Luther Gulick’s Boyhood Bible

Luther Halsey Gulick was a pioneering educator whose ideas helped shape modern physical education and directly influenced the creation of basketball. As founding superintendent of physical education at the International YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts, Gulick encouraged a young instructor, James Naismith, to develop an indoor game suitable for winter months. That challenge led to the invention of basketball, a sport Gulick later helped promote nationally and internationally through his work with the Amateur Athletic Union and the United States Olympic Committee. His broader legacy includes leadership in youth development, recreation, and fitness, and his induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1959 as a contributor.

This Bible, printed in 1877, was presented to Gulick as a child by his grandmother, as recorded in an ink inscription dated November 26, 1878. Pencil inscriptions inside the back cover include the name “Frances Jewett Gulick,” likely written by his daughter, indicating the book was later passed down within the family. Measuring approximately 6 x 4.5 x 2 inches, the Bible shows significant wear consistent with long use, including torn hinges, loose sections, dulled gilt edges, and a detached ribbon marker. The volume was acquired from an antique bookseller specializing in Bibles, and its layered inscriptions and wear trace a clear line of provenance from Gulick’s childhood, through his family, and into the present.