field]]
[[Category:People from Parowan, Utah]]
[[Category:Track and field athletes from Utah]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1912 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:20th-century American educators]]
[[Category:Brigham Young High School alumni]]
[[Category:United States Army personnel of World War I]]
[[Category:Cornell Big Red men's track and field athletes]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]

{{US-athletics-Olympic-medalist-stub}}