Kaighn and Naismith
Although Kaighn only attended the International YMCA Training School, now Springfield College, for one year, he came to know his physical education instructor, James Naismith, quite well. They played on the football team together that fall, and shared meals together three times a day at the Training School table. Located in the house where Naismith lived, Kaighn described the dining room in Naismith's house where the football team congregated to share meals as an eating club once the football season ended. He also notes how Naismith, being a Canadian of Scotch-Irish ancestry and pro-British views, enjoyed starting an argument, usually involving his friends' patriotism, just to rile the group of men. One day the men even suggested rolling Naismith in the snow for getting them so worked up, but Naismith's excitement in the idea quickly killed it.
After their year together in Springfield, Kaighn and Naismith kept in contact. Kaighn lived in New York for most of his life, and noted that Naismith would always make time to stop by his office when he was on the east coast at the request of sports writers or basketball coaches. These conversations often centered around their days in Springfield together, or on the book Naismith was writing. Kaighn noted how little Dr. Naismith had changed over the years. Despite his success and fame, he seemed unaffected and remained modest through the sport's dramatic growth.
Kaighn's retirement coincided with basketball’s Golden Jubilee Celebration, which began October 14, 1941. During the fall of 1941 and spring of 1942, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the invention of the sport, basketball games across the country were played with a golden ball. Ceremonies were also held to honor the late Dr. Naismith and original members of the first championship team at Springfield College, and the plan for the basketball hall of fame in Naismith’s honor was unveiled. In the Golden Jubilee of Basketball Souvenir Magazine, which commorated the event, Kaighn wrote an article titled "Jim Naismith, the Man.” In this brief two-page article, Kaighn writes about his experiences with Naismith on the football team, the invention of basketball, and the importance of building the basketball hall of fame to honor Naismith and the virtues which his invention aims to teach.