James Naismith, born 1861 in Almonte, Ontario, was a Physical Education teacher recognized as the inventor of Basketball.  Naismith was educated at the McGill University and Presbyterian College in Montreal.

When James was 26 he taught Physical Education at McGill University for three years.   He then went on to teach for five years at Young Mens Christian Association (YMCA) Training School, now Springfield College in Springfield Massachusetts.
Naismith invented basketball as an indoor sport in 1891, developed as an activity for his students during the winter months. 

James was the director of Physical Education at the YMCA in Denver from 1895 - 1898.   He also directed Phys-Ed at the University of Kansas for 39 years. (1898 - 1937)

Naismith was the most significant contributor to the game of basketball.  He was then voted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1959, 20 years after his death.  The Basketball Hall of Fame was officially called the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in his honour in 1959.  The Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame is located in Springfield Massachusetts.

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