James Naismith

UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS "THE JAYHAWKER" YEARBOOK FEATURING JAMES NAISMITH & F.C. "PHOG" ALLEN (RE-BOUND)

This yearbook is F.C. "Phog" Allen's first year at University of Kansas as a student and athlete, where he would eventually spend the majority of his impressive coaching career. He was a basketball player and is pictured with the team. He was also on the Football team. His coach and mentor James Naismith is also pictured in the yearbook.

UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS "THE JAYHAWKER" YEARBOOK FEATURING JAMES NAISMITH & F.C. "PHOG" ALLEN (1st YEAR COACHING)

This yearbook is F.C. "Phog" Allen's first year at University of Kansas as a student and athlete, where he would eventually spend the majority of his impressive coaching career. He was a basketball player and is pictured with the team. He was also on the Football team. His coach and mentor James Naismith is also pictured in the yearbook.

UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS "THE JAYHAWKER" YEARBOOK DEDICATED TO BASKETBALL INVENTOR JAMES NAISMITH

1925 University of Kansas "The Jayhawker" Yearbook. According to the U of K website, this is the only yearbook that is personally dedicated to James Naismith, the inventor of Basketball. Includes a couple of pictures of Naismith and a photo of the 1925 Basketball Team, which includes Hall of Famers Forrest "Phog" Allen (coach), and John Bunn (contributor).

TYPE 1 PHOTOGRAPH OF JAMES NAISMITH HOLDING A PEACH BASKET AND HIS WIFE MAUDE POSING WITH A BASKETBALL

This original snapshot of James Naismith and his wife (Maude) was first made publicly available at the Naismith family's estate auction held by Heritage auctions on December 8th & 15th, 2006. The auction consisted of Dr. Naismith's personal items and set a record for the highest total ever realized for a single non-baseball sporting figure at the time. The image in this photograph was one of several taken that day on the grounds of the University of Kansas. The same image first appeared in print on December 9th, 1928 in the New York Times newspaper and has since been used and seen in hundreds of articles regarding Naismith. I am very pleased that I had the opportunity to add this spectacular photograph to the collection.

Measurements: 3.5" x 5.75"

SNAP QUIZ CARD GAME TELLING TOMMY WHO INVENTED BASKETBALL?/ JAMES NAISMITH CARDS (U.S.A.)

These cards were part of a set of Question & Answer quiz cards produced by Snap in 1934. The set consisted of 54 cards, 2 of which were basketball related, with the 2nd card being Naismith's "rookie card".

Measurements: 2.25" x 3.5"

JAMES NAISMITH SIGNED ENVELOPE POSTMARKED JULY 19th, 1936

An envelope addressed and signed by James Naismith, the inventor of basketball (authenticated by PSA/DNA). Some significant notes about this piece:

1.) His signature is featured twice by the way in which he referred to his wife (Mrs. James Naismith)*

2.) His wife (at the time) was Maude Evelyn Sherman, who is seen here featured in a famous photograph about to shoot a basketball into a peach basket being held by Naismith. The other photograph, dated February 11th, 1936, shows the couple discussing the early years of basketball and their proposed trip to the Olympic Games in Berlin. His wife tragically died in March of 1937. Naismith got married again in June of 1939 but died just 5 months later of a brain hemorrhage at the age of 78. He was buried with his first wife, Maude, in Lawrence, Kansas.

3.) The envelope is postmarked from Glasgow, Scotland. Examples of Scottish letters from the 1930s confirm the same postmark. Although born in Canada, James Naismith had strong Scottish roots, with both his father and mother being born in Glasgow. Dr. Ross Walker, a researcher from the University of Scotland, has studied Naismith's history and found that Naismith considered himself Scottish, and as a child he lived in a Canadian Scottish community and spoke with a Scottish accent well into his adulthood. According to his research, Naismith was introduced to a game called duck-on-the-rock by his Scottish family, a game his father learned on the streets of Glasgow, and Naismith later said he used that game as the basis for the sport we all know as basketball. Perhaps he was visiting extended family members in Glasgow when he mailed this very letter.

​4.) Naismith was in Europe at this time because he was traveling to the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany. The games were to begin just 10 days after this letter was postmarked. This would be the first Olympics to feature basketball as an event. I can only imagine the pride and joy he must have felt to witness the game he invented 45 years earlier being recognized and played on the world's most prestigious athletic stage. He personally awarded the medals, with the gold going to America, on August 14th, 1936 after defeating Canada in the final.

5.) From all accounts I can find, Maude traveled with Naismith and attended the Olympic games with him. It leaves the question as to what correspondence or message was sent, as it seems it was addressed to her although she would of most likely been with him at this time. Perhaps it was a surprise letter? or a photograph or keepsake that she requested be sent back home.

​*There is also a possibility that this letter was written to his daughter in law, the wife of his youngest son, James Sherman Naismith. I include this as a possibility as his son had married in August of 1933. Note: The envelope is addressed to 4015 Windsor Ave in Dallas, Texas, which I cannot confirm was Maude's primary residence of the time or that of his son. The back of the envelope has a return address of 1708 Mississippi St in Lawrence, KS, which is that of a residence a few blocks away from the University of Kansas, where Naismith was employed. I assume this was his residence while he was working at KU.

Measurements of envelope: 5.25” x 4.25”

JANUARY 27th, 1937 MADISON SQUARE GARDEN INTERCOLLEGIATE BASKETBALL SOUVENIR PROGRAM WITH NAISMITH & THE FIRST TEAM PHOTO COVER

Madison Square Garden Intercollegiate Basketball Souvenir Program, January 27th, 1937, cover photo of the very first Basketball Team with James Naismith from 1892. The program features 2 games on that day, Springfield vs. St. Francis and Long Island U. vs. Tennessee with photos of the teams, players and statistics from other schools from previous games of the season. The original Basketball rules from January 15th, 1892 written by James Naismith is included on the last page.

BASKETBALL - ITS ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT BY JAMES NAISMITH, FIRST EDITION 1941

Very rare 1941 First Edition of Dr. James Naismith's only complete book. Copyright by the International Committee of the YMCA and published by The Association Press. Basketball, It's Origins and Development includes stories of Naismith's childhood, what inspired the invention of Basketball, the refinement of the rules and development of equipment, and the growth of the sport throughout the world. This book was published posthumously, as Naismith died in 1939.

1946 SOUVENIR PROGRAM FOR THE JAMES H. NAISMITH BOYS INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT WITH ED ELBEL PORTRAIT OF NAISMITH ON COVER

1949 EDITION OF THE INDIANA NEWS BASKETBALL RECORD BOOK FEATURING JAMES NAISMITH ON THE COVER

1952 PHOTOGRAPH OF THE 1923 UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS TEAM WITH 3 HALL OF FAMERS (JAMES NAISMITH, FORREST PHOG ALLEN & ADOLPH RUPP)

CONVERSE BASKETBALL YEARBOOK 35TH EDITION, JAMES NAISMITH COVER

1960 TYPE IV PRESS PHOTOGRAPH OF A CLASSIC IMAGE OF JAMES NAISMITH

NAISMITH MEMORIAL BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOMPANYING LETTERS

This rare annual report features a cover highlighting the first N.A.B.C. East/West All-Star Game. The report itself was sent to members and investors of the Hall of Fame, detailing the budget, plans and progress of the HOF building and memorial which eventually opened up 5 years later in 1968. The 20 page report also includes a lot of pictures, Hall of Fame Electees & Inductees and a full list of members and investors names. There are also 2 typed letters that accompany the report, one summarizing its contents and the other detailing the newly formed 12 member committee.

NAISMITH MEMORIAL BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME OFFICIAL ENSHRINEMENT NEWSPAPER, APRIL 14th, 1968

Published by The Springfield, Massachusetts Sunday Republican. Includes inductees, the opening ceremony events, basketball history and photographs and commemoration themed advertisements with historical images.

1979-81 PANARIZON STORY OF AMERICA, BASKETBALL # 93-20 FEATURING JAMES NAISMITH (ITALY)

Panarizon published this large "Story of America" card set consisting of 2,259 cards between 1979 and 1981. The cards were organized by categories, this basketball card featuring James Naismith was part of the Entertainment category. The cards are similar to the "Sportscaster" cards of the era and featured extensive text on the back that described the history of the subject. This particular card does not seem as common as some of the lower numbered cards but I'm unable to confirm if there were any short prints in this set.

​Measurements: 5.75" x 6.25"

1987 NIŠRO JEŽ​ MAJSTORI KOSARKE KOŠ BASKET #5 JAMES NAISMITH (YUGOSLAVIA)

Nišro JEŽ ​published the Majstori Kosarke "Basketball Masters" album and cards in 1987. Jež (Hedgehog) was a prominent Yugoslav satirical magazine, active for many decades and a key figure in the region's entertainment press. They also published stickers and albums of stars and athletes. The 1987 basketball set consisted of 288 cards, including many American stars such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Julius Erving. Card #5 featured a portrait of the inventor of basketball, James Naismith. The cards can be difficult to find in good condition as they're typically glued to the album.

Measurements: 2.125" x 1.5"