Ilion High School - Class of 1891

Utica Observer Dispatch - November 16, 1922

Harry Bassett Wins High Place in Buick Company

Article 1

Harry Bassett Wins High Place in Buick Company

Ilion - This month's issue of Forbes magazine contains the following:

"Have you met Harry Bassett? If that question was put to the name it was asked a dozen times before I was in Flint one hour. It reminded me of how often I was asked the same question about Herbert Fleischaken when I reached San Francisco. When I did meet Harry --- meet him once and you can't call him anything but Harry --- I quickly understood his extraordinary popularity.

"A graduate from the workers' ranks, Harry Bassett is to-day, president of the company which has turned out the largest volume of automobile business, with the exception of the Ford, in each of the last five years, namely the Buick Company, and as he is still a young man, there is no saying how much higher he may yet climb.

"The success of a man of his type is easily understood, his discoverer, C. S. Mott, now chief of staff of General Motors, emphasized to me how he had been attracted to Harry when the latter was quite a young man in his employ. Not only did Harry have unusual aptitude, but nothing was too hard or difficult or too burdensome for him to tackle and carry through, even though he might have to work day and night. Also, he developed a wonderful faculty for infusing enthusiasm and energy into his coworkers.

"I remarked to Harry that apparently everybody around the place called him Harry. "Why shouldn't they?" he replied. "Haven't I grown up with this business and been one of them all my life?"

"I learned from other officials that all the men who had been with the company for any time felt that they were working, not for some monster corporation, but for Harry Bassett, and that it was up to them to do their best by him and for him."

"And apparently it pays an executive to earn the good will of the workers for Buick's production has been increasing and increasing until it is to-day breaking all previous records. Output lately averaged 125 cars a day, which is 115 better than the highest ever before reached. Even so, production can't overtake the demand for the most popular new models.

"I rather think there ought to be a suggestion to all this for a good many executives of other companies.

Ilionites are especially proud of the achievements of Mr. Bassett who was a resident here all his life until he joined the staff of the West Motor Company.