A native of Sand Springs and a graduate of Langston University with a bachelor’s degree in industrial education, Haynes brought both honor and distinction to Oklahoma through his exceptional skills as a basketball player and leader in creating equal opportunity for people of all races to play basketball. His basketball career began at Booker T. Washington High School where he led the school to a high school national championship in 1941. During his time at Booker T. Washington, Haynes was honored as a High School All American. He then starred collegiately at Langston University from 1942 through 1946 where he was a four-time All-State, All-Conference and team MVP selection. Haynes played for the legendary Zip Gayles and led Langston in scoring all four years and led the university to a 112-3 record, a mark that included a 59-game winning streak. In 1947, Haynes joined the Harlem Globetrotters and dazzled fans with his basketball handling skills. Haynes is considered by many to be the greatest basketball dribbler of all time. He could dribble the ball three times per second and maintain the dribble one inch off the floor from any position. Haynes continued his career with the Globetrotters until 1953 and later re-joined the team from 1972 to 1979. In 1998, he was the first player to be inducted as a Globetrotter into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Haynes is equally famous for what he did off the basketball court – being instrumental in the NBA recruiting of Black players for the first time and opened Seventh Avenue’s first major Black-owned and operated fashion house.