Photo: Original signature of Ralph Spearow on postcard — CC BY-SA 4.0Source
Ralph Spearow
pole vaulter
- October 3, 1895 · LaGrange
- December 17, 1980 · Portland
- 85 years
About Ralph Spearow
Ralph Spearow, 85, American Olympic pole vaulter (1924).
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Full Biography
|Albert Ralph Spearow (October 3, 1895 – December 17, 1980) was an American pole vaulter. He placed 6th in his speciality at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris; later that year, he exceeded Charles Hoff's world record in Tokyo, but his mark was never ratified.
Biography
Spearow was born in LaGrange, Georgia, but became an athlete in Oregon, competing first for Multnomah AC and then the Oregon Ducks. Spearow was a versatile jumper, excelling not only in the pole vault but also the long jump and the high jump. While at the University of Oregon, he was also the regular pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Cottage Grove; after graduating, he left that post to become an insurance agent.
Spearow placed 4th in the pole vault at the 1919 national (AAU) championship meet and became one of the first jumpers to clear 13 feet (3.96 m) in 1920. In 1922 he placed 2nd at the AAU championships, losing only in a jump-off to Edward Knourek.
Spearow's best year was 1924, when he first broke the intercollegiate record with a jump of 13 feet 2.95 inches (4.0373 m) and then qualified for the US Olympic team. At the Olympic Trials in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Spearow and three others - Lee Barnes, James Brooker and Glenn Graham - cleared 13 feet (3.96 m) to qualify for the Olympics. Of the four, Spearow had the best attempts at 13 feet 4 inches (4.06 m), getting over the bar twice but brushing it off on the way down both times. In the absence of Norway's world record holder Charles Hoff, Spearow entered the Olympics as the leading favorite. However, he injured his ankle in training ahead of the competition and only managed a disappointing 6th.
After the Olympics, Spearow embarked on an exhibition and coaching tour in Japan with several fellow athletes. Near the end of the tour on November 5, in a meeting in Tokyo, Spearow had the best performances of his career, clearing first 13 feet 6 inches (4.11 m) and then 13 feet 10+1⁄2 inches (4.23 m); the latter height exceeded Hoff's official world record of 4.21 meters. Spearow's jump has appeared in many listings of world record progressions since but has never received official recognition from the International Association of Athletics Federations.
Why the jump wasn't ratified as a record is unclear, with both contemporary and later sources providing contradictory explanations. Bill Bowerman claimed the jump was statistically valid but Spearow's lack of an AAU permit to compete prevented ratification. Track and field historian Richard Hymans quotes eyewitness Jonni Myyrä as saying the height Spearow cleared was found to be below the world record on remeasurement; however, Martti Jukola, also citing Myyrä as his source, claimed Spearow failed on his three official attempts and only made the height on an additional exhibition jump. The November 19, 1924 edition of the Eugene Guard referred to Spearow "unofficially" breaking the record, while the November 21 edition said Spearow "tried for a world's vault record but failed by a scant margin."
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Spearow
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- View record
- October 21, 2026
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from Ralph Spearow's archived record and the sources above.
1.Whose world record did Albert Ralph Spearow exceed during his performance in Tokyo?
- A.Edward Knourek
- B.Jonni Myyrä
- C.Charles Hoffcorrect
- D.Lee Barnes
Albert Ralph Spearow exceeded Charles Hoff's official world record of 4.21 meters during his Tokyo performance.
Source: biography section
2.According to Bill Bowerman, why was Albert Ralph Spearow's world record jump never ratified?
- A.Height was measured incorrectly
- B.Lack of an AAU permitcorrect
- C.The jump was an unofficial exhibition
- D.He failed all official attempts
Bill Bowerman claimed the jump was valid but that Albert Ralph Spearow's lack of an AAU permit to compete prevented ratification.
Source: biography section
3.What reason did Martti Jukola provide for why Albert Ralph Spearow's record was not ratified?
- A.He failed his official attempts and only cleared it in an exhibitioncorrect
- B.He did not jump the height at all
- C.The bar was set lower than claimed
- D.The judges were not officially certified
Martti Jukola claimed Albert Ralph Spearow failed his three official attempts and only cleared the height on an additional exhibition jump.
Source: biography section
4.In what city did Albert Ralph Spearow die?
- A.Portland, Oregoncorrect
- B.Cambridge, Massachusetts
- C.LaGrange, Georgia
- D.Cottage Grove, Oregon
Albert Ralph Spearow died in Portland, Oregon on December 17, 1980.
Source: biography section
5.How did the Eugene Guard describe Albert Ralph Spearow's record attempt in their November 21, 1924 edition?
- A.An official world record
- B.An attempt that failed by a scant margincorrect
- C.A successful jump by a small margin
- D.An invalid attempt due to weather
The November 21 edition of the Eugene Guard stated that Albert Ralph Spearow tried for a world's vault record but failed by a scant margin.
Source: biography section
6.In what year was Albert Ralph Spearow born?
- A.1890
- B.1910
- C.1895correct
- D.1905
Albert Ralph Spearow was born on October 3, 1895.
Source: biography header
7.Where was Albert Ralph Spearow born?
- A.LaGrange, Georgiacorrect
- B.Tokyo, Japan
- C.Cambridge, Massachusetts
- D.Portland, Oregon
Albert Ralph Spearow was born in LaGrange, Georgia.
Source: biography section
8.Besides the pole vault, in which other event did Albert Ralph Spearow excel?
- A.Shot put
- B.Long jumpcorrect
- C.Discus throw
- D.Javelin throw
Albert Ralph Spearow was a versatile jumper who excelled in the pole vault, long jump, and high jump.
Source: biography section
9.What religious role did Albert Ralph Spearow hold while attending the University of Oregon?
- A.Presbyterian pastorcorrect
- B.Catholic priest
- C.Methodist deacon
- D.Baptist minister
While at the University of Oregon, Albert Ralph Spearow served as the regular pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Cottage Grove.
Source: biography section
10.What profession did Albert Ralph Spearow take up after graduating from college?
- A.Insurance agentcorrect
- B.Journalist
- C.Athletic trainer
- D.High school teacher
After graduating from university, Albert Ralph Spearow left his pastor position to become an insurance agent.
Source: biography section
11.In what year did Albert Ralph Spearow become one of the first jumpers to clear 13 feet?
- A.1920correct
- B.1919
- C.1924
- D.1922
Albert Ralph Spearow became one of the first jumpers to clear 13 feet (3.96 m) in 1920.
Source: biography section
12.Who defeated Albert Ralph Spearow in a jump-off at the 1922 AAU championships?
- A.Charles Hoff
- B.Edward Knourekcorrect
- C.Glenn Graham
- D.Lee Barnes
In 1922, Albert Ralph Spearow placed 2nd at the AAU championships, losing in a jump-off to Edward Knourek.
Source: biography section
13.Where were the Olympic Trials held that qualified Albert Ralph Spearow for the 1924 US Olympic team?
- A.Paris, France
- B.LaGrange, Georgia
- C.Eugene, Oregon
- D.Cambridge, Massachusettscorrect
Albert Ralph Spearow qualified for the US Olympic team at the Olympic Trials in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Source: biography section
14.What was the final result for Albert Ralph Spearow at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris?
- A.Did not qualify
- B.4th place
- C.1st place
- D.6th placecorrect
After injuring his ankle in training, Albert Ralph Spearow managed a 6th place finish at the 1924 Olympics.
Source: biography section
15.After the 1924 Olympics, in which country did Albert Ralph Spearow go on an exhibition and coaching tour?
- A.Japancorrect
- B.Norway
- C.United Kingdom
- D.France
After the 1924 Olympics, Albert Ralph Spearow embarked on an exhibition and coaching tour in Japan.
Source: biography section
16.What was the highest height Albert Ralph Spearow cleared during the meeting in Tokyo on November 5, 1924?
- A.13 feet 6 inches
- B.13 feet 2.95 inches
- C.13 feet 4 inches
- D.13 feet 10 1/2 inchescorrect
On November 5, 1924, in Tokyo, Albert Ralph Spearow cleared 13 feet 10 1/2 inches.
Source: biography section
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