James Naismith

Naismith, James
James Naismith, physician, educator, inventor of BASKETBALL (b at Almonte, Canada W [Ont] 6 Nov 1861; d at Lawrence, Kansas 28 Nov 1939). Orphaned at age 9, James Naismith dropped out of high school in his teenage years, but returned to Almonte High School at age 20 to complete his education. He showed prowess in athletics at McGill, and in December 1891, as a young instructor at the YMCA International Training School at Springfield, Mass (now Springfield College), he invented the game of basketball. At 37, Naismith graduated from the Gross Medical School of Colorado University with a medical degree.

Naismith was associated with the University of Kansas for some 40 years (1898 - 1938) as professor, physician and director of physical education, during which time he also served twice in military conflict and published several books. He saw basketball make its OLYMPIC GAMES debut in 1936 at Berlin. At 64 James Naismith became an American citizen. He is a member of the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame, CANADA'S SPORTS HALL OF FAME and the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame.

Author FRANK T. BUTLER

Links to Other Sites
Basketball
Watch the Heritage Minute about James Naismith's invention of the game of basketball. See also related online learning resources. From the Historica-Dominion Institute.

Dr. James Naismith
Devoted to life and career of Dr. James Naismith, physician and inventor of the game of basketball. Produced by the Dr. James Naismith Foundation and Canada’s Digital Collections.

Naismith Museum
The website for the Naismith Foundation, which operates the Naismith Museum in Almonte, ON. Features a biography of Dr. James Naismith, "Hints & Tips," Hall of Fame, and more. Click on the "FAQ's" to see Naismith's original rules for basketball.

Naismith's basketball rules sell for $4.3M US
A CBC News story about the auctioning of James Naismith's papers that detail the original rules of basketball.

Basketball's Founding Document Sold for $4 Million
An article about the sale of Dr. James Naismith's copy of the original rules for basketball. Offers illustations of the document from Sotheby's auction catalogue. From the website for National Public Radio in the US.

James Naismith's typescript document of the rules of basketball
View the 1891 transcript document listing the rules of basketball that James Naismith prepared on the day he introduced the sport to the world. Includes a biography of James Naismith and a history of his involvement in the game. From sothebys.com.