-
November 6th, 1861
Born on November 6, 1861 in Almonte, Ontario, Canada, James Naismith was a Canadian and American sports coach and innovator. -
Period: to
Naismith was Orphaned
He was orphaned at a very early age in life and was brought up by his aunt and uncle and went to Bennies Corners near Almonte. He later graduated from the Almonte High School in Ontario in 1883 -
Gratudation
Successfully graduating from the high school, Naismith attended the McGill University, Montreal. His athletic talent was put to use in the university as he was made to participate in Canadian football, lacrosse, rugby, soccer, etc.
He was a great gymnast and won many Wicksteed medals for his exceptional performance in gymnastics and earned a BA in Physical Education and a Diploma at the Presbyterian College, Montreal. -
Career
Shortly after finishing his education, in 1891 Naismith started teaching physical education, it being his specialty, and earned the position of the first ever McGill director of athletics. He later left Canada to become a physical education teacher in Massachusetts. -
First fame
Naismith made the first game of ‘basket ball’ in 1891 and wrote the formal conditions of the game in which players played nine versus nine, handled a soccer ball and the goals were a pair of peach baskets. -
Popularization (YMCA)
In 1893, The Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) movement popularized the game internationally while Naismith went to Denver to earn a degree in medical science and in the following years he went to the University of Kansas after coaching the game at Baker University. Also, Naismith got married to Maude Evelyn Sherman on 1894 in Massachusetts. They had five children together: Margaret Mason, Helen Carolyn, John Edwin and James Sherman. -
Basketball was Officialized
In 1898, basketball was officially taught in University of Kansas and Naismith worked as a physical education instructor. Their initial games were arranged against YMCA teams. Other common opponents were Haskell Indian Nations University and William Jewell College. Apart from inventing the game of basketball at Springfield YMCA, Naismith’s major work is considered to be his role of basketball coach at the University of Kansas from 1898-1907. He was the first-ever campus basketball coach. -
Period: to
PE Masters degree
James received an honorary PE Masters degree in 1910, patrolled the Mexican border for four months during World War I, traveled to France, published two books—‘A Modern College ( 1911)’ and ‘Essence of a Healthy Life (1918)’. -
Olympic Sports
In 1935, he went to witness the introduction of basketball into the official Olympic sports program of the 1936 Summer Olympic Games. -
Naismith died (1939)
Naismith has been given numerous posthumous honors for his contributions to the world of sports. He died in Kansas on November 28, 1939 at the age of 78.
