Essays In Appreciation
Francis D. Campbell is the Librarian of the American Numismatic Society
in New York, and an early recipient of Harry Bass's support because of his predilection
for books.
Harry W. Bass Jr -- A Remembrance
Francis D. Campbell
When Harry W. Bass, Jr. first visited the American Numismatic Society in 1966,
little did I know what an influence he was to have on my career at the Society and
on me personally. At the time, Geoffrey H. North was the Society's Librarian and
I was his assistant. Harry took an immediate interest in the Library, revealing his
personal love of numismatic literature. Before long, Harry's name was appearing in
Geoff North's annual reports, wherein he was acknowledged for
his generous support of the library's binding program. I can still recall Harry's
concern for some 33 manuscript volumes of the Edgar H. Adams "Notebooks,"
which he arranged to have specially bound in 1967. His support of the binding program
continued through the 1960's and into the 1970's. In 1968, Harry became a member
of the Standing Committee on the Library. He would later (1980) become Chairman of
the Committee, a position which he held until his passing. As Assistant Librarian
my direct involvement with Harry was somewhat limited. However, during, his visits
to the Society he always made it a Point to chat briefly with all staff members,
showing a true interest in their work.
In 1970, while I was still attending library school, 1 was fortunate enough to win
an award which offered an all-expenses paid trip to the American Library Association
Convention, which that year happened to be held in Dallas. As soon as Harry heard
I was heading his way, he extended a warm invitation to visit his home and inspect
his library. He called his library the "Sanctum Sanctorum," and it was
quite a treat for a then young librarian to be given a personal tour by Harry himself.
The year following my trip to Dallas, "Harry established the Bass Library Fund,
the income from which has been used ever since for library acquisitions. While not
the library's only restricted fund, it has become - owing, to Harry's subsequent
contributions to principal - the major library fund. During the same year, Harry
funded the renovation of what had been a library workroom, turning it into a presentable
reading area with adjustable steel shelving around its perimeter. Since that time,
this room has been called the "Bass Room," and has housed our growing collection
of non-numismatic periodicals.
In 1975, upon Geoffrey North's retirement, I became Librarian of the Society. In
January of that year, prior to my official assumption of duties, Harry wrote to me
expressing his confidence in me and indicating he would be available to provide "whatever
assistance" be might in the years that lay ahead. When I review the events that
have transpired since receiving that letter, I can say without hesitation that Harry
Bass was a man of his word. In the years prior to 1978, when he became the Society's
president, he had placed the library on sound financial footing, After he assumed
the presidency, he seemed to focus more on enhancing the quality of library operations
by funding expansion of computerization to include library applications, and providing
for improvements in the library's physical plant. In 1983, through the Harry Bass
Foundation, he funded the initial software development for a library ordering, accessioning,
and cataloging system. He also funded the installation of moveable shelving in the
West Room of the Library. With this installation, the library was able to segregate
rare materials, removing them from the open stacks, and thereby securing them.
When Harry relinquished the presidency of the Society in 1984, he seemed to begin
a new phase in his support of the library. Still a member of the Society's governing
Council, he now focussed more on building the library's endowment, funding purchase
of rare materials, and the completion of library computerization. During the latter
half of the 1980's and into the 1990's, the Harry Bass Foundation made substantial
contributions to the library's endowment. In 1990, Harry began his support of special
acquisitions with a sizable donation toward the purchase of items from the
John W. Adams library. This acquisition included manuscript inventories of collections
and research notes, but consisted mainly of original correspondence among the principal
authorities on United States Large Cents who, during the first half of this century,
established many of the die varieties and pedigrees accepted today. The names represented
were Howard Newcomb, George H. Clapp, William H. Sheldon, Homer K. Downing, and Henry
Clay Hines. At the George Kolbe sale of December 8, 1991, Harry, along with several
other donors, contributed to the purchase of the New Netherlands Coin Company Archives.
Founded in 1936 by Moritz Wormser, this firm came under the directorship of Moritz'
son, Charles Wormser, in 1946. During the period 1951-970, John J. Ford assumed full
editorial responsibility for New Netherlands' catalogues and from 1952 until 1960,
Walter Breen contributed his cataloging skills to the firm. Coins sold by the firm
came from the best collections, which included the Norweb, Brand, Eliasberg, Boyd,
Gibbs, and Downing collections.
Beginning in November 1994, the firm of Bowers and Merena commenced the auction of
the legendary Armand Champa library, which was sold at four separate sales, the last
occurring in November of 1995. 1 knew about some of the rarities to be offered and
also knew that attempting to purchase only one or two would considerably deplete
my library budget. Harry knew this as well, so he called me prior to the first sale
and once again offered to help, pointing out that these sales would offer items which
appear "once in a lifetime." Through Harry's generosity, many of these
items are now in the American Numismatic Society library. To mention just a few,
the library acquired Raphael Prosper Thian's "Register of issues of Confederate
States Treasury Notes," the personal diary of Joseph J. Mickley, the confidential
black list of Philadelphia coin dealer, Henry Chapman, correspondence of George F.
Kunz for the period 1892-932, several manuscripts by Walter Breen, and a number of
rare counterfeit detectors and auction catalogs. The last library purchase to which
Harry lent his direct support was from the Charles Davis auction of March 22, 1997,
which included a number of Henry Chapman's bid books. Of the thirteen quarto sized
sales offered by Davis, ten were acquired by our library.
Over the past several years, despite the fact that he was very much involved with
projects initiated by the Harry Bass Foundation and despite the fact that
his health was failing, Harry still spent a good deal of time supporting computerization
of the ANS library's operations. Thanks to his Foundation, the Society now has its
own web page. However, he wanted to make available the library's holdings on the
web, as he had done for much of the coin collection. In the months prior to his death,
he made provision for this and, indeed, was able to see some initial results of our
card catalog conversion project. I spoke with him for the last time a week before
he passed away and found his indomitable spirit very much intact. He was a true rarity,
the kind of person everyone should be fortunate enough to know at some point in their
lives. I had that good fortune and I will truly miss the friendship and counsel
of this extraordinary individual.
[Adapted, with permission, from The Asylum, Spring 1998]