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1918 James Naismith Signed Hand Written Letter (PSA)
James Naismith was an amazing, eclectic individual: He was a physical education instructor, a medical doctor, a Presbyterian minister, and a college basketball coach. He achieved his greatest fame as the inventor of the game of basketball. Presented is a wonderful, handwritten, eight-page signed letter (signed by using his nickname, merely "Jim") from Naismith to his wife, and dated Dec. 18, 1918, while Naismith was serving United States Army troops while he was a volunteer Army chaplain near the front lines in France - during World War I. Naismith was born in Ontario, Canada in 1861. He received a degree in physical education at McGill University in Montreal, and he later taught there. In 1890, he attended the YMCA International Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts. In 1991, he became a physical education instructor at this YMCA school, and he was tasked by the director of physical education to develop a new indoor game that could be played indoors in the winter and keep athletes in shape for spring sports. Naismith wanted to use two boxes placed at either end of the YMCA gymnasium as goals, but the janitor of the facility couldn't find boxes, so he brought Naismith peach baskets instead, and the game of basketball, then called "basket ball," was born. The original game had nine men on each side, no dribbling of the ball, just passing - and it was, in Naismith's words, "murder." The first game included several black eyes, a separated shoulder, and a player knocked unconscious. Naismith modified his rules, and the game took off. Later, Naismith became the first basketball coach at the University of Kansas. He also found time to become a minister and a medical doctor. In World War I, Naismith was a volunteer chaplain with the U.S. Army, often serving close to the front lines. In the aforementioned letter, written in black ink with a fountain pen, Naismith writes to his wife, Maude. Naismith opens the letter by addressing his wife as "My own sweetheart." He first talks extensively about his attendance that morning at a Presbyterian church service. Then Naismith shares his thoughts about his duties in France, and he tells his wife he is considering three alternatives: "1. Finish with my work and come home. 2. Come home for a visit.... 3. Bring you over here to stay until I come home for good...." Naismith's topics range considerably. He mentions, "a real German gun" that he can give to a friend. Later in the letter, Naismith discusses the casualties of war: "Most of our boys are either wounded, injured...or some of them killed." Naismith recalls talking to a French woman who had four sons in the war, all wounded - with one losing a hand and another a foot. Naismith mentions that he told the woman he advocates "hanging the Kaiser," but Naismith says the bitter woman recommends cutting off the Kaiser's toes, "a joint at a time." Naismith ends the letter by telling his wife how much he misses her and closes the letter by writing, "Your loving hubby Jim." The letter consists of two separate pieces of stationery, each folded in half to approximately 5.25x8.25". The stationery exhibits various degrees of darkening, and some toning, particularly near the edges. There are a few small areas of paper loss near the edges of four pages, but the paper loss does not impact any of the writing. Each of the original two sheets of stationery has been folded both vertically and horizontally, and the fold marks remain. There is a small partial tear on the margin of two pages, and there are the normal ink blots that ensue from the use of a fountain pen, and also a variety in the darkness of the handwriting because of the typical vagaries of writing with a fountain pen. Overall, the letter is in very good condition, particularly for a missive written over a century ago. Of course, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts perpetuates Naismith's invention of the game. In contrast, this letter provides fascinating insight into the personal life of basketball's inventor. Full LOA from PSA.
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