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University of Michigan William L. Clements Library

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James Naismith collection, 1893-1962 (majority within 1917-1961)

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Summary

Creator:
Diedrich, D. N. (Duane Norman)
Abstract:
This collection contains correspondence, speeches, ephemera, and photographs related to James Naismith, the inventor of basketball. Naismith's incoming correspondence includes letters about the history of basketball in locations across Canada and the United States, and his typed speech notes primarily concern the relationship between athletics, morality, and religion.
Extent:
0.25 linear feet
Language:
English
Sponsor:
Duane Norman Diedrich Collection
Authors:
Collection processed and finding aid created by Meg Hixon, March 2012

Background

Scope and Content:

This collection contains correspondence, speeches, ephemera, and photographs related to James Naismith, the inventor of basketball. Naismith's incoming correspondence includes letters about the history of basketball in locations across Canada and the United States, and his typed speech notes primarily concern the relationship between athletics, morality, and religion.

The Correspondence series contains 44 letters, including 27 Naismith received about the history of basketball and the implementation of basketball programs. Between 1917 and 1939, Naismith collected responses to his inquiries about basketball from Canada, Uruguay, and universities within the United States. These letters often reported the dates of the first recorded local basketball games, and some described early equipment and rules. A letter from Edmonton, Alberta (October 15, 1929) concerned the development of women's basketball, and one from Osage City High School stated that theirs was the first high school in Kansas to have a basketball team (March 22, 1932). Some correspondents inquired about Naismith's experiences with the game, shared their own experiences, or discussed rule changes.

Letters written after Naismith's death are commemorative, including one signed by members of the Wheelchair Bulldozers, written on stationery bearing the team's logo (November 6, 1948). Additionally, Raymond Kaighn, the last surviving member of Naismith's first basketball team, wrote 8 letters to Kenneth Crouch between April 16, 1958, and July 28, 1962, reminiscing about his experiences and extolling Naismith's contribution to the world of sports. The collection also holds four letters Naismith wrote, providing his thoughts on the center jump ball rule (January 7, 1930), requesting information on Canadian basketball (with two responses, December 15, 1930), describing the game around the time of its invention in 1891 (February 4, 1939), and addressing his wife about personal matters (undated).

The Speech Notes and Essays series contains 7 typed speeches delivered by Naismith, with his manuscript annotations. The speeches pertain to the historical and contemporary relationship between athletic activities, morality, and religion, such as the role of athletic and physical education in moral and ethical development. Naismith lamented the commercialization of basketball and discussed the effects of the radio on the presidential election of 1928 (October 1928). One undated essay relates to sexual immorality among soldiers in the United States military.

Photographs and Ephemera include one photograph each of James Naismith and Raymond Kaighn, a souvenir program, a magazine article, and an invitation.

An inventory of items in the final two series appears in the Detailed Box and Folder listing below.

Biographical / Historical:

James Naismith was born in Almonte, Ontario, on November 6, 1861, the son of John Naismith and Margaret Young. He graduated from McGill University in 1887, and studied theology until 1890, when he began training as a physical educator with the YMCA. While at the YMCA's training facility in Springfield, Massachusetts, he invented the game of basketball, intended to occupy the winter athletics lull between football and baseball seasons. The first basketball game was played in December 1891, and the sport quickly grew in popularity and developed a standard set of rules. Naismith remained in Massachusetts until he moved to Denver, Colorado, in 1895. After receiving his medical degree from Gross Medical School in 1898, Naismith became the instructor of physical education at the University of Kansas, a position he held until his retirement in 1937. Throughout his time there, he actively encouraged students to take an interest in their health. He fostered an intramural sports program at the university and coached local high school basketball teams. Naismith became an ordained Presbyterian minister in 1916 and served as a chaplain for the American Expeditionary Forces in France during World War I. His religious upbringing and theological training contributed to a lifelong interest in the relationship between athletics and morality, and he maintained an interest in the history of basketball until the end of his life, participating on several basketball rules committees. He married Maude Evelyn Sherman (d. 1937) in 1894, and they had five children. He married Florence Mae Kincaid in 1939, shortly before his death. James Naismith died on November 28, 1939.

Acquisition Information:
Donated by D. N. Diedrich, 1998-2010. M-4028, M-4069.3, M-4121.1, M-4124.5, M-4629.1-6, M-4632.8, M-4673.1, M-4833.3 .
Processing information:

Cataloging funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC). This collection has been processed according to minimal processing procedures and may be revised, expanded, or updated in the future.

Arrangement:
The collection is arranged in the following series:
  • Series I: Correspondence
  • Series II: Speech Notes and Essays
  • Series III: Photographs and Ephemera
Rules or Conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)

Contents

Using These Materials

Info for Visitors

How to Request

Ordering Reproductions

Download PDF Finding Aid
RESTRICTIONS:

The collection is open for research.

USE & PERMISSIONS:

Copyright status is unknown

PREFERRED CITATION:

James Naismith Collection, Duane Norman Diedrich Collection, William L. Clements Library, The University of Michigan