Basketball Was Born Here

This pamphlet, titled “Basketball was born here,” is a twenty-four page pamphlet about the early history of the sport. It was published before 1984, but the exact date is not known. It is thought to be published by Springfield College, as the more recent versions definitely are, but this particular copy may have been a more joint publication with the Basketball Hall of Fame, which was on the campus of Springfield College.. The cover shows James Naismith holding a basketball. The pamphlet is divided into three sections: “Daddy of the Cage Games,” “Evolution of the Rules,” and “The Hall of Fame.” Joseph D. Bates, Jr., wrote the first chapter, which tells the story of the creation of basketball, beginning with a meeting between Dean Luther Gulick and Dr. James Naismith. It includes a picture of Naismith, the first basketball team, and an early diagram. The second section, “Evolution of the Rules,” was written by Lee Williams, the executive director of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. This section analyzes the changes in the rules from the game’s creation to the present day and also examines its international reach. The final section describes the impetus behind the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, which was located on the Springfield College Campus until 1985.