Dr. James Naismith with Walter Lanphear, William Ball, Mrs. William Ball, and Thomas D. Patton
Description:
A photograph of Dr. James Naismith with fellow alumni at an alumni function at Springfield College. From left to right there is Thomas D. Patton, Mr. William H. Ball, Mrs. William H. Ball, James Naismith, and Walter Lanphear.
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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. Walter Lanphear was actually not a Springfield College student, but was part of the School for Christian Workers after Springfield College went its own way. At the time, though, the schools shared the same building and many of the clubs and activities.
On the back of this photo appears the names of the five individuals in the picture: "Walter Lanphear, James, Naismith, Mrs. Ball, William Ball, T.D. Patton" The exact date is not known, but according to documentation around this photograph, it is possible that the photograph was taken at Naismith's visit to campus in the Spring of 1939, just months before he passed away.
