Allie Paine

Alva Leon "Allie" Paine (July 22, 1919 – March 21, 2008) was an American college basketball standout at the University of Oklahoma who was named a consensus First Team All-American in 1944.^[1] In high school, Paine earned varsity letters in football, basketball and baseball, and he earned a scholarship to play for the Oklahoma Sooners men's basketball team.^[1] He played for four seasons: 1941, 1943, 1944 and 1947.^[2] He had spent two years in the United States Army before finishing his college career.^[1]

Paine, a 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) guard, guided the Sooners to two Big Six Conference titles in 1944 and 1947.^[2] As a junior he led the conference in scoring and was named both a First Team All-Conference and consensus First Team All-American selection.^[2] In his final season of 1946–47, he helped Oklahoma reach the national championship game in the 1947 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. The Sooners lost, however, to the Holy Cross Crusaders 58–47. Paine graduated from Oklahoma with bachelor degrees in business and education.^[1]

After college, he played for the only season in the Professional Basketball League of America's existence as a member of the Oklahoma City Drillers.^[3] He appeared in five games and scored 17 points.^[3] In 1953, Paine moved to Enid, Oklahoma with his wife and became the basketball and baseball coach at Phillips University.^[1] Two years later, he started working with Robert R. Nigh and ultimately became the president of Robert R. Nigh Associates for 35 years.^[1] Paine was very involved in church and community life. Throughout his years he served on the Enid Public Schools Board of Education, was a Boy Scouts of America troop leader, Little League baseball coach, member and president of American Business Club, and volunteered at soup kitchens with his church.^[1]

At the time of his death in March 2008, Paine was survived by his two children, six grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren (his wife had died in 1998).^[1]

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