Another homegrown member of the “Tall Firs”, Lauren “Laddie” Gale (April 22, 1917 – July 29, 1996) made his way into the history books as part of the first-ever NCAA basketball championship team.
Born in 1917, Gale grew to 6-foot-4 as a senior and led Oakridge to the state semifinals in 1935, where the Indians lost to eventual champion Astoria .
Gale was voted to the All-Tournament First Team along with teammate Jake Fisher, and caught the attention of Astoria coach John Warren, who had led the Fishermen to four titles in six seasons. When Warren moved to Eugene following the season to join the Oregon coaching staff, he recruited Gale.
At Oregon, Gale turned into an offensive force on three consecutive Pacific Coast Conference title teams, and helped lead the “Tall Firs” to a 29-5 record in 1939-39, when they won the first NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship. Oregon beat Ohio State 46-33 in the title game in Evanston, Ill.
Gale led the PCC in scoring as both a junior and senior and is credited with helping develop the one-handed shot. He was named an All-American as a senior when he averaged 12 points per game.
Following the title season, Gale signed with the Detroit Eagles of the National Basketball League before being drafted into the Army at the start of World War II. He played for several semi-pro teams following the war and retired from basketball in 1949.
Gale was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1977 and to the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame as part of its inaugural class in 1980. The “Tall Firs” were inducted as a team in 1984. The University of Oregon retired his #28 and inducted him into its Athletic Hall of Fame in 1993.