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STANFORD UNIVERSITY

OFFICE OF THE DEAN OF MEN

STANFORD UNIVERSITY, CALIFORNIA

December 7, 1939

Dr. Forrest C. Allen
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

Dear Doctor Allen:

This will acknowledge your letter of December 2.
Both the newspapers and the radio have carried the ac-—
counts of Doctor Naismith's death. I was so glad that
he died in such a quick fashion. He was always sucha
happy, active individual that it would have been too
bad for him to have had a lingering illness. I am happy
to know that he was able to live to see his brain-child
reach such a great stage of popularity and acme of per-
fection. I know he has derived a great deal of pleasure
and satisfaction out of watching the growth of basketball.
It just doesn't seem possible that he is no longer with
us. It has been most gratifying to me to notice the re-
cognition that he has received here on the coast.

Now with respect to the photostatic copy of
the original basketball rules. I have just the one copy
which Doctor Naismith very kindly permitted me to make
before I left Lawrence. He made me promise that I would
not permit another copy to be made until after his death.
I have not violated this promise. I think, however, that
the negative is in the possession of Mr. Moore, the photo-
grapher in Lawrence. I would suggest that you get in
touch with him. Also the original copy of the rules is in
Doctor Naismith's safety deposit box. It seems to me that
some plan should be worked out for preserving this original
and for placing it on display somewhere at the University.
If you can not find either of these I imagine that it will
be possible to make copies from the one I have here at
Stanford. I will be glad to hear from you further in this
connection.

Cordially yours,

JO J. Bunn,
Dea Men.