This is a facsimile or duplicate of a photograph of Dr. James A. Naismith holding a peach basket and an old basketball. The photograph may have been taken at the University of Kansas.
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Publisher:
Springfield College
Notes:
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. 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 named the YMCA Training School, in 1891. After graduation, he was hired as a faculty member, where he taught for five years. It was during 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. He received his M.D. in 1898 and, in that same year, took the position of department head of physical education at the University of Kansas. He remained there until his death.
Springfield College does not hold the original of this photograph. It may have come from the Basketball Hall of Fame or from the University of Kansas.
