James Naismith letter to Thomas J. Browne, April 7, 1898
Description:
A letter written by James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, to Springfield College student, Thomas J. Browne, regarding the circumstances leading up to the invention of basketball. The letter was written in response to correspondence from Browne who was writing a thesis paper on the History of Basketball. Eventually, his paper was printed in the 1898 Spalding's Official Basket Ball Guide.
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James A. Naismith (November 6, 1861 – November 28, 1939), known as "The Father of Basketball," was born in Almonte, Ontario. When he was nine, both of his parents died of typhoid fever and he was raised by his uncle, who later financed Naismith's way through college. He earned his theological degree from McGill University and graduated from Springfield College, then the YMCA Training School, in 1891. After graduation, he was hired as a faculty member, where he taught for five years. It is in his first year as a faculty member at Springfield College that he created the game of Basketball as an activity for an unruly class. In 1895, Naismith enrolled at the Gross Medical School in Denver and received his M.D. in 1898. In that same year, Naismith took the position of department head of physical education at the University of Kansas, where he remained until his death.
To view a typed transcription of this letter click here: http://cdm16122.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/p15370coll2/id/885 To view the Spalding's Official Basket Ball Guide from 1898 click here: http://cdm16122.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/p15370coll2/id/857
