Designed and built in 1855 by Charles Goodyear, the ball was made of vulcanized rubber panels glued at the seams. Panels were shaped similar to today’s basketball.
The ball was used for a game between the Oneida Football Club, the first organized team in the U.S. and a team of players from Boston Latin and Boston English schools.
The Oneida club was formed by Gerritt Smith-Miller and came from students at Dixwell Latin School. The ball (shown below) became the trophy from that game.
The ball was donated by the family of Gerritt Smith-Miller to the Society For the Preservation of New England Antiquities in 1925, and was later loaned to the National Soccer HOF for display.
Dr. James Naismith developed the game of basketball in Springfield, Mass. in 1891 and the first game was played with — a soccer ball!
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