Letter to George Draper from Florence Naismith (June 22, 1940)
Description:
James Naismith’s second wife, Florence (Kincaid) Naismith, sent this letter on June 22, 1940 to George Draper, who served as Springfield College’s alumni director for many years. She thanks him for the copy of her husband’s memorial service, and thanks Springfield College for the many kind letters received since her husband’s death. Naismith adds that she hopes to someday visit the campus and meet her husband’s friends. Finally, she thanks Draper for the Springfield College calendar.
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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.
