Before the Dream Team: An influence other than preaching
Description:
This is a copy of an article titled "Before the Dream Team: An influence other than preaching," publishes a letter to a Mr. Morgan (does not identify who this is) from James Naismith discussing the origins and reasoning that shaped the rules and structure of basketball. The letter is dated August 14, 1928 and was found in the Archives of the Brockville Recorder and Times. Naismith shows how the need for the sport influenced the invention as an indoor game free from serious horseplay that could cause injury.
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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.
