James Naismith

James Naismith (November 6, 1861 – November 28, 1939) was a Canadian-American[1] physical educator, physician, Christian chaplain, sports coach, and innovator.[2] The same year he left Canada for Springfield, Massachusetts, he invented the game of basketball.[3] 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).

For the chemical biologist, see James Naismith (chemist).

James Naismith
James Naismith holding a basketball
Biographical details
Born(1861-11-06)November 6, 1861
Almonte, Ontario, Canada
DiedNovember 28, 1939(1939-11-28) (aged 78)
Lawrence, Kansas, U.S.
Alma materMcGill University
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, Ontario, Naismith studied and taught physical education at Montreal’s McGill University before moving to the United States, where he designed the game of basketball in late 1891 while teaching at the International YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts.[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.[6] 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.[7] Despite coaching his final season in 1907, Naismith is still the only coach in Kansas men's basketball history with a losing record.

Early years
Sculpture, Almonte, Ontario

Naismith was born on November 6, 1861, in Almonte, Canada West (now part of Mississippi Mills, Ontario, Canada) to Scottish immigrants.[8] 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.[nb 1]

Struggling in school but gifted in farm labour, 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.[10] 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.[10]

In the same year, Naismith entered McGill University in Montreal. Although described as a slight figure, standing 5 ft 10 ½ in and listed at 178 lb,[11] he was a talented and versatile athlete, representing McGill in Canadian 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.[12] 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).[10] From 1891 on, Naismith taught physical education and became the first McGill director of athletics, but then left Montreal to become a physical education teacher at the YMCA International Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts.[3][13]

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

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".[11]

In his attempt to think up a new game, Naismith was guided by three main thoughts.[10] 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 contact 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, namely placing it high above the player's heads. To score goals, he forced the players to throw a soft, lobbing shot that had proven effective in his old favorite game duck on a rock. Naismith christened this new game "Basket Ball"[10] and put his thoughts together in 13 basic rules.[14]

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 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."[15] 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.[16]

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.[17]

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",[8] and there were calls to call this new game "Naismith Ball", but Naismith refused.[10] By 1893, basketball was introduced internationally by the YMCA movement.[8] From Springfield, Naismith went to Denver, where he acquired a medical degree, and in 1898, he joined the University of Kansas faculty at Lawrence.[11]

The family of Lambert G. Will has claimed that Dr. Naismith borrowed components for the game of basketball from Will to dispute Naismith's sole creation of the game, citing alleged photos and letters.[18][19]

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, which was six 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.[20] 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 was, ironically, the only coach in the program's history to have a losing record (55–60).[21] However, Naismith coached Forrest "Phog" Allen, his eventual successor at Kansas,[22] who went on to join his mentor in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.[23] 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.[22] 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.[22] 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 also neither interested in self-promotion nor in the glory of competitive sports.[24] Instead, he was more interested in his physical-education career; he received an honorary PE masters degree in 1910,[10] 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.[6] 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 to his World War I-era service in France and on the United States-Mexico border, and he strove for progress through modest steps. During the 1930s, he would not or could not get African-Americans onto Kansas’ varsity Jayhawks, but he did help to engineer the admission of black students to the university’s swimming pool. Up to then, they had been given automatic passing grades on a required swimming test without entering the pool, so it could remain all-white.[25]

In 1923, Dr. Naismith was a founder of the Sigma Phi Epsilon (SigEp) fraternity at Kansas. Naismith was deeply involved with the members, serving as chapter counselor for 16 years, from 1923 until his death in 1939. He eventually married SigEp's housemother, Mrs. Florence Kincaid. Members interviewed from 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 real nice having someone the caliber of Dr. Naismith so involved ... he helped many a SigEp!"

In 1935, the National Association of Basketball Coaches (created by Naismith's pupil Phog Allen) collected money so that 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.[24] 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.[26] During the Olympics, he was named the honorary president of the International Basketball Federation.[10] When Naismith returned, he commented that seeing the game played by many nations was the greatest compensation he could have received for his invention.[22] 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).[27]

Naismith became professor emeritus at Kansas when he retired in 1937 at the age of 76. Including his years as coach, Naismith served as athletic director and faculty at the school for a total of almost 40 years. Naismith died in 1939 after he 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.[10] In Lawrence, James 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 having the worst record in school history. Naismith Hall, a dormitory, is located on the northeastern edge of 19th Street and Naismith Drive.[28]

Head coaching record
Naismith as University of Kansas athletics director, circa 1920

In 1898, Naismith became the first basketball coach of University of Kansas also known as the first basketball coach in the world. He compiled a record of 55–60 and is ironically the only losing coach in Kansas history.[21] 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.[22]

SeasonTeamWinsLossesWin %
1898–99Kansas74.636
1899–1900Kansas34.429
1900–01Kansas48.333
1901–02Kansas57.417
1902–03Kansas78.467
1903–04Kansas58.385
1904–05Kansas56.455
1905–06Kansas127.632
1906–07Kansas78.467
TotalKansas5560.478

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, as opposed to the NBA rule book which features 66 pages.[24] The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, is named in his honor, and he was an inaugural inductee in 1959.[24] 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.[29] 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.[10][30] 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.[31]

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. All proceeds of the event go to youth basketball programs in the area.

Basketball today 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.[32][33]

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 considering 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.[34] 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.[35] The University of Kansas constructed an $18 million building named the Debruce Center, which houses the rules and opened in March 2016.[36]

In July 2019, Naismith was inducted into the Canada Walk of Fame.[37]

Personal life

James Naismith was the second child of Margaret and John Naismith, two Scottish immigrants. His mother, Margaret Young, was born in 1833 and immigrated to Lanark County, Canada in 1852 as the fourth of 11 children.[10] His father, John Naismith, was born in 1833,[38] 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: Margaret Mason (Stanley) (1895–1976), Helen Carolyn (Dodd) (1897–1980), John Edwin (1900–1986), Maude Ann (Dawe) (1904–1972), and James Sherman (1913–1980).[11] He was a member of the Pi Gamma Mu and Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternities.[11] Naismith was a Presbyterian minister, and was also remembered as a Freemason.[39] 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 9 days later in his home in Lawrence.[40] He was 78 years old.[41] Coincidentally, Naismith died 8 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.[42] 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 education and academic positions:[11]

Location Position Period Remarks
Bennie's Corner Grade School (Almonte, Ontario)Primary school1867–1875
Almonte High SchoolSecondary school1875–1877, 1881–83Dropped out and re-entered
McGill UniversityUniversity student1883–87Bachelor of Arts in Physical Education
McGill UniversityInstructor in Physical Education1887–1890Gold Wickstead Medal (1887), Best All-Around Athlete; Silver Cup (1886), first prize for one-mile walk; Silver Wickstead Medal (1885), Best All-Around Athlete; Awarded one of McGill's first varsity letters
The Presbyterian College, MontrealEducation in Theology1887–1890Silver medal (1890), second highest award for regular and special honor work in Theology
Springfield CollegeInstructor in Physical Education1890–1895Invented "Basket Ball" in December 1891
YMCA of DenverInstructor in Physical Education1895–1898
University of KansasInstructor in Physical Education and Chapel Director1898–1909
University of KansasBasketball Coach1898–1907First-ever basketball coach
University of KansasProfessor and University Physician1909–1917Hiatus from 1914 on due to World War I
First Kansas InfantryChaplain/Captain1914–1917Military service due to World War I
First Kansas Infantry (Mexican Border)Chaplain1916
Military and YMCA secretary in FranceLecturer of Moral Conditions and Sex Education1917–1919
University of KansasAthletic Director1919–1937Emeritus in 1937
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See also
  • James Naismith's Original Rules of Basketball

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.[9]

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. 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.
  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. Porter, David L. (2005). Basketball: A Biographical Dictionary. Greenwood. p. 346. ISBN 978-0313309526.
  6. Porter, David L. (2005). Basketball: A Biographical Dictionary. Greenwood. p. 347. ISBN 978-0313309526.
  7. "Dean Smith's Coaching Tree Displays Incredible Reach Across Decades". BleacherReport.com.
  8. Laughead, George. "Dr. James Naismith, Inventor of Basketball". Kansas Heritage Group. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
  9. Phillips, Curtis J. (1996). "The original Dr. J." Retrieved January 16, 2020.
  10. 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.
  11. 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.
  12. John Melady (2013). Breakthrough!: Canada's Greatest Inventions and Innovations. Dundurn. p. 56. ISBN 9781459708532.
  13. "A Shot at History: Basketball". Retrieved October 24, 2013.
  14. 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.
  15. Naismith, James. "James Naismith Handwritten Manuscript Detailing First Basketball Game". Heritage Auction Galleries. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
  16. "Official basketball rules". International Basketball Federation. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
  17. "Basketball's Birth, in James Naismith's Own Spoken Words". The New York Times. 16 December 2015.
  18. Baruth, Philip. "Basketball Inventor". Vermont Public Radio. Retrieved March 27, 2011.
  19. Fosty, George & Darril. "Basketball's Origins, Lingering Questions Remain". Box Score News. Archived from the original on July 27, 2011. Retrieved March 27, 2011.
  20. Chimelis, Ron. "Naismith Untold". Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on November 2, 2007. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
  21. "Naismith's Record". kusports.com. Archived from the original on July 4, 2008. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
  22. "James Naismith, A Kansas Portrait". Kansas Historical Society. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
  23. "Forrest C. "Phog" Allen". Naismith Museum And Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on December 30, 2007. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
  24. "Hall of Fame Feature: James Naismith". Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on November 23, 2007. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
  25. Michael Beschloss (May 2, 2014). "Naismith's Choices on Race, From Basketball's Beginnings". nytimes.com. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  26. "James Naismith, the inventor of basketball". collegesportsscholarships.com. Archived from the original on October 17, 2008. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
  27. 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.
  28. "Google Maps Route". Google Maps. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
  29. 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.
  30. "James Naismith". Retrieved September 23, 2014.
  31. "Naismith, Dr. James". Retrieved September 14, 2013.
  32. "Top N. American athletes of the century". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
  33. "Top 100 athletes of the 20th century". USA Today. December 21, 1999. Archived from the original on March 12, 2009. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
  34. "Sotheby's - Auctions - James Naismith's Founding Rules of Basketball - Sotheby's".
  35. "There's No Place Like Home - ESPN Films: 30 for 30".
  36. "Updates from the DeBruce Center, future home of Naismith's 'Rules of Basket Ball' - Heard on the Hill / LJWorld.com".
  37. "James Naismith". Canada's Walk of Fame.
  38. "Dr. James A. Naismith and the Barony Naismiths".
  39. "James Naismith". Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon the great couple had five kids. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
  40. "Naismith Museum & Hall of Fame: Biography of James Naismith". Archived from the original on February 5, 2007. Retrieved December 12, 2008.
  41. Schlabac, Mark (January 15, 2005). "James Naismith Biography". bookrags.com. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
  42. LJWorld.com

Further reading
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