Dr. Hal Lane, Jr. was a long-time advocate for Howard Payne University and the student-athlete both in academics and athletics. He served on the Howard Payne faculty from 1960-1996 and as the faculty athletic representative from 1970 to 1996. He served as the president of the Lone Star Conference for two years and vice president for three. He worked as the eligibility chairman for the Lone Star Conference and also represented NCAA Division II on a joint committee of NCAA and NAIA schools. Lane also played a key role in HPU’s athletics transition from the NAIA to NCAA Division II school and eventually to NCAA Division III. Lane, who died in 2019, graduated from Richland Springs High School in San Saba County in 1950 and the same year enrolled at North Texas State College. He completed his bachelor’s degree in mathematics in 1954 and enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. After receiving his discharge, Lane taught math and science at Denton High School and earned a master’s degree from North Texas State College. In 1960, he began his 36-year teaching career as a mathematics professor at HPU.