Patton's Impact on Basketball

Question 21 of Thomas Patton's application to Springfield College in 1890

Question 21 of the YMCA Training School Application asked what the difference between the work of the secretaryship and that of the ministry. Patton responded to this question with, "The paster is as a shepherd over the flock; the secretary a leader in the flock". This relationship is similar to Naismith's with Patton and a few of his classmates. Naismith invented the game, but the leaders of the group were responsible for basketball's quick spread. Patton did so several hours before the first game took place, by accepting Naismith's offer to be captain. He exemplified the qualities needed to be a good shepherd both before the first game, and the decades that ensued.

To see Patton's complete application, click here.

Upon graduating from Springfield, few if any of Patton's classmates had as much of an impact on basketball's future as him.

The article titled "Basketball - How and When Introduced" by T.D. Patton, appeared in the 1941 edition of Souvenir Magazine. T.D. Patton explains how basketball was originated, when it was created and outlines the original thirteen rules.

Four of the 18 players in the first game were from Canada. Along with Patton were Lyman Archibald, Finley MacDonald, and John Thompson. Patton was from Quebec, while the other three grew up in Nova Scotia. In Naismith's book Basketball Its Origin and Development, he mentions how quickly these 'shepherds' helped the game to spread through the country. Not only did these players take the game home with them during breaks, but each of them began working as YMCA secretaries in Canada immediately following graduation. This led to basketball's development there, coupled with the fact that Naismith believed the sport would thrive in colder regions, to be nearly as quick as its growth in the United States.

A newspaper article published in the Springfield Union News titled "Captain of World's First Basketball Team Returns to Springfield College". The article focuses on Thomas D. Patton's return to Springfield to celebrate the 50th anniversary of basketball.

Patton did not stop by taking the sport back to Quebec, or Winnipeg where he served as General Secretary of the YMCA. Naismith credits Patton for taking the sport to India, where its popularity spread among women first. Also, from 1901-1903, Patton served as branch secretary for the YMCA of Central Europe. Patton used this position to continue to spread the game to many different flocks, but it was ultimately American troops during World War I that effectively spread basketball across Europe.