Alva O. Duer

A man affectionately known as “Mr. NAIA,” coach and administrator Alva Duer spent a quarter century working to improve intercollegiate basketball and promote the ideals of education, sportsmanship, and equality in sports. Championing the NAIA’s goal, “Athletics/ Education for Leadership, Character, Citizenship,” Duer pioneered the integration of basketball with the inclusion of an all-black school in the 1954 NAIA Tournament. A member of the AAU, and the United States Basketball Association Ethics Committee, Duer was appointed executive secretary to the NAIB in 1949 and he led the movement to change the organization's name to NAIA after the organization grew to more than 500 members. Toward the end of his career, Duer continued his work with the Olympic Committee as a member of the USOC Executive Committee and as vice president. He also served on the board of directors of the Basketball Hall of Fame.