Naismith - Inventor of Basketball

James Naismith - Part 1
Inventor of Basketball
Memorial Park Cemetery
Lawrence, KS


 KSHS

 There are many places online to read more on Mr. Naismith

Wikipedia

James A. Naismith (November 6, 1861 – November 28, 1939) was a Canadian sports coach and innovator. He invented the sport of basketball in 1891 and is often credited with introducing the first football helmet. He wrote the original basketball rulebook, founded the University of Kansas basketball program, and lived to see basketball adopted as an Olympic demonstration sport in 1904 and as an official event at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin.

Born in Ontario, Canada, Naismith studied physical education in Montreal before moving to the United States, where he developed basketball in late 1891 while enrolled at the International YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts. Naismith also studied medicine in Denver, taking his MD in 1898 before moving to the University of Kansas. Following a number of years as a faculty member and part-time basketball coach—during the sport's fledgling years (1898–1907)—at the University of Kansas, Naismith moved on to further academic obligations at that university, where he also served as the Athletic Director for the Kansas Jayhawks. He became a U.S. citizen in 1925.

Kansas History Website

James Naismith devised a set of thirteen rules of basketball:

1. The ball may be thrown in any direction with one or both hands.
2. The ball may be batted in any direction with one or both hands, but never with the fist.
3. A player cannot run with the ball. The player must throw it from the spot on which he catches it, allowance to be made for a man running at good speed.
4. The ball must be held in or between the hands. The arms or body must not be used for holding it.
5. No shouldering, holding, pushing, striking or tripping in any way of an opponent. The first infringement of this rule by any person shall count as a foul; the second shall disqualify him until the next goal is made or, if there was evident intent to injure the person, for the whole of the game. No substitution shall be allowed.
6. A foul is striking at the ball with the fist, violations of Rules 3 and 4 and such as described in Rule 5.
7. If either side make three consecutive fouls it shall count as a goal for the opponents (consecutive means without the opponents in the meantime making a foul).
8. Goal shall be made when the ball is thrown or batted from the ground into the basket and stays there, providing those defending the goal do not touch or disturb the goal. If the ball rests on the edge and the opponents move the basket, it shall count as a goal.
9. When the ball goes out of bounds, it shall be thrown into the field and played by the first person touching it. In case of dispute the umpire shall throw it straight into the field. The thrower-in is allowed five seconds. If he holds it longer, it shall go to the opponent. If any side persists in delaying the game, the umpire shall call a foul on them.
10. The umpire shall be judge of the men and shall note the fouls and notify the referee when three consecutive fouls have been made. He shall have the power to disqualify men according to Rule 5.
11. The referee shall be the judge of the ball and decide when it is in play in bounds, to which side it belongs, and shall keep the time. He shall decide when a goal has been made and keep account of the goals with any other duties that are usually performed by a referee.
12. The time shall be two 15-minute halves with five minutes' rest between.
13. The side making the most goals in that time shall be declared the winners.

Kansas State Historical Society

James Naismith was born November 6, 1861, in Almonte, Ontario, Canada to John and Margaret (Young) Naismith. Orphaned at the age of nine, he was raised by his uncle, Peter Young....

On June 20, 1894, Naismith married Maude Sherman. They had five children....

 His original basketball rules were fewer than 600 words; today the rules contain more than 30,000 words....

Inventors.About.com

U.S. patent #1,718,305 was granted to G.L. Pierce on June 25, 1929 for the "basketball" used in the game. Click link to see a photo.

Such a simple stone.

I was expecting a typical memorial park style cemetery but was saddened at how "blah" it was. Most of the flat stones had dying weeds on them which looked liked they had been sprayed long past when needed. I know we have had many hot days here in the midwest but this was a parched and sad looking cemetery.

Memorial Park, Oak Hill & Maple Grove Cemetery Interments

Memorial Park Cemetery Map [PDF]