In this Book
- Alma Richards: Olympian
- Book
- 2016
- Published by: University of Utah Press
summary
Alma Richards, as an unsung high school student, surprisingly set an Olympic record for the high jump in the 1912 Stockholm Olympics. He was the only native Utahn and member of the LDS church to win an Olympic gold medal in the twentieth century. After a stellar collegiate track career that saw him lead Cornell to three national championships, Richards for two decades reigned as America’s most accomplished multiple-event track and field athlete, winning national titles in five different events. Despite his prominence in the history of American sports, this is the first treatment of his athletic career and personal life.
The book traces Richards from his boyhood in rural Parowan, Utah, to Cornell and through his service as an officer in World War I and his teaching career in Los Angeles. His story is that of a remarkable athlete, but also that of a man struggling for personal fulfillment while endeavoring to retain his Mormon heritage amid his changing religious circumstances and participation. More than a century has passed since Alma Richards won an Olympic gold medal, yet this story about man and sport—the drive to excel, victory as validation of hard work, the quest for public recognition and, ultimately, the achievement of self-identity and self-satisfaction—still resonates today.
The book traces Richards from his boyhood in rural Parowan, Utah, to Cornell and through his service as an officer in World War I and his teaching career in Los Angeles. His story is that of a remarkable athlete, but also that of a man struggling for personal fulfillment while endeavoring to retain his Mormon heritage amid his changing religious circumstances and participation. More than a century has passed since Alma Richards won an Olympic gold medal, yet this story about man and sport—the drive to excel, victory as validation of hard work, the quest for public recognition and, ultimately, the achievement of self-identity and self-satisfaction—still resonates today.
Table of Contents
Download Full Book
- Title Page, Copyright Page
- pp. i-vi
- Acknowledgments
- pp. ix-xii
- Introduction
- pp. 1-14
- Part I: Sagebrush to Stardom
- pp. 15-16
- 1. Formative Years
- pp. 17-30
- 2. From Parowan to Provo
- pp. 31-39
- 3. Making the American Team
- pp. 40-46
- 4. Going for Gold
- pp. 47-64
- Part II: Coming of Age
- pp. 65-66
- 5. The Hero Returns
- pp. 67-80
- 6. The Big Cornellian
- pp. 81-112
- 7. Military Interlude
- pp. 113-122
- Part III: Chasing Dreams
- pp. 123-124
- 8. To the Track
- pp. 125-159
- 9. On the Home Front
- pp. 160-178
- Part IV: Taking Stock
- pp. 179-180
- 10. Alma Remembering
- pp. 181-190
- 11. Remembering Alma
- pp. 191-200
- 12. God, Gold, and Glory?
- pp. 201-220
- 13. Crossing the Bar
- pp. 221-234
- 14. Alma Richards Redivivus
- pp. 235-242
- Bibliography
- pp. 289-296
Additional Information
ISBN
9781607814924
Related ISBN(s)
9781607814917
MARC Record
OCLC
962439594
Pages
288
Launched on MUSE
2016-11-19
Language
English
Open Access
No