Robert B. Payne

Robert B. Payne is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati '67. He was commissioned an officer in the United States Army 1st serving 2 years at Ft. Lee, Virginia. He completed an M.A. in Public Administration at U.C. '71. He then attended Christian Theological Seminary obtaining an M.Div. '78. He served over 17 more years as a chaplain in the Army of the United States.

His unique position to write Let There Be Light: A History of Night Baseball 1880 - 2008 comes from the fact his father, Earl D. Payne was one of the three principle electrical engineers who designed the lighting layout for Crosley Field, May '35. They were supported by the entire CG&E company. Earl D. Payne also was a professional photographer who was on the field for the 1st ever Major League night game on the cool evening of 24 May '35.

Earl D. Payne, also an alumni of the University of Cincinnati '21-'26 was in the five year electrical engineering Co-0p program at the university. He worked for CG&E as a Co-op and after completing five years of schooling went to work for the CG&E company as an illumination engineer, Jan. '27. He also received specialized courses from the General Electric Company's lighting labs in Nela Park, Cleveland, Ohio and Schenectady,New York.

He was in ROTC while at U.C. & in June '26 was commissioned a Reserve officer in the U.S. Army. He worked for the Cincinnati Gas & Electric company '27-'40 and volunteered to go on active duty as an Ordnance officer, October 1940.

He rose in rank quickly becoming a Colonel by 1950 working at the Pentagon on the Munitions Board and the Department of Defense as well as being on the General Staff. He worked between the Dept. of Defense and the civilian organizations providing materials for the war efforts both in World War II & the Korean war '50.