Harry W. Bass, Jr. -- Memories of His Life
Arthur A. Houghton was President of the American Numismatic Society
and is the principal of Arthur Houghton Associates, Washington, DC. His research
interest is the coinage of the Seleucid rulers of Asia Minor.
Preface
We Will Miss Harry Bass
Arthur Houghton
Harry represented in microcosm the best of the universe of numismatists. An individual
who was passionately interested in the field, he created a collection of U.S. gold
coins that is today one of the largest and finest ever brought together. An amateur
numismatist, he became an authority on Federal coinage, gold in particular, from
its beginnings in 1795 through the first third of this century. A supporter and benefactor
of numerous institutions, he gave special attention to those in the field of numismatics,
in particular the American Numismatic Society, but also his own creation, the Harry
Bass Research Foundation, which remains a monument to his efforts to support numismatic
research and to maintain for the continuing benefit of scholarship his collection,
his books, and his papers and research material.
As a natural leader and administrator, Harry Bass served as ANS President for six
critical years. He presided over and guided the Society toward the end of the century
even as he established its database program and propelled it into the era of computerization
in the service of numismatic research, His inquiring mind was quick to recognize
the opportunities provided by Internet technology to facilitate communications between
scholars and institutions everywhere, and to make it possible for those interested
to have access to entire archives of data, including the full database of the Society's
numismatic collection and soon, that of the ANS Library as well. He was, in short,
a generative force for the betterment of the ANS, as he was for the field of numismatics
as a whole. The effect of his actions will be felt long into the future.
More important than those things that Harry Bass did, still, was what he was. A man
of the most restless and probing mind, he was forever in search of ways to create,
to build bridges between people, to make it possible for others to succeed. A man
of most unusual generosity, he bestowed continuous attention on the institutions
he loved, and gave unstintingly to these as well as to those of us who sought his
counsel. Whether or not one agreed with Harry, one had to respect him: there are
more times than I can count that I sought his advice, knowing that I might not accept
everything he offered, but wanting to have his views because they were valuable to
the core. I was never disappointed.
Harry was a friend as well as a colleague. He was someone I could count on for good
judgment, and or support when it was most needed. I was warmed always by his ready
willingness to be of help where he could. I shall miss him. So will we all.
Next >
Part One - Coming of Age
Part Two - Bass Buys A Mountain
Part Three - The Lore of Numismatics
Part Four - The 1989 ANS COAC Exhibition
Part Five - The Harry Bass Era at ANS
Part Six - Harry Bass Foundation