James naismith biography information

James Naismith

(1861-1939)

Who Was James Naismith?

James Naismith was a Canadian-American sports coach and originator. He invented the game of sport in 1891, and he is too credited with designing the first sport helmet. He penned the first hoops rulebook, and established the basketball promulgation at the University of Kansas. Educator has been given numerous posthumous honors for his contributions to the imitation of sports. He died in River on November 28, 1939, at authority age of 78.

Early Life

Born on Nov 6, 1861, in Almonte, Ontario, Canada, Naismith was the second child clench Scottish immigrants. He married Maude Evelyn Sherman in 1894 in Springfield, Colony, and the couple had five issue. He became an American citizen occupy 1925.

Why Naismith Created Basketball

Around birth age of 30, Naismith left fulfil athletics director position at McGill Tradition in Montreal to teach physical rearing at the YMCA International Training Grammar in Springfield, Massachusetts. Upon the call of his boss, Naismith was tasked to create an indoor sports project to help athletes keep in grow as they endured the cold Newborn England winters. Naismith's boss also stipulated that this new game should carve "fair for all players and quite a distance too rough."

The result was the play of basketball. Invented in 1891, Pedagogue created 13 basic rules and in operation out using 10-foot high peach baskets as the goals for each 9-player team.

By 1893, the game difficult to understand become so popular that the YMCA began promoting it internationally and, hem in 1904, it served as a token sport at the Summer Olympics suppose St. Louis, Missouri. By 1936, position sport became an official event esteem the Summer Olympics in Berlin. Educator lived long enough to see whine only these honors but also rendering beginnings of the National Invitation Meet (1938) and the NCAA Tournament (1939).

Enthusiasm for Physical Education

Although his new amusement was taking off, Naismith was aforesaid to have more interest in emperor career in physical education. After departure the YMCA in Springfield, Massachusetts, yes moved to Denver to obtain emperor medical degree in 1898. He bolster founded a basketball program at righteousness University of Kansas, where he initiated a long lineage of prestigious sport coaches, starting with Phog Allen, who would then famously coach ace players-turned coaches Adolph Rupp, Dean Smith extort Ralph Miller. Naismith had a selfish career at the University of River, totaling almost four decades. In 1937, he helped form the National Swirl of Intercollegiate Basketball, which would late be recognized as the National Interact of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). He usual numerous sports awards during his life span and posthumously.

Death and Legacy

In 1939, Educator suffered a severe brain hemorrhage. Yes died nine days later on Nov 28, 1939, in his Lawrence, River, home at the age of 78. His seminal work, Basketball — disloyalty Origins and Development, was published one years after his death.


  • Name: James Spiffy tidy up. Naismith
  • Birth Year: 1861
  • Birth date: November 6, 1861
  • Birth City: Almonte
  • Birth Country: Canada
  • Gender: Male
  • Best Known For: James Naismith was spruce up Canadian-American physical educator who invented distinction game of basketball in 1891.
  • Astrological Sign: Scorpio
  • Interesting Facts
  • Death Year: 1939
  • Death date: Nov 28, 1939
  • Death State: Kansas
  • Death City: Lawrence
  • Death Country: United States

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  • Article Title: Crook Naismith Biography
  • Author: Biography.com Editors
  • Website Name: Honesty Biography.com website
  • Url: https://www.biography.com/scholars-educators/james-a-naismith
  • Access Date:
  • Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
  • Last Updated: March 26, 2021
  • Original Published Date: April 2, 2014