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James Naismith

James Naismith (NAY-smith; November 6, 1861 – November 28, 1939) was a Canadian-American[1] physical educator, physician, Christian chaplain, and sports coach, best known as the inventor of the game of basketball.[2][3] After moving to the United States, he wrote the original basketball rule book and founded the University of Kansas basketball program.[4] Naismith lived to see basketball adopted as an Olympic demonstration sport in 1904 and as an official event at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, as well as the birth of the National Invitation Tournament (1938) and the NCAA Tournament (1939).

James Naismith
Naismith holding a basketball and basket
Biographical details
Born(1861-11-06)November 6, 1861
Almonte, Canada West, Province of Canada
DiedNovember 28, 1939(1939-11-28) (aged 78)
Lawrence, Kansas, U.S.
Alma materMcGill University
University of Colorado
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1898–1907Kansas
Head coaching record
Overall55–60
Accomplishments and honors
Awards
Basketball Hall of Fame
Inducted in 1959
College Basketball Hall of Fame
Inducted in 2006

Born and raised on a farm near Almonte in the Province of Canada’s Canada West region which corresponds to today’s Province of Ontario, Naismith studied and taught physical education at McGill University in Montreal until 1890 before moving to Springfield, Massachusetts, United States later that year, where in 1891 he designed the game of basketball while he was teaching at the International YMCA Training School.[5] Seven years after inventing basketball, Naismith received his medical degree in Denver in 1898. He then arrived at the University of Kansas, later becoming the Kansas Jayhawks' athletic director and coach.[5] While a coach at Kansas, Naismith coached Phog Allen, who later became the coach at Kansas for 39 seasons, beginning a lengthy and prestigious coaching tree. Allen then went on to coach legends including Adolph Rupp and Dean Smith, among others, who themselves coached many notable players and future coaches.[6]

Early years

 
Sculpture in Almonte, Ontario

Naismith was born on November 6, 1861, in Almonte, Canada West, Province of Canada (now part of Mississippi Mills, Ontario, Canada) to Scottish parents.[7] He never had a middle name and never signed his name with an "A" initial. The "A" was added by someone in administration at the University of Kansas.[a] Gifted in farm labor, Naismith spent his days outside playing catch, hide-and-seek, or duck on a rock, a medieval game in which a person guards a large drake stone from opposing players, who try to knock it down by throwing smaller stones at it. To play duck on a rock most effectively, Naismith soon found that a soft lobbing shot was far more effective than a straight hard throw, a thought that later proved essential for the invention of basketball.[9] Orphaned early in his life, Naismith lived with his aunt and uncle for many years and attended grade school at Bennies Corners near Almonte. Then, he enrolled in Almonte High School, in Almonte, Ontario, from which he graduated in 1883.[9]

In the same year, Naismith entered McGill University in Montreal. Although described as a slight figure, standing 5 feet 10+12 inches (1.791 m) and listed at 178 pounds (81 kg)[10] he was a talented and versatile athlete, representing McGill in football, lacrosse, rugby, soccer, and gymnastics. He played centre on the football team, and made himself some padding to protect his ears. It was for personal use, not team use.[11] He won multiple Wicksteed medals for outstanding gymnastics performances.[3] Naismith earned a BA in physical education (1888) and a diploma at the Presbyterian College in Montreal (1890).[9] At the enter of his career, in 1938 and 1939, he would receive honorary doctorates from both institutions.[12] [13] From 1888 to 1890, Naismith taught physical education and became the first McGill director of athletics, but then left Montreal to study at the YMCA International Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts.[14][15] Naismith played football during his one year as a student at Springfield, where he was coached by Amos Alonzo Stagg and scored a touchdown in the first exhibition of indoor college football at Madison Square Garden.[16]

Springfield College: invention of basketball

 
The original 1891 "Basket Ball" court in Springfield College. It used a peach basket attached to the wall.

After completing the YMCA Physical Director training program that had brought him to Springfield, Naismith was hired as a full-time faculty member in 1891.[17] At the Springfield YMCA, Naismith struggled with a rowdy class that was confined to indoor games throughout the harsh New England winter, thus was perpetually short-tempered. Under orders from Dr. Luther Gulick, head of physical education there, Naismith was given 14 days to create an indoor game that would provide an "athletic distraction"; Gulick demanded that it would not take up much room, could help its track athletes to keep in shape[3] and explicitly emphasized to "make it fair for all players and not too rough".[10]

In his attempt to think up a new game, Naismith was guided by three main thoughts.[9] Firstly, he analyzed the most popular games of those times (rugby, lacrosse, soccer, football, hockey, and baseball); Naismith noticed the hazards of a ball and concluded that the big, soft soccer ball was safest. Secondly, he saw that most physical contacts occurred while running with the ball, dribbling, or hitting it, so he decided that passing was the only legal option. Finally, Naismith further reduced body contact by making the goal unguardable by placing it high above the player's heads with the plane of the goal's opening parallel to the floor. This placement forced the players to score goals by throwing a soft, lobbing shot like that which had proven effective in his old favorite game duck on a rock.[18] For this purpose, Naismith asked a janitor to find a pair of boxes, but the janitor brought him peach baskets instead.[19] Naismith christened this new game "Basket Ball"[9] and put his thoughts together in 13 basic rules.[20]

The first game of "Basket Ball" was played in December 1891. In a handwritten report, Naismith described the circumstances of the inaugural match; in contrast to modern basketball, the players played nine versus nine, handled a soccer ball, not a basketball, and instead of shooting at two hoops, the goals were a pair of peach baskets: "When Mr. Stubbins brot [sic] up the peach baskets to the gym I secured them on the inside of the railing of the gallery. This was about 10 feet [3.0 meters] from the floor, one at each end of the gymnasium. I then put the 13 rules on the bulletin board just behind the instructor's platform, secured a soccer ball, and awaited the arrival of the class ... The class did not show much enthusiasm, but followed my lead ... I then explained what they had to do to make goals, tossed the ball up between the two center men and tried to keep them somewhat near the rules. Most of the fouls were called for running with the ball, though tackling the man with the ball was not uncommon."[21] In contrast to modern basketball, the original rules did not include what is known today as the dribble. Since the ball could only be moved up the court by a pass early players tossed the ball over their heads as they ran up court. Also following each "goal", a jump ball was taken in the middle of the court. Both practices are obsolete in the rules of modern basketball.[22]

In a radio interview in January 1939, Naismith gave more details of the first game and the initial rules that were used:

I showed them two peach baskets I'd nailed up at each end of the gym, and I told them the idea was to throw the ball into the opposing team's peach basket. I blew a whistle, and the first game of basketball began. ... The boys began tackling, kicking, and punching in the clinches. They ended up in a free-for-all in the middle of the gym floor. [The injury toll: several black eyes, one separated shoulder, and one player knocked unconscious.] "It certainly was murder." [Naismith changed some of the rules as part of his quest to develop a clean sport.] The most important one was that there should be no running with the ball. That stopped tackling and slugging. We tried out the game with those [new] rules (fouls), and we didn't have one casualty.[23][24]

Naismith was a classmate of Amos Alonzo Stagg at the YMCA School, where Stagg coached the football team. They became close friends and Naismith played on the football team and Stagg played on the basketball team. Naismith invited Stagg to play in the first public basketball game on March 12, 1892. The students defeated the faculty 5–1 and Stagg scored the only basket for the faculty.[25] The Springfield Republican reported on the same: "Over 200 spectators crammed their necks over the gallery railing of the Christian Workers gymnasium while they watched the game of 'basket ball' between the teachers and the students. The most conspicuous figure on the floor was Stagg in the blue Yale uniform who managed to have a hand in every scrimmage."[26]

By 1892, basketball had grown so popular on campus that Dennis Horkenbach (editor-in-chief of The Triangle, the Springfield college newspaper) featured it in an article called "A New Game",[7] and there were calls to call this new game "Naismith Ball", but Naismith refused.[9] By 1893, basketball was introduced internationally by the YMCA movement.[7] From Springfield, Naismith went to Denver, where he acquired a medical degree, and in 1898, he joined the University of Kansas faculty at Lawrence.[10]

The family of Lambert G. Will, disputing Naismith's sole creation of the game, has claimed that Naismith borrowed components for the game of basketball from Will, citing alleged photos and letters. In an interview, the family did give Naismith credit for the general idea of the sport, but they claimed Will changed aspects of Naismith's original plans for the game and Naismith took credit for the changes.[27][28]

Spalding worked with Naismith to develop the official basketball and the Spalding Athletic Library official basketball rule book for 1893–1894.[29][30]

University of Kansas

 
1899 University of Kansas basketball team, with Dr. James Naismith at the back, right
 
Basketball games at Allen Fieldhouse take place on the James Naismith Court.

The University of Kansas men's basketball program officially began following Naismith's arrival in 1898, seven years after Naismith drafted the sport's first official rules. Naismith was not initially hired to coach basketball, but rather as a chapel director and physical-education instructor.[31] In those early days, the majority of the basketball games were played against nearby YMCA teams, with YMCAs across the nation having played an integral part in the birth of basketball. Other common opponents were Haskell Indian Nations University and William Jewell College. Under Naismith, the team played only one current Big 12 school: Kansas State (once). Naismith is, ironically, the only coach in the program's history to have a losing record (55–60).[32] However, Naismith coached Forrest "Phog" Allen, his eventual successor at Kansas,[33] who went on to join his mentor in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.[34] When Allen became a coach himself and told him that he was going to coach basketball at Baker University in 1904, Naismith discouraged him: "You can't coach basketball; you just play it."[3] Instead, Allen embarked on a coaching career that would lead him to be known as "the Father of Basketball Coaching". During his time at Kansas, Allen coached Dean Smith (1952 National Championship team) and Adolph Rupp (1922 Helms Foundation National Championship team). Smith and Rupp have joined Naismith and Allen as members of the Basketball Hall of Fame.

By the turn of the century, enough college teams were in the East that the first intercollegiate competitions could be played out.[33] Although the sport continued to grow, Naismith long regarded the game as a curiosity and preferred gymnastics and wrestling as better forms of physical activity.[33] However, basketball became a demonstration sport at the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis. As the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame reports, Naismith was not interested in self-promotion nor was he interested in the glory of competitive sports.[35] Instead, he was more interested in his physical-education career; he received an honorary PE master's degree in 1910,[9] patrolled the Mexican border for four months in 1916, traveled to France, and published two books (A Modern College in 1911 and Essence of a Healthy Life in 1918). He took American citizenship on May 4, 1925.[5] In 1909, Naismith's duties at Kansas were redefined as a professorship; he served as the de facto athletic director at Kansas for much of the early 20th century.

Naismith had "strong feelings against segregation," dating back to his World War I-era service in France and his service on the United States-Mexico border, and he strove for progress in race relations through modest steps. During the 1930s, he would not or could not get African-Americans onto Kansas' varsity Jayhawks, but he did help engineer the admission of black students to the university's swimming pool. Until then, they had been given automatic passing grades on a required swimming test without entering the pool, so it could remain all-white.[36]

Through Naismith's association with Baker University Basketball Coach Emil Liston, he became familiar and impressed with Emil Liston's fraternity at Baker University, Sigma Phi Epsilon (SigEp). As a result, he started the effort to bring a Sigma Phi Epsilon chapter to his University of Kansas (KU). On February 18, 1923, Naismith, intending to bring a SigEp Chapter to KU, was initiated as a SigEp member by national office of the fraternity. Under Naismith's leadership, the University of Kansas Sigma Phi Epsilon Chapter was founded and officially Charted on April 28, 1923, with Dr. Naismith leading the new 40-member fraternity as "Chapter Counselor." Naismith was deeply involved with the members, serving as Chapter Counselor for 16 years, from 1923 until his death in 1939. During those 16 years as Chapter Counselor, he married SigEp's housemother, Mrs. Florence Kincaid. Members who were interviewed during that era remembered Dr. Naismith: "He was deeply religious", "He listened more than he spoke", "He thought sports were nothing but an avenue to keep young people involved so they could do their studies and relate to their community", and "It was really nice having someone with the caliber of Dr. Naismith, he helped many a SigEp"

In 1935, the National Association of Basketball Coaches (founded by Naismith's pupil Phog Allen) collected money so the 74-year-old Naismith could witness the introduction of basketball into the official Olympic sports program of the 1936 Summer Olympic Games in Berlin.[35] There, Naismith handed out the medals to three North American teams: the [ [United States]], for the gold medal, Canada, for the silver medal, and Mexico, for their bronze medal.[37] During the Olympics, he was named the honorary president of the International Basketball Federation.[9] When Naismith returned, he commented that seeing the game played by many nations was the greatest compensation he could have received for his invention.[33] In 1937, Naismith played a role in the formation of the National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball, which later became the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).[38]

Naismith became professor emeritus at Kansas when he retired in 1937 at the age of 76. In addition to his years as a coach, for a total of almost 40 years, Naismith worked at the school and during those years, he also served as its athletic director and was also a faculty member at the school. In 1939, Naismith suffered a fatal brain hemorrhage. He was interred at Memorial Park Cemetery in Lawrence, Kansas. His masterwork "Basketball — its Origins and Development" was published posthumously in 1941.[9] In Lawrence, Naismith has a road named in his honor, Naismith Drive, which runs in front of Allen Fieldhouse and James Naismith Court therein are named in his honor, despite Naismith's having the worst record in school history. Naismith Hall, a dormitory, is located on the northeastern edge of 19th Street and Naismith Drive.[39]

Head-coaching record

 
Naismith as University of Kansas athletics director, c. 1920

In 1898, Naismith became the first basketball coach of University of Kansas. He compiled a record of 55–60 and is ironically the only losing coach in Kansas history.[32] Naismith is at the beginning of a massive and prestigious coaching tree, as he coached Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame coach Phog Allen, who himself coached Hall of Fame coaches Dean Smith, Adolph Rupp, and Ralph Miller who all coached future coaches as well.[33] In addition to Allen, Naismith also can be seen as a mentor and therefore beginning for the coaching tree branches of John McLendon who wasn't permitted to play at Kansas but was close to Naismith during his time as an athletic director.[40] Amos Alonzo Stagg, was primarily a football coach, but he did play basketball for Naismith in Springfield, coached a year of basketball at Chicago and had several football players who also coached basketball such as Jesse Harper, Fred Walker and Tony Hinkle.[25]

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Kansas Jayhawks (IAAUS Independent) (1898–1907)
1898–99 Kansas 7–4
1899–1900 Kansas 3–4
1900–01 Kansas 4–8
1901–02 Kansas 5–7
1902–03 Kansas 7–8
1903–04 Kansas 5–8
1904–05 Kansas 5–6
1905–06 Kansas 12–7
1906–07 Kansas 7–8
Total: 55–60 (.478)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

Legacy

 
Statue of James Naismith at Basketball Hall of Fame and Museum in Springfield, Massachusetts

Naismith invented the game of basketball and wrote the original 13 rules of this sport;[35] for comparison, the NBA rule book today features 66 pages. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, is named in his honor, and he was an inaugural inductee in 1959.[35] The National Collegiate Athletic Association rewards its best players and coaches annually with the Naismith Awards, among them the Naismith College Player of the Year, the Naismith College Coach of the Year, and the Naismith Prep Player of the Year. After the Olympic introduction to men's basketball in 1936, women's basketball became an Olympic event in Montreal during the 1976 Summer Olympics.[41] Naismith was also inducted into the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame, the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame, the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame, the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame, the McGill University Sports Hall of Fame, the Kansas State Sports Hall of Fame, FIBA Hall of Fame.[9][42] The FIBA Basketball World Cup trophy is named the "James Naismith Trophy" in his honor. On June 21, 2013, Dr. Naismith was inducted into the Kansas Hall of Fame during ceremonies in Topeka.[43]

Naismith's home town of Almonte, Ontario, hosts an annual 3-on-3 tournament for all ages and skill levels in his honor. Every year, this event attracts hundreds of participants and involves over 20 half-court games along the main street of the town.[44] All proceeds of the event go to youth basketball programs in the area.[citation needed]

Today basketball is played by more than 300 million people worldwide, making it one of the most popular team sports.[3] In North America, basketball has produced some of the most-admired athletes of the 20th century. ESPN and the Associated Press both conducted polls to name the greatest North American athlete of the 20th century. Basketball player Michael Jordan came in first in the ESPN poll and second (behind Babe Ruth) in the AP poll. Both polls featured fellow basketball players Wilt Chamberlain (of KU, like Naismith) and Bill Russell in the top 20.[45][46]

 
Typewritten first draft of the rules of basketball by Naismith

The original rules of basketball written by James Naismith in 1891, considered to be basketball's founding document, was auctioned at Sotheby's, New York, in December 2010. Josh Swade, a University of Kansas alumnus and basketball enthusiast, went on a crusade in 2010 to persuade moneyed alumni to consider bidding on and hopefully winning the document at auction to give it to the University of Kansas. Swade eventually persuaded David G. Booth, a billionaire investment banker and KU alumnus, and his wife Suzanne Booth, to commit to bidding at the auction. The Booths won the bidding and purchased the document for a record US$4,338,500, the most ever paid for a sports memorabilia item, and gave the document to the University of Kansas.[47] Swade's project and eventual success are chronicled in a 2012 ESPN 30 for 30 documentary "There's No Place Like Home" and in a corresponding book, The Holy Grail of Hoops: One Fan's Quest to Buy the Original Rules of Basketball.[48] The University of Kansas constructed an $18 million building named the Debruce Center, which houses the rules and opened in March 2016.[49]

Naismith was designated a National Historic Person in 1976, on the advice of the national Historic Sites and Monuments Board[50]

In 1991, postage stamps commemorated the centennial of basketball's invention: four stamps were issued by Canada Post, including one with Naismith's name; one stamp was issued by the US Postal Service. Another Canadian stamp, in 2009, honored the game's invention.

In July 2019, Naismith was inducted into Toronto's Walk of Fame.[51]

On January 15, 2021, Google placed a Google Doodle celebrating James Naismith on its home page in 18 countries, on five continents.[52]

Personal life

Naismith was the second child of Margaret and John Naismith, two Scottish immigrants. His mother, Margaret Young, the fourth of 11 children, was born in 1833 and immigrated to Lanark County, Canada in 1852.[9] His father, John Naismith, was born in 1833,[53] left Europe when he was 18, and also settled down in Lanark County.

On June 20, 1894, Naismith married Maude Evelyn Sherman (1870–1937) in Springfield, Massachusetts. The couple had five children.[10]

He was a member of the Pi Gamma Mu and Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternities.[10] Naismith was a Presbyterian minister and was also a Freemason.[54]

Maude Naismith died in 1937, and on June 11, 1939, he married his second wife, Florence B. Kincaid. On November 19 of that year, Naismith suffered a major brain hemorrhage and died nine days later in his home in Lawrence.[55] He was 78 years old.[56] Naismith died eight months after the birth of the NCAA Basketball Championship, which today has evolved to one of the biggest sports events in North America. Naismith is buried with his first wife in Memorial Park Cemetery in Lawrence.[57] Florence Kincaid died in 1977 at the age of 98 and is buried with her first husband, Dr. Frank B. Kincaid, in Elmwood Cemetery in Beloit, Kansas.

During his lifetime, Naismith held these educational and academic positions:[10]

Location Position Period Remarks
Bennie's Corner Grade School (Almonte, Ontario) Primary school 1867–1875
Almonte High School Secondary school 1875–1877, 1881–83 Dropped out and re-entered
McGill University University student 1883–87 Bachelor of Arts in Physical Education
McGill University Instructor in Physical Education 1887–1890 Gold Wickstead Medal (1887), Best All-Around Athlete; Silver Cup (1886), first prize for a one-mile walk; Silver Wickstead Medal (1885), Best All-Around Athlete; Awarded one of McGill's first varsity letters
The Presbyterian College, Montreal Education in Theology 1887–1890 Silver medal (1890), second highest award for regular and special honor work in Theology
Springfield College Instructor in Physical Education 1891–1895 Invented "Basket Ball" in December 1891
YMCA of Denver Instructor in Physical Education 1895–1898
University of Kansas Instructor in Physical Education and Chapel Director 1898–1909
University of Kansas Basketball Coach 1898–1907 First-ever basketball coach
University of Kansas Professor and University Physician 1909–1917 Hiatus from 1914 on due to World War I
First Kansas Infantry Chaplain/Captain 1914–1917 Military service due to World War I
First Kansas Infantry (Mexican Border) Chaplain 1916
Military and YMCA secretary in France Lecturer of Moral Conditions and Sex Education 1917–1919
University of Kansas Athletic Director 1919–1937 Emeritus in 1937

See also

Notes

  1. ^ In 1982, Naismith's only living child stated that his father never had the middle initial "A". According to Canadian basketball historian Curtis J. Phillips, other members of Naismith's family and friends also confirm this.[8]

References

  1. ^ Porter, David L. (2005). Basketball: A Biographical Dictionary. Greenwood. ISBN 978-0313309526.
  2. ^ "James A. Naismith". Biography.com. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
  3. ^ a b c d e Zukerman, Earl (December 17, 2003). . Varsity Sports News. McGill Athletics. Archived from the original on December 7, 2008. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
  4. ^ Sandomir, Richard (December 15, 2015). "Basketball's Birth, in James Naismith's Own Spoken Words". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
  5. ^ a b c Porter, David (2005). Basketball : a biographical dictionary. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press. pp. 346–347. ISBN 9780313061974. OCLC 562553759.
  6. ^ "Dean Smith's Coaching Tree Displays Incredible Reach Across Decades". BleacherReport.com.
  7. ^ a b c Laughead, George. "Dr. James Naismith, Inventor of Basketball". Kansas Heritage Group. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
  8. ^ Phillips, Curtis J. (1996). "The original Dr. J." Retrieved January 16, 2020.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Laughead, George. "Dr. James Naismith". Kansas Heritage Group. Retrieved September 14, 2013. In the late 1930s he played a role in what became the National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball.
  10. ^ a b c d e f Dodd, Hellen Naismith (January 6, 1959). . Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on November 19, 2007. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
  11. ^ John Melady (2013). Breakthrough!: Canada's Greatest Inventions and Innovations. Dundurn. p. 56. ISBN 9781459708532.
  12. ^ "James Naismith | The Canadian Encyclopedia". www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  13. ^ "About Dr. James Naismith". Naismith Basketball Foundation. March 10, 2014. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  14. ^ . Archived from the original on October 29, 2013. Retrieved October 24, 2013.
  15. ^ "McGill University · James Naismith's Life and Legacy: Celebrating 150 Years · KU Libraries Exhibits". exhibits.lib.ku.edu. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  16. ^ "Foot-ball at the S.I.A.C. Games, Yale Daily News". Yale Daily News Historical Archive. December 13, 1890.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  17. ^ "Springfield College · James Naismith's Life and Legacy: Celebrating 150 Years · KU Libraries Exhibits". exhibits.lib.ku.edu. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  18. ^ "Duck on the Rock (History Channel Brief Documentary)". Youtube.com. Rob's Innovation Station. June 7, 2017. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  19. ^ Ladd, Travis C. "History Of Basketball: Who, When, Where and How It Was Invented?". Sportsierra. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  20. ^ Naismith, James. . National Collegiate Athletic Association. Archived from the original on April 8, 2008. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
  21. ^ Naismith, James. . Heritage Auction Galleries. Archived from the original on December 17, 2019. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
  22. ^ . International Basketball Federation. Archived from the original on April 12, 2016. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
  23. ^ "Basketball's Birth, in James Naismith's Own Spoken Words". The New York Times. December 16, 2015.
  24. ^ Wagner, Laura (March 11, 2022). "How James Naismith created basketball when he was a gym teacher". NPR. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  25. ^ a b Sumner, David E. (2021). Amos Alonzo Stagg: College Football's Greatest Pioneer. Jefferson, NC`: McFarland Books. p. 53. ISBN 978-1-4766-8576-2.
  26. ^ "Basket Football Game". The Springfield Republican, Springfield College Digital Collection. March 12, 1982. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  27. ^ Baruth, Philip. "Basketball Inventor". Vermont Public Radio. Retrieved March 27, 2011.
  28. ^ Fosty, George & Darril. . Box Score News. Archived from the original on July 27, 2011. Retrieved March 27, 2011.
  29. ^ . Spalding. Archived from the original on December 24, 2020. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  30. ^ "Basketball: A book written by Dr. James Naismith and Dr. Luther Gulick, 1894". Digital Commonwealth. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  31. ^ Chimelis, Ron. . Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on November 2, 2007. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
  32. ^ a b . kusports.com. Archived from the original on July 4, 2008. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
  33. ^ a b c d e "James Naismith, A Kansas Portrait". Kansas Historical Society. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
  34. ^ . Naismith Museum And Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on December 30, 2007. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
  35. ^ a b c d . Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on November 23, 2007. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
  36. ^ Michael Beschloss (May 2, 2014). "Naismith's Choices on Race, From Basketball's Beginnings". The New York Times. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  37. ^ . collegesportsscholarships.com. Archived from the original on October 17, 2008. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
  38. ^ Kerkhoff, Blair. "The NAIA basketball tournament? Throw 32 teams in the same building and see which is the last one standing at the end of a weeklong frenzy". Retrieved September 30, 2008.[dead link]
  39. ^ "Google Maps Route". Google Maps. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
  40. ^ Katz, Milton S. (2010). Breaking Through: John B. McLendon, Basketball Legend and Civil Rights Pioneer. Fayetteville, Arkansas: University of Arkansas Press. p. 2. ISBN 978-1557289513.
  41. ^ Jenkins, Sally. . WNBA.com. Women's National Basketball Association. Archived from the original on January 6, 2013. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
  42. ^ . oshof.ca. Ontario Sports Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on December 26, 2014. Retrieved September 23, 2014.
  43. ^ "Naismith, Dr. James". Retrieved September 14, 2013.
  44. ^ "Naismith 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament Aug. 11 in Almonte". NewHamburgIndependent.ca. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  45. ^ "Top N. American athletes of the century". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
  46. ^ . USA Today. December 21, 1999. Archived from the original on March 12, 2009. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
  47. ^ "Sotheby's – Auctions – James Naismith's Founding Rules of Basketball – Sotheby's".
  48. ^ "There's No Place Like Home – ESPN Films: 30 for 30".
  49. ^ "Updates from the DeBruce Center, future home of Naismith's 'Rules of Basket Ball' - Heard on the Hill / LJWorld.com".
  50. ^ James Naismith National Historic Person, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Parks Canada
  51. ^ "James Naismith". Canada's Walk of Fame.
  52. ^ Dr. James Naismith Google Doodle | History of Basketball Invention on YouTube
  53. ^ "Dr. James A. Naismith and the Barony Naismiths".
  54. ^ "James Naismith". Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon the great couple had five kids. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
  55. ^ . Archived from the original on February 5, 2007. Retrieved December 12, 2008.
  56. ^ Schlabac, Mark (January 15, 2005). "James Naismith Biography". bookrags.com. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
  57. ^ "Hoops inventor's grave fails to draw KU fans". LJWorld.com. June 5, 2018. Retrieved January 15, 2021.

Further reading

  • Naismith, James; Gulick, Luther Halsey (1894). Basket Ball. New York, NY: American sports Publishing Company. OCLC 1041046804.
    • Reprinted: Naismith, James (1996). Basketball : its origin and development. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press. ISBN 9780803283701. OCLC 604260339.
  • Rains, Rob; Carpenter, Hellen (2009). James Naismith : the man who invented basketball. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press. ISBN 9781439901359. JSTOR j.ctt14btb6m. OCLC 489150081.
  • Sumner, David E. Amos Alonzo Stagg, College Football's Greatest Pioneer. Jefferson, NC: McFarland Books, 2021.

External links

james, naismith, chemical, biologist, chemist, smith, november, 1861, november, 1939, canadian, american, physical, educator, physician, christian, chaplain, sports, coach, best, known, inventor, game, basketball, after, moving, united, states, wrote, original. For the chemical biologist see James Naismith chemist James Naismith NAY smith November 6 1861 November 28 1939 was a Canadian American 1 physical educator physician Christian chaplain and sports coach best known as the inventor of the game of basketball 2 3 After moving to the United States he wrote the original basketball rule book and founded the University of Kansas basketball program 4 Naismith lived to see basketball adopted as an Olympic demonstration sport in 1904 and as an official event at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin as well as the birth of the National Invitation Tournament 1938 and the NCAA Tournament 1939 James NaismithNaismith holding a basketball and basketBiographical detailsBorn 1861 11 06 November 6 1861Almonte Canada West Province of CanadaDiedNovember 28 1939 1939 11 28 aged 78 Lawrence Kansas U S Alma materMcGill UniversityUniversity of ColoradoCoaching career HC unless noted 1898 1907KansasHead coaching recordOverall55 60Accomplishments and honorsAwardsFIBA Hall of Fame Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame Canadian Sports Hall of Fame Ontario Sports Hall of Fame Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame McGill University Sports Hall of Fame Oklahoma State Sports Hall of FameBasketball Hall of FameInducted in 1959College Basketball Hall of FameInducted in 2006Born and raised on a farm near Almonte in the Province of Canada s Canada West region which corresponds to today s Province of Ontario Naismith studied and taught physical education at McGill University in Montreal until 1890 before moving to Springfield Massachusetts United States later that year where in 1891 he designed the game of basketball while he was teaching at the International YMCA Training School 5 Seven years after inventing basketball Naismith received his medical degree in Denver in 1898 He then arrived at the University of Kansas later becoming the Kansas Jayhawks athletic director and coach 5 While a coach at Kansas Naismith coached Phog Allen who later became the coach at Kansas for 39 seasons beginning a lengthy and prestigious coaching tree Allen then went on to coach legends including Adolph Rupp and Dean Smith among others who themselves coached many notable players and future coaches 6 Contents 1 Early years 2 Springfield College invention of basketball 3 University of Kansas 4 Head coaching record 5 Legacy 6 Personal life 7 See also 8 Notes 9 References 10 Further reading 11 External linksEarly years Edit Sculpture in Almonte Ontario Naismith was born on November 6 1861 in Almonte Canada West Province of Canada now part of Mississippi Mills Ontario Canada to Scottish parents 7 He never had a middle name and never signed his name with an A initial The A was added by someone in administration at the University of Kansas a Gifted in farm labor Naismith spent his days outside playing catch hide and seek or duck on a rock a medieval game in which a person guards a large drake stone from opposing players who try to knock it down by throwing smaller stones at it To play duck on a rock most effectively Naismith soon found that a soft lobbing shot was far more effective than a straight hard throw a thought that later proved essential for the invention of basketball 9 Orphaned early in his life Naismith lived with his aunt and uncle for many years and attended grade school at Bennies Corners near Almonte Then he enrolled in Almonte High School in Almonte Ontario from which he graduated in 1883 9 In the same year Naismith entered McGill University in Montreal Although described as a slight figure standing 5 feet 10 1 2 inches 1 791 m and listed at 178 pounds 81 kg 10 he was a talented and versatile athlete representing McGill in football lacrosse rugby soccer and gymnastics He played centre on the football team and made himself some padding to protect his ears It was for personal use not team use 11 He won multiple Wicksteed medals for outstanding gymnastics performances 3 Naismith earned a BA in physical education 1888 and a diploma at the Presbyterian College in Montreal 1890 9 At the enter of his career in 1938 and 1939 he would receive honorary doctorates from both institutions 12 13 From 1888 to 1890 Naismith taught physical education and became the first McGill director of athletics but then left Montreal to study at the YMCA International Training School in Springfield Massachusetts 14 15 Naismith played football during his one year as a student at Springfield where he was coached by Amos Alonzo Stagg and scored a touchdown in the first exhibition of indoor college football at Madison Square Garden 16 Springfield College invention of basketball Edit Wikisource has original text related to this article Basket Ball The original 1891 Basket Ball court in Springfield College It used a peach basket attached to the wall After completing the YMCA Physical Director training program that had brought him to Springfield Naismith was hired as a full time faculty member in 1891 17 At the Springfield YMCA Naismith struggled with a rowdy class that was confined to indoor games throughout the harsh New England winter thus was perpetually short tempered Under orders from Dr Luther Gulick head of physical education there Naismith was given 14 days to create an indoor game that would provide an athletic distraction Gulick demanded that it would not take up much room could help its track athletes to keep in shape 3 and explicitly emphasized to make it fair for all players and not too rough 10 In his attempt to think up a new game Naismith was guided by three main thoughts 9 Firstly he analyzed the most popular games of those times rugby lacrosse soccer football hockey and baseball Naismith noticed the hazards of a ball and concluded that the big soft soccer ball was safest Secondly he saw that most physical contacts occurred while running with the ball dribbling or hitting it so he decided that passing was the only legal option Finally Naismith further reduced body contact by making the goal unguardable by placing it high above the player s heads with the plane of the goal s opening parallel to the floor This placement forced the players to score goals by throwing a soft lobbing shot like that which had proven effective in his old favorite game duck on a rock 18 For this purpose Naismith asked a janitor to find a pair of boxes but the janitor brought him peach baskets instead 19 Naismith christened this new game Basket Ball 9 and put his thoughts together in 13 basic rules 20 The first game of Basket Ball was played in December 1891 In a handwritten report Naismith described the circumstances of the inaugural match in contrast to modern basketball the players played nine versus nine handled a soccer ball not a basketball and instead of shooting at two hoops the goals were a pair of peach baskets When Mr Stubbins brot sic up the peach baskets to the gym I secured them on the inside of the railing of the gallery This was about 10 feet 3 0 meters from the floor one at each end of the gymnasium I then put the 13 rules on the bulletin board just behind the instructor s platform secured a soccer ball and awaited the arrival of the class The class did not show much enthusiasm but followed my lead I then explained what they had to do to make goals tossed the ball up between the two center men and tried to keep them somewhat near the rules Most of the fouls were called for running with the ball though tackling the man with the ball was not uncommon 21 In contrast to modern basketball the original rules did not include what is known today as the dribble Since the ball could only be moved up the court by a pass early players tossed the ball over their heads as they ran up court Also following each goal a jump ball was taken in the middle of the court Both practices are obsolete in the rules of modern basketball 22 In a radio interview in January 1939 Naismith gave more details of the first game and the initial rules that were used I showed them two peach baskets I d nailed up at each end of the gym and I told them the idea was to throw the ball into the opposing team s peach basket I blew a whistle and the first game of basketball began The boys began tackling kicking and punching in the clinches They ended up in a free for all in the middle of the gym floor The injury toll several black eyes one separated shoulder and one player knocked unconscious It certainly was murder Naismith changed some of the rules as part of his quest to develop a clean sport The most important one was that there should be no running with the ball That stopped tackling and slugging We tried out the game with those new rules fouls and we didn t have one casualty 23 24 Naismith was a classmate of Amos Alonzo Stagg at the YMCA School where Stagg coached the football team They became close friends and Naismith played on the football team and Stagg played on the basketball team Naismith invited Stagg to play in the first public basketball game on March 12 1892 The students defeated the faculty 5 1 and Stagg scored the only basket for the faculty 25 The Springfield Republican reported on the same Over 200 spectators crammed their necks over the gallery railing of the Christian Workers gymnasium while they watched the game of basket ball between the teachers and the students The most conspicuous figure on the floor was Stagg in the blue Yale uniform who managed to have a hand in every scrimmage 26 By 1892 basketball had grown so popular on campus that Dennis Horkenbach editor in chief of The Triangle the Springfield college newspaper featured it in an article called A New Game 7 and there were calls to call this new game Naismith Ball but Naismith refused 9 By 1893 basketball was introduced internationally by the YMCA movement 7 From Springfield Naismith went to Denver where he acquired a medical degree and in 1898 he joined the University of Kansas faculty at Lawrence 10 The family of Lambert G Will disputing Naismith s sole creation of the game has claimed that Naismith borrowed components for the game of basketball from Will citing alleged photos and letters In an interview the family did give Naismith credit for the general idea of the sport but they claimed Will changed aspects of Naismith s original plans for the game and Naismith took credit for the changes 27 28 Spalding worked with Naismith to develop the official basketball and the Spalding Athletic Library official basketball rule book for 1893 1894 29 30 University of Kansas Edit 1899 University of Kansas basketball team with Dr James Naismith at the back right Basketball games at Allen Fieldhouse take place on the James Naismith Court The University of Kansas men s basketball program officially began following Naismith s arrival in 1898 seven years after Naismith drafted the sport s first official rules Naismith was not initially hired to coach basketball but rather as a chapel director and physical education instructor 31 In those early days the majority of the basketball games were played against nearby YMCA teams with YMCAs across the nation having played an integral part in the birth of basketball Other common opponents were Haskell Indian Nations University and William Jewell College Under Naismith the team played only one current Big 12 school Kansas State once Naismith is ironically the only coach in the program s history to have a losing record 55 60 32 However Naismith coached Forrest Phog Allen his eventual successor at Kansas 33 who went on to join his mentor in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame 34 When Allen became a coach himself and told him that he was going to coach basketball at Baker University in 1904 Naismith discouraged him You can t coach basketball you just play it 3 Instead Allen embarked on a coaching career that would lead him to be known as the Father of Basketball Coaching During his time at Kansas Allen coached Dean Smith 1952 National Championship team and Adolph Rupp 1922 Helms Foundation National Championship team Smith and Rupp have joined Naismith and Allen as members of the Basketball Hall of Fame By the turn of the century enough college teams were in the East that the first intercollegiate competitions could be played out 33 Although the sport continued to grow Naismith long regarded the game as a curiosity and preferred gymnastics and wrestling as better forms of physical activity 33 However basketball became a demonstration sport at the 1904 Summer Olympics in St Louis As the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame reports Naismith was not interested in self promotion nor was he interested in the glory of competitive sports 35 Instead he was more interested in his physical education career he received an honorary PE master s degree in 1910 9 patrolled the Mexican border for four months in 1916 traveled to France and published two books A Modern College in 1911 and Essence of a Healthy Life in 1918 He took American citizenship on May 4 1925 5 In 1909 Naismith s duties at Kansas were redefined as a professorship he served as the de facto athletic director at Kansas for much of the early 20th century Naismith had strong feelings against segregation dating back to his World War I era service in France and his service on the United States Mexico border and he strove for progress in race relations through modest steps During the 1930s he would not or could not get African Americans onto Kansas varsity Jayhawks but he did help engineer the admission of black students to the university s swimming pool Until then they had been given automatic passing grades on a required swimming test without entering the pool so it could remain all white 36 Through Naismith s association with Baker University Basketball Coach Emil Liston he became familiar and impressed with Emil Liston s fraternity at Baker University Sigma Phi Epsilon SigEp As a result he started the effort to bring a Sigma Phi Epsilon chapter to his University of Kansas KU On February 18 1923 Naismith intending to bring a SigEp Chapter to KU was initiated as a SigEp member by national office of the fraternity Under Naismith s leadership the University of Kansas Sigma Phi Epsilon Chapter was founded and officially Charted on April 28 1923 with Dr Naismith leading the new 40 member fraternity as Chapter Counselor Naismith was deeply involved with the members serving as Chapter Counselor for 16 years from 1923 until his death in 1939 During those 16 years as Chapter Counselor he married SigEp s housemother Mrs Florence Kincaid Members who were interviewed during that era remembered Dr Naismith He was deeply religious He listened more than he spoke He thought sports were nothing but an avenue to keep young people involved so they could do their studies and relate to their community and It was really nice having someone with the caliber of Dr Naismith he helped many a SigEp In 1935 the National Association of Basketball Coaches founded by Naismith s pupil Phog Allen collected money so the 74 year old Naismith could witness the introduction of basketball into the official Olympic sports program of the 1936 Summer Olympic Games in Berlin 35 There Naismith handed out the medals to three North American teams the United States for the gold medal Canada for the silver medal and Mexico for their bronze medal 37 During the Olympics he was named the honorary president of the International Basketball Federation 9 When Naismith returned he commented that seeing the game played by many nations was the greatest compensation he could have received for his invention 33 In 1937 Naismith played a role in the formation of the National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball which later became the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics NAIA 38 Naismith became professor emeritus at Kansas when he retired in 1937 at the age of 76 In addition to his years as a coach for a total of almost 40 years Naismith worked at the school and during those years he also served as its athletic director and was also a faculty member at the school In 1939 Naismith suffered a fatal brain hemorrhage He was interred at Memorial Park Cemetery in Lawrence Kansas His masterwork Basketball its Origins and Development was published posthumously in 1941 9 In Lawrence Naismith has a road named in his honor Naismith Drive which runs in front of Allen Fieldhouse and James Naismith Court therein are named in his honor despite Naismith s having the worst record in school history Naismith Hall a dormitory is located on the northeastern edge of 19th Street and Naismith Drive 39 Head coaching record Edit Naismith as University of Kansas athletics director c 1920 In 1898 Naismith became the first basketball coach of University of Kansas He compiled a record of 55 60 and is ironically the only losing coach in Kansas history 32 Naismith is at the beginning of a massive and prestigious coaching tree as he coached Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame coach Phog Allen who himself coached Hall of Fame coaches Dean Smith Adolph Rupp and Ralph Miller who all coached future coaches as well 33 In addition to Allen Naismith also can be seen as a mentor and therefore beginning for the coaching tree branches of John McLendon who wasn t permitted to play at Kansas but was close to Naismith during his time as an athletic director 40 Amos Alonzo Stagg was primarily a football coach but he did play basketball for Naismith in Springfield coached a year of basketball at Chicago and had several football players who also coached basketball such as Jesse Harper Fred Walker and Tony Hinkle 25 Statistics overview Season Team Overall Conference Standing PostseasonKansas Jayhawks IAAUS Independent 1898 1907 1898 99 Kansas 7 41899 1900 Kansas 3 41900 01 Kansas 4 81901 02 Kansas 5 71902 03 Kansas 7 81903 04 Kansas 5 81904 05 Kansas 5 61905 06 Kansas 12 71906 07 Kansas 7 8Total 55 60 478 National champion Postseason invitational champion Conference regular season champion Conference regular season and conference tournament champion Division regular season champion Division regular season and conference tournament champion Conference tournament championLegacy Edit Statue of James Naismith at Basketball Hall of Fame and Museum in Springfield Massachusetts Naismith invented the game of basketball and wrote the original 13 rules of this sport 35 for comparison the NBA rule book today features 66 pages The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield Massachusetts is named in his honor and he was an inaugural inductee in 1959 35 The National Collegiate Athletic Association rewards its best players and coaches annually with the Naismith Awards among them the Naismith College Player of the Year the Naismith College Coach of the Year and the Naismith Prep Player of the Year After the Olympic introduction to men s basketball in 1936 women s basketball became an Olympic event in Montreal during the 1976 Summer Olympics 41 Naismith was also inducted into the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame the McGill University Sports Hall of Fame the Kansas State Sports Hall of Fame FIBA Hall of Fame 9 42 The FIBA Basketball World Cup trophy is named the James Naismith Trophy in his honor On June 21 2013 Dr Naismith was inducted into the Kansas Hall of Fame during ceremonies in Topeka 43 Naismith s home town of Almonte Ontario hosts an annual 3 on 3 tournament for all ages and skill levels in his honor Every year this event attracts hundreds of participants and involves over 20 half court games along the main street of the town 44 All proceeds of the event go to youth basketball programs in the area citation needed Today basketball is played by more than 300 million people worldwide making it one of the most popular team sports 3 In North America basketball has produced some of the most admired athletes of the 20th century ESPN and the Associated Press both conducted polls to name the greatest North American athlete of the 20th century Basketball player Michael Jordan came in first in the ESPN poll and second behind Babe Ruth in the AP poll Both polls featured fellow basketball players Wilt Chamberlain of KU like Naismith and Bill Russell in the top 20 45 46 Typewritten first draft of the rules of basketball by Naismith The original rules of basketball written by James Naismith in 1891 considered to be basketball s founding document was auctioned at Sotheby s New York in December 2010 Josh Swade a University of Kansas alumnus and basketball enthusiast went on a crusade in 2010 to persuade moneyed alumni to consider bidding on and hopefully winning the document at auction to give it to the University of Kansas Swade eventually persuaded David G Booth a billionaire investment banker and KU alumnus and his wife Suzanne Booth to commit to bidding at the auction The Booths won the bidding and purchased the document for a record US 4 338 500 the most ever paid for a sports memorabilia item and gave the document to the University of Kansas 47 Swade s project and eventual success are chronicled in a 2012 ESPN 30 for 30 documentary There s No Place Like Home and in a corresponding book The Holy Grail of Hoops One Fan s Quest to Buy the Original Rules of Basketball 48 The University of Kansas constructed an 18 million building named the Debruce Center which houses the rules and opened in March 2016 49 Naismith was designated a National Historic Person in 1976 on the advice of the national Historic Sites and Monuments Board 50 In 1991 postage stamps commemorated the centennial of basketball s invention four stamps were issued by Canada Post including one with Naismith s name one stamp was issued by the US Postal Service Another Canadian stamp in 2009 honored the game s invention In July 2019 Naismith was inducted into Toronto s Walk of Fame 51 On January 15 2021 Google placed a Google Doodle celebrating James Naismith on its home page in 18 countries on five continents 52 Personal life EditNaismith was the second child of Margaret and John Naismith two Scottish immigrants His mother Margaret Young the fourth of 11 children was born in 1833 and immigrated to Lanark County Canada in 1852 9 His father John Naismith was born in 1833 53 left Europe when he was 18 and also settled down in Lanark County On June 20 1894 Naismith married Maude Evelyn Sherman 1870 1937 in Springfield Massachusetts The couple had five children 10 He was a member of the Pi Gamma Mu and Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternities 10 Naismith was a Presbyterian minister and was also a Freemason 54 Maude Naismith died in 1937 and on June 11 1939 he married his second wife Florence B Kincaid On November 19 of that year Naismith suffered a major brain hemorrhage and died nine days later in his home in Lawrence 55 He was 78 years old 56 Naismith died eight months after the birth of the NCAA Basketball Championship which today has evolved to one of the biggest sports events in North America Naismith is buried with his first wife in Memorial Park Cemetery in Lawrence 57 Florence Kincaid died in 1977 at the age of 98 and is buried with her first husband Dr Frank B Kincaid in Elmwood Cemetery in Beloit Kansas During his lifetime Naismith held these educational and academic positions 10 Location Position Period RemarksBennie s Corner Grade School Almonte Ontario Primary school 1867 1875Almonte High School Secondary school 1875 1877 1881 83 Dropped out and re enteredMcGill University University student 1883 87 Bachelor of Arts in Physical EducationMcGill University Instructor in Physical Education 1887 1890 Gold Wickstead Medal 1887 Best All Around Athlete Silver Cup 1886 first prize for a one mile walk Silver Wickstead Medal 1885 Best All Around Athlete Awarded one of McGill s first varsity lettersThe Presbyterian College Montreal Education in Theology 1887 1890 Silver medal 1890 second highest award for regular and special honor work in TheologySpringfield College Instructor in Physical Education 1891 1895 Invented Basket Ball in December 1891YMCA of Denver Instructor in Physical Education 1895 1898University of Kansas Instructor in Physical Education and Chapel Director 1898 1909University of Kansas Basketball Coach 1898 1907 First ever basketball coachUniversity of Kansas Professor and University Physician 1909 1917 Hiatus from 1914 on due to World War IFirst Kansas Infantry Chaplain Captain 1914 1917 Military service due to World War IFirst Kansas Infantry Mexican Border Chaplain 1916Military and YMCA secretary in France Lecturer of Moral Conditions and Sex Education 1917 1919University of Kansas Athletic Director 1919 1937 Emeritus in 1937See also Edit Sports portalJames Naismith s Original Rules of BasketballNotes Edit In 1982 Naismith s only living child stated that his father never had the middle initial A According to Canadian basketball historian Curtis J Phillips other members of Naismith s family and friends also confirm this 8 References Edit Porter David L 2005 Basketball A Biographical Dictionary Greenwood ISBN 978 0313309526 James A Naismith Biography com Retrieved May 19 2017 a b c d e Zukerman Earl December 17 2003 McGill grad James Naismith inventor of basketball Varsity Sports News McGill Athletics Archived from the original on December 7 2008 Retrieved September 30 2008 Sandomir Richard December 15 2015 Basketball s Birth in James Naismith s Own Spoken Words The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved May 19 2017 a b c Porter David 2005 Basketball a biographical dictionary Westport Conn Greenwood Press pp 346 347 ISBN 9780313061974 OCLC 562553759 Dean Smith s Coaching Tree Displays Incredible Reach Across Decades BleacherReport com a b c Laughead George Dr James Naismith Inventor of Basketball Kansas Heritage Group Retrieved September 30 2008 Phillips Curtis J 1996 The original Dr J Retrieved January 16 2020 a b c d e f g h i j k Laughead George Dr James Naismith Kansas Heritage Group Retrieved September 14 2013 In the late 1930s he played a role in what became the National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball a b c d e f Dodd Hellen Naismith January 6 1959 James Naismith s Resume Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Archived from the original on November 19 2007 Retrieved September 30 2008 John Melady 2013 Breakthrough Canada s Greatest Inventions and Innovations Dundurn p 56 ISBN 9781459708532 James Naismith The Canadian Encyclopedia www thecanadianencyclopedia ca Retrieved February 13 2023 About Dr James Naismith Naismith Basketball Foundation March 10 2014 Retrieved February 13 2023 A Shot at History Basketball Archived from the original on October 29 2013 Retrieved October 24 2013 McGill University James Naismith s Life and Legacy Celebrating 150 Years KU Libraries Exhibits exhibits lib ku edu Retrieved July 14 2021 Foot ball at the S I A C Games Yale Daily News Yale Daily News Historical Archive December 13 1890 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint url status link Springfield College James Naismith s Life and Legacy Celebrating 150 Years KU Libraries Exhibits exhibits lib ku edu Retrieved July 14 2021 Duck on the Rock History Channel Brief Documentary Youtube com Rob s Innovation Station June 7 2017 Retrieved January 12 2022 Ladd Travis C History Of Basketball Who When Where and How It Was Invented Sportsierra Retrieved May 7 2021 Naismith James Dr James Naismith s 13 Original Rules of Basketball National Collegiate Athletic Association Archived from the original on April 8 2008 Retrieved September 30 2008 Naismith James James Naismith Handwritten Manuscript Detailing First Basketball Game Heritage Auction Galleries Archived from the original on December 17 2019 Retrieved September 30 2008 Official basketball rules International Basketball Federation Archived from the original on April 12 2016 Retrieved September 30 2008 Basketball s Birth in James Naismith s Own Spoken Words The New York Times December 16 2015 Wagner Laura March 11 2022 How James Naismith created basketball when he was a gym teacher NPR Retrieved May 15 2022 a b Sumner David E 2021 Amos Alonzo Stagg College Football s Greatest Pioneer Jefferson NC McFarland Books p 53 ISBN 978 1 4766 8576 2 Basket Football Game The Springfield Republican Springfield College Digital Collection March 12 1982 Retrieved November 13 2021 Baruth Philip Basketball Inventor Vermont Public Radio Retrieved March 27 2011 Fosty George amp Darril Basketball s Origins Lingering Questions Remain Box Score News Archived from the original on July 27 2011 Retrieved March 27 2011 History Spalding Archived from the original on December 24 2020 Retrieved January 15 2021 Basketball A book written by Dr James Naismith and Dr Luther Gulick 1894 Digital Commonwealth Retrieved January 15 2021 Chimelis Ron Naismith Untold Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Archived from the original on November 2 2007 Retrieved September 30 2008 a b Naismith s Record kusports com Archived from the original on July 4 2008 Retrieved September 30 2008 a b c d e James Naismith A Kansas Portrait Kansas Historical Society Retrieved September 30 2008 Forrest C Phog Allen Naismith Museum And Hall of Fame Archived from the original on December 30 2007 Retrieved September 30 2008 a b c d Hall of Fame Feature James Naismith Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Archived from the original on November 23 2007 Retrieved September 30 2008 Michael Beschloss May 2 2014 Naismith s Choices on Race From Basketball s Beginnings The New York Times Retrieved December 29 2018 James Naismith the inventor of basketball collegesportsscholarships com Archived from the original on October 17 2008 Retrieved September 30 2008 Kerkhoff Blair The NAIA basketball tournament Throw 32 teams in the same building and see which is the last one standing at the end of a weeklong frenzy Retrieved September 30 2008 dead link Google Maps Route Google Maps Retrieved September 30 2008 Katz Milton S 2010 Breaking Through John B McLendon Basketball Legend and Civil Rights Pioneer Fayetteville Arkansas University of Arkansas Press p 2 ISBN 978 1557289513 Jenkins Sally History of women s basketball WNBA com Women s National Basketball Association Archived from the original on January 6 2013 Retrieved September 30 2008 James Naismith oshof ca Ontario Sports Hall of Fame Archived from the original on December 26 2014 Retrieved September 23 2014 Naismith Dr James Retrieved September 14 2013 Naismith 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament Aug 11 in Almonte NewHamburgIndependent ca Retrieved January 15 2021 Top N American athletes of the century ESPN com Retrieved September 30 2008 Top 100 athletes of the 20th century USA Today December 21 1999 Archived from the original on March 12 2009 Retrieved September 30 2008 Sotheby s Auctions James Naismith s Founding Rules of Basketball Sotheby s There s No Place Like Home ESPN Films 30 for 30 Updates from the DeBruce Center future home of Naismith s Rules of Basket Ball Heard on the Hill LJWorld com James Naismith National Historic Person Directory of Federal Heritage Designations Parks Canada James Naismith Canada s Walk of Fame Dr James Naismith Google Doodle History of Basketball Invention on YouTube Dr James A Naismith and the Barony Naismiths James Naismith Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon the great couple had five kids Retrieved September 30 2008 Naismith Museum amp Hall of Fame Biography of James Naismith Archived from the original on February 5 2007 Retrieved December 12 2008 Schlabac Mark January 15 2005 James Naismith Biography bookrags com Retrieved September 30 2008 Hoops inventor s grave fails to draw KU fans LJWorld com June 5 2018 Retrieved January 15 2021 Further reading EditNaismith James Gulick Luther Halsey 1894 Basket Ball New York NY American sports Publishing Company OCLC 1041046804 Reprinted Naismith James 1996 Basketball its origin and development Lincoln NE University of Nebraska Press ISBN 9780803283701 OCLC 604260339 Rains Rob Carpenter Hellen 2009 James Naismith the man who invented basketball Philadelphia PA Temple University Press ISBN 9781439901359 JSTOR j ctt14btb6m OCLC 489150081 Sumner David E Amos Alonzo Stagg College Football s Greatest Pioneer Jefferson NC McFarland Books 2021 External links EditJames Naismith at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame FIBA Hall of Fame profile James Naismith at Find a Grave Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title James Naismith amp oldid 1142637746, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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