4 University of Kansas

     
 

Doctor
James
Naismith

Yale, Cornell, and Chicago had teams in 1893-5. Basketball
was played in the Missouri Valley as early as 1899 the year
after Dr. Naismith had come to the University of Kansas as in-
structor in physical education, and director of chapel exercises.

There are now no authentic figures as to the number of
persons playing the game, but John Griffith, Big Ten commis-
sioner, is authority for the statement that 96 per cent of the
high schools and colleges of America have basketball teams.

ani Wee IN OLYMPIC COMPETITION

 

 

March, 1936
District Tournament Inter-District Tournament
Kansas 33 ; Kan. UtahS.
Washburn 30 \ Kansas 54 First game 39 37
Second game 37 42
Okla.A.&M. in} kla.A.&M.
Nebraska one ie ‘Third game 31 50

 

 

 

District tournament figures but not inter-district included in summary
on page 18. See page 32

 

One

 

 

Basketball Records 5

THE INVENTOR OF THE GAME

Dr. JAMES NAISMITH, inventor of the game of basketball,
has been a member of the faculty of the University of Kansas
since 1898, coming to this institution shortly after he had com-
pleted-a medical course at Denver University. For the first few
years he combined duties of chapel leader with those of in-
struction in physical education. Since 1906, he has been pro-
fessor of physical education, and has been at the University
continuously except a few months as chaplain with the
Twentieth Kansas on the Mexican border, and a little short of
two years with the Y.M.C.A. in France during the World War.

Dr. Naismith attended the grade school at Almonte, Can-
ada, his birthplace, and later attended the high school a few
miles away. His parents died when he was 8 years old, and
he was brought up in the home of an uncle. Midway in his
high school career he became disgusted with the type of com-
panion he found himself with, so went to work on his uncle’s
farm in summers, and in the woodlot in winters.

Then came a resolve to be a minister, and he re-entered
high school, where he was returned to the beginning class.
Nevertheless, he completed the course in two years and en-
tered McGill University. There he joined in sports of his
classmates, rising at 6 for football practice, since some of the
other students were busy until nightfall. He devised a canton
flannel headgear to protect his ears—a few years later modern
leather headgear, following much the same pattern appeared.

While taking his seminary course at McGill, an incident
occurred that turned Naismith’s career. One. day in football
practice something went wrong, and the guard next him be-
gan swearing loudly. Suddenly he stopped, and turned to
Naismith.

“T beg your pardon, Jim. I didn’t notice you were there,”
he said. :

“T hadn’t paid particular attention,” says Dr. Naismith, “for
I had heard more fluent swearing than that in the lumber
camps of Canada. It set me thinking about this matter of per-