James Naismith's Original Application to Springfield College

James Naismith's Original Application to Springfield College

Springfield College--Alumni and alumnae; Basketball--History; Springfield College--Sports; International Young Men's Christian Association Training School (Springfield, Mass.); Springfield College;

Basketball; Naismith; Dr. James Naismith; Springfield College; Springfield; Sports; Admissions; Application

The original application that Dr. James Naismith submitted to the Physical Department at the Young Men’s Christian Association Training School, now Springfield College, to become a YMCA Physical Director. Naismith was a student from 1890-1891. Upon completing his one-year program to become a physical director for the YMCA, he took a position as a full-time faculty member at Springfield College, a position he kept through the spring of 1895. Just prior to the Christmas break in 1891, with the intent to appease a restless secretary department physical exercise class, he designed a new game: Basketball. A quote on his application may sum up best why and how he created this wonderful sport. In reply to why he desired to become a YMCA Physical Director, Naismith simply states, “My life work is to do good to men and serve God and wherever I can do this best is where I want to go.”

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Naismith, James, 1861-1939

Springfield College

1889-05-27

2009-07-07

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MS 506 James Naismith Papers

http://www.spfldcol.edu/homepage/library.nsf/78D4B8F1DEB9FDC38525741100498AC9/F44DC1765001AE1185257639005992AE?OpenDocument

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