# Ward Edmonds

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**Rowland Ward Edmonds** (July 3, 1908 – October 26, 1930) was an American [pole vaulter](/source/Pole_vault). He was one of the first men to vault 14 feet (4.26 m) and was [NCAA](/source/NCAA_Men's_Division_I_Outdoor_Track_and_Field_Championships) champion in 1928 and 1929. After graduating from [Stanford University](/source/Stanford_University) he started working for the [Bank of Italy](/source/Bank_of_Italy_(United_States)), but died from [polio](/source/Polio) aged 22.

## Biography

Edmonds was born in [San Diego, California](/source/San_Diego,_California) on July 3, 1908, the son of Warner Edmonds, a wealthy banker,[1] and Martha Edmonds (née Ward).[2] He attended [Stanford University](/source/Stanford_University), where he was coached by [Dink Templeton](/source/Dink_Templeton).[3] At the 1927 [IC4A](/source/IC4A) championships he cleared 13 ft 6 in (4.11 m), placing third as Stanford won the team title; [Yale](/source/Yale_University)'s [Sabin Carr](/source/Sabin_Carr) broke the [world record](/source/Men's_pole_vault_world_record_progression) and became the first man to vault 14 ft (4.26 m), while [1924 Olympic](/source/Athletics_at_the_1924_Summer_Olympics_%E2%80%93_Men's_pole_vault) champion [Lee Barnes](/source/Lee_Barnes) cleared 13 ft 9 1⁄2 in (4.20 m) for second.[4][5][6] The following week Edmonds placed second to Barnes at the [Pacific Coast Conference](/source/Pacific_Coast_Conference) championships, helping Stanford beat Barnes's [University of Southern California](/source/University_of_Southern_California) for that team title by two points.[7]

At the 1928 [West Coast Relays](/source/West_Coast_Relays) in [Fresno](/source/Fresno,_California) Barnes and Edmonds became the second and third vaulters in the world to clear 14 ft (4.26 m), equaling Carr's outdoor world record.[8][9] Barnes then cleared the next height, 14 ft 1 3⁄4 in (4.31 m), on his third and final attempt to break the record; Edmonds also had good attempts at the record height, but was not successful.[8] There were originally some doubts about the legitimacy of these marks; Barnes's jump (revised down to 14 ft 1 1⁄2 in / 4.30 m) was rejected as a record in 1928 because the pegs had been the wrong length,[10] but in 1929 it was officially approved.[11]

Edmonds won the [1928 NCAA championship](/source/1928_NCAA_Men's_Track_and_Field_Championships), jumping a meeting record 13 ft 6 1⁄2 in (4.13 m) and defeating the previous year's champion, [Northwestern](/source/Northwestern_University)'s [Bill Droegemueller](/source/Bill_Droegemueller).[12][13] He was heavily favored to qualify for the [American Olympic team](/source/United_States_at_the_1928_Summer_Olympics),[14][15] but at the [Olympic Trials](/source/United_States_Olympic_Trials_(track_and_field)) in [Cambridge](/source/Cambridge,_Massachusetts) he failed to clear 13 ft 6 in (4.11 m) and the four Olympic spots went to Carr, Barnes, Droegemueller and [Charles McGinnis](/source/Charles_McGinnis).[15]

In 1929, his [final year](/source/Senior_(education)) at Stanford, Edmonds shared first place at the IC4A championships, clearing 13 ft 9 in (4.19 m).[16][17] He also repeated as [NCAA champion](/source/1929_NCAA_Men's_Track_and_Field_Championships), improving his own meeting record to 13 ft 8 7⁄8 in (4.18 m) and sharing first place with Tom Warne.[12][18]

In addition to pole vaulting, Edmonds took up the [hurdles](/source/Hurdling) in 1929, defeating his Stanford teammate and 1928 IC4A hurdles champion Ross Nichols in several trial races.[3] He was also captain of the Stanford [golf](/source/Golf) team.[19] After graduating Edmonds started working for the [Bank of Italy](/source/Bank_of_Italy_(United_States)) while continuing his athletic career,[20] but he contracted [polio](/source/Polio) and died in the Stanford University Hospital in [San Francisco](/source/San_Francisco,_California) on October 26, 1930, aged 22.[2][21][22][23]

## References

1. ["Not Pampered Sons of the Rich"](https://newspaperarchive.com/us/utah/ogden/ogden-standard-examiner/1928/04-29/page-12). *[Ogden Standard-Examiner](/source/Ogden_Standard-Examiner)*. April 29, 1928. Retrieved April 24, 2014.

1. Phi Kappa Sigma & Pilgram, Robert James (1930). [*General register of the members of the Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity, 1850-1930*](https://books.google.com/books?id=wH1MAAAAMAAJ). p. 909. Retrieved April 24, 2014.

1. Matherne, Bob (April 2, 1929). ["Stanford Pole Vaulter Turning To Hurdle Races"](https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19290402&id=jgodAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-UoEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3867,692768). *[The Pittsburgh Press](/source/The_Pittsburgh_Press)*. Retrieved April 24, 2014.

1. Gould, Alan J. (May 31, 1927). ["Sport Slants"](https://newspaperarchive.com/us/connecticut/bridgeport/bridgeport-telegram/1927/05-31/page-17). *[Bridgeport Telegram](/source/Bridgeport_Telegram)*. Retrieved April 24, 2014.

1. ["Leland Stanford Athletes Cop National Track Honors"](https://newspaperarchive.com/us/texas/abilene/abilene-morning-reporter-news/1927/05-29/page-2). *[Abilene Morning Reporter-News](/source/Abilene_Reporter-News)*. May 29, 1927. Retrieved April 24, 2014.

1. ["National Track"](https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1928&dat=19270530&id=Nq0gAAAAIBAJ&sjid=fGkFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4948,4821078). *[Lewiston Daily Sun](/source/Lewiston_Daily_Sun)*. May 30, 1927. Retrieved April 24, 2014.

1. ["Stanford Cops Coast Crown In Field Events"](https://newspaperarchive.com/us/montana/billings/billings-gazette/1927/06-05/page-10). *[Billings Gazette](/source/Billings_Gazette)*. June 5, 1927. Retrieved April 23, 2014.

1. ["Lee Barnes and John Kuck Break Vault and Shot Marks"](https://newspaperarchive.com/us/california/oakland/oakland-tribune/1928/04-29/page-67). *[Oakland Tribune](/source/Oakland_Tribune)*. April 29, 1928. Retrieved April 24, 2014.

1. Dumas, Gerard. ["14-Foot Era (4.26,7m)"](https://web.archive.org/web/20150924075130/http://www.polevaultcanada.ca/forum/records/14foot.txt). Pole Vault Canada. Archived from [the original](http://www.polevaultcanada.ca/forum/records/14foot.txt) on September 24, 2015. Retrieved April 24, 2014.

1. Vosburgh, F.G. (November 20, 1928). ["Barnes' Vault Refused"](https://cdsun.library.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/cornell?a=d&d=CDS19281120.2.34&e=--------20--1-----all----#). *[The Cornell Daily Sun](/source/The_Cornell_Daily_Sun)*. Retrieved April 24, 2014.

1. Gould, Alan J. (November 18, 1929). ["Several Records Approved At Meet"](https://newspaperarchive.com/moberly-monitor-index/1929-11-18/). *Moberly Monitor-Index*. Retrieved April 24, 2014.

1. Hill, E. Garry. ["A History of the NCAA Championships"](https://web.archive.org/web/20200416135945/http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/images/stories/tfn_pdfs/ncaa_history_pdfs/ncaampv.pdf). *[Track & Field News](/source/Track_%26_Field_News)*. Archived from [the original](http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/images/stories/tfn_pdfs/ncaa_history_pdfs/ncaampv.pdf) on April 16, 2020. Retrieved April 24, 2014.

1. ["Stanford Supreme in N.C.A.A. Meet"](https://newspaperarchive.com/athens-messenger/1928-06-10/page-9). Athens Messenger. June 10, 1928. Retrieved April 24, 2014.

1. ["Big Four Is Picked in Olympic Vault"](https://newspaperarchive.com/us/west-virginia/charleston/charleston-daily-mail/1928/06-08/page-17). *[Charleston Daily Mail](/source/Charleston_Daily_Mail)*. June 8, 1928. Retrieved April 24, 2014.

1. Hymans, Richard. ["The History of the United States Olympic Trials – Track & Field"](https://web.archive.org/web/20130524031759/http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/index.php/special-articles/1151) (PDF). [USA Track & Field](/source/USA_Track_%26_Field); Track & Field News. Archived from [the original](http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/index.php/special-articles/1151) on May 24, 2013. Retrieved April 24, 2014.

1. ["Collegiate Records Fell For Them"](https://newspaperarchive.com/us/nevada/reno/reno-evening-gazette/1929/06-07/page-11). *[Reno Evening Gazette](/source/Reno_Evening_Gazette)*. June 7, 1929. Retrieved April 24, 2014.

1. Squire, Jesse. ["IC4A Championships (1876-1942)"](http://www.gbrathletics.com/nc/ic4a.htm). *[Athletics Weekly](/source/Athletics_Weekly)*. Retrieved April 24, 2014.

1. ["Simpson Sets New World Mark In Century Dash"](https://newspaperarchive.com/us/indiana/kokomo/kokomo-tribune/1929/06-10/page-12). *[Kokomo Tribune](/source/Kokomo_Tribune)*. June 10, 1929. Retrieved April 24, 2014.

1. Gould, Alan J. (May 16, 1928). ["Sport Slants"](http://fultonhistory.com/Newspaper4/Amsterdam%20NY%20Daily%20Democrat%20and%20Recorder/Amsterdam%20NY%20Daily%20Democrat%20and%20Recorder%201928%20Apr-Jul%20Grayscale/Amsterdam%20NY%20Daily%20Democrat%20and%20Recorder%201928%20Apr-Jul%20Grayscale%20-%200313.pdf). Amsterdam Evening Recorder. Retrieved April 24, 2014.

1. ["Sweet, Edmonds Star in S.F. Track Meet"](https://newspaperarchive.com/berkeley-daily-gazette/1930-05-26/page-9). *[Berkeley Daily Gazette](/source/Berkeley_Daily_Gazette)*. May 26, 1930. Retrieved April 24, 2014.

1. ["Ex-College Star Dies"](https://newspaperarchive.com/us/nevada/reno/nevada-state-journal/1930/10-27/page-5). *[Nevada State Journal](/source/Nevada_State_Journal)*. October 27, 1930. Retrieved April 23, 2014.

1. ["Stanford Athlete Dies Of Infantile Paralysis"](https://newspaperarchive.com/salt-lake-tribune/1930-10-27/page-12). *[Salt Lake Tribune](/source/Salt_Lake_Tribune)*. October 27, 1930. Retrieved April 23, 2014.

1. ["Athlete Dies"](https://newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-daily-chronicle/1930/10-27/page-8). *Centralia Daily Chronicle*. October 27, 1930. Retrieved April 23, 2014.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ward Edmonds](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ward_Edmonds) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ward_Edmonds?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.