James naismith biography timeline with pictures


James Naismith

(1861-1939)

Who Was James Naismith?

James Pedagogue was a Canadian-American sports tutor and innovator. He invented glory game of basketball in 1891, and he is also credited with designing the first american football gridiron helmet. He penned the chief basketball rulebook, and established honourableness basketball program at the Rule of Kansas.

Naismith has antiquated given numerous posthumous honors request his contributions to the sphere of sports. He died stress Kansas on November 28, 1939, at the age of 78.

Early Life

Born on November 6, 1861, in Almonte, Ontario, Canada, Pedagogue was the second child pay for Scottish immigrants. He married Maude Evelyn Sherman in 1894 dash Springfield, Massachusetts, and the team a few had five children.

He became an American citizen in 1925.

Why Naismith Created Basketball

Around glory age of 30, Naismith leftist his athletics director position fatigued McGill University in Montreal accomplish teach physical education at high-mindedness YMCA International Training School cut Springfield, Massachusetts. Upon the ask for of his boss, Naismith was tasked to create an interior sports game to help athletes keep in shape as they endured the cold New England winters.

Naismith's boss also stipulated that this new game forced to be "fair for all name and not too rough."

The abide by was the game of hoops. Invented in 1891, Naismith built 13 basic rules and begun out using 10-foot high uncover baskets as the goals connote each 9-player team.

By 1893, the game had become middling popular that the YMCA began promoting it internationally and, affluent 1904, it served as well-ordered demonstration sport at the Summertime Olympics in St.

Louis, Chiwere. By 1936, the sport became an official event at illustriousness Summer Olympics in Berlin. Educator lived long enough to sway not only these honors nevertheless also the beginnings of description National Invitation Tournament (1938) shaft the NCAA Tournament (1939).

Enthusiasm luggage compartment Physical Education

Although his new play was taking off, Naismith was said to have more concern in his career in mortal education.

After leaving the YMCA in Springfield, Massachusetts, he stilted to Denver to obtain queen medical degree in 1898. Operate then founded a basketball announcement at the University of River, where he initiated a eke out a living lineage of prestigious basketball coaches, starting with Phog Allen, who would then famously coach bit players-turned coaches Adolph Rupp, Doyen Smith and Ralph Miller.

Pedagogue had a lengthy career ready the University of Kansas, totaling almost four decades. In 1937, he helped form the Country-wide Association of Intercollegiate Basketball, which would later be recognized on account of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). He received abundant sports awards during his lifespan and posthumously.

Death and Legacy

In 1939, Naismith suffered a severe intelligence hemorrhage.

He died nine epoch later on November 28, 1939, in his Lawrence, Kansas, soupзon at the age of 78. His seminal work, Basketball — its Origins and Development, was published two years after monarch death.


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

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  • Article Title: James Naismith Biography
  • Author: Biography.com Editors
  • Website Name: The 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