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- Houston Chronicle
March 5, 2019
Tom Bass
(Picture included)
1927 - 2019
Tom Bass was born in Texas on January 11, 1927, and rode off into the Texas sunset on March 3, 2019. Tom was a third-generation Houstonian and only child of Mary Lee Scoggins and Thomas Hutcheson Bass, both of Houston. He was pre-deceased by his son Martin Gerard. Left to celebrate his life well-lived are Tom's wife, Mary Ann (King), and daughter Patty, son Paul, daughter Rita and Stan Bradberry, daughter Amy Bass-Wilson, daughter Vicki and David Moran, son Bob and Jackie, son Dan and Dani, daughter Laura and Don Gibson, and son David. Tom is also survived by twenty-three grandchildren and two great-granddaughters. Tom had an active, varied, and at times very public career. He graduated from St. Thomas High School in 1944, and like many men of his generation, he enlisted in the Army with the intent to serve his country during World War II. Fortunately, the war was over shortly after Tom completed his training, and he instead was able to further his education at the University of Texas. He graduated in three years, in 1950, and married his sweetheart, Mary Ann. While Tom worked as a teacher, they started their family. Tom later did graduate study in Political Science, which led him into teaching in that field at Dominican College and the University of St Thomas. His interest in politics eventually led him to run for public office and he became a State Representative for Harris County in 1963. As a newly elected member of the legislature, Tom was preparing to don a tuxedo in anticipation of meeting President Kennedy at an evening reception in the State Capital on November 22, 1963. The President was assassinated in Dallas earlier that day before Tom ever had the opportunity. He abstained from wearing a tuxedo for the next 39 years, finally making an exception for one of his son's weddings. During the 1971 legislative session Tom was a founding member of the "Dirty Thirty": House of Representatives members who put aside party loyalty to successfully force out the presiding Speaker of the House, who ruled the chamber and had become entangled in the infamous Sharpstown stock-fraud scandal. Tom was that rare animal: a politician who put service before ego and self-interest. He worked tirelessly for the promulgation of Civil Rights, leaving the State legislature only after ensuring that the state's re-districting was done to give a voice to all voters - particularly the previously disenfranchised Black and Latino voters. After ten years in the State legislature, Tom was elected in 1973 to the Harris County Commissioner's Court. During his tenure as County Commissioner, Tom led the County in the acquisition of park lands and green belts. The current Braes Heights hike and bike trail was one result of Tom's efforts during that time. In 1984, in recognition of his flood control efforts while County Commissioner, 115 acres of parkland on 288 South was named the Tom Bass Regional Park. Tom left the Commissioners' Court in 1985 and then worked to bring the first 9-1-1 District in Texas to Harris County. In appreciation for all Tom's efforts on behalf of 9-1-1, the newly constructed Greater Harris 9-1-1 critical call center was named the Tom Bass Building in 2008. In his spare time, Tom was an Army Reserve Officer. He retired in 1980 as a Colonel after thirty-six years of active and reserve service. He became a competitive runner during the running boom of the 1970s and embraced marathon running. He won hundreds of age awards and completed 40 marathons, including three Boston Marathons. He competed in Senior Olympics at regional, state and national levels into his 80s. Beginning in 1976 he served Corpus Christi Catholic Parish as Lector, Eucharistic Minister and on the Pastoral Council. Despite all of Tom's accomplishments in his public life, he was at heart a reserved man, happy to let others take center stage. He had friends of all ages and a regular poker group, where they played for the high stakes of pennies. Tom was fortunate to be blessed with extended family, including many cousins, as well as in his life-long friends and supportive public-servant staffs. When asked what his favorite pastime was, Tom would say, without hesitation, "Being with my family - watching them enjoy each other." He always felt his greatest accomplishment was his family. He and Mary Ann were married for sixty-eight years and he never stopped writing her humorous love poems. Tom's children remember him for his games of fox-across-the-river, poker, fun-run races and charades. His grandchildren and great-grandchildren remember Tom for his offers of candy no matter what the occasion and his faithful purchases every spring of the Girl Scouts' thin mint cookies. The funeral mass will be held on March 7, 2019 at Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Houston at 10:30 a.m. with a reception to follow in the parish hall. A viewing and rosary will be held on March 6, 2019 at Earthman Funeral Home on Bissonnet from 6-8 p.m. Interment will be private at Texas State Cemetery in Austin, Texas. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Casa Juan Diego, PO Box 70113, Houston, Texas 77270.
Texas State Cemetery
Thomas Hutcheson Bass
(Includes photograph)
Member, Texas House of Representatives
Born: January 11, 1927
Thomas Hutcheson Bass, State Representative and educator, was born January 11, 1927, in Houston, Texas. He has spent intervals of his life educating young people, representing the citizens of Houston as an elected official, and serving his country. Following his graduation from St. Thomas High School in 1944, he joined the U.S. Army and served on active duty and in the reserve for a total of thirty-six years, retiring as a Colonel in 1980. Six years after enlistment in 1950, he married Mary Ann King. Together they had ten children and currently have over sixteen grandchildren. In that same year, Tom earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Texas in just three years. Tom graduated in the top twenty percent of his class. His teaching experience began in 1952, when he became a teacher for HISD. He taught Social Sciences and was an extra curricular coach in Speech, Drama, Football and Basketball. He furthered his education by obtaining a Masters in Education with a minor in Political Science from the University of Houston in 1954. His post graduate studies prompted his active involvement in public office from 1958-1964. Starting in 1960, Tom has been awarded the 1st Armored Division Certificate of Achievement, the Sierra Club Environmental Award, and the Common Cause of Texas Public Service Award in Education. Also, in 1960, Tom became Associate Professor of the Dominican College in Houston. From there, Tom has worked as an adjunct professor at UHCL, UHD, Texas Southern University and University of St. Thomas. Beginning in 1963, Tom ventured into politics by becoming a State Representative of Harris County. He served in the Texas Legislature for ten years and his political carreer spanned 22 years from 1963 to 1985. During his tenure in the House, he was a committee chairman for three sessions and Chairman of the Harris County Delegation for two sessions. He worked hard on legislation for reform laws to expose government wrong doing as an active part of the "Dirty Thirty" during the Sharpstown scandal. In 1966, Tom became Professor in the Political Science Department at the University of St. Thomas; a position he would hold until 2001, when he became Professor Emeritus of Political Science. In 1973, Tom served on the Executive Committee Houston Galveston Area Council and served as Chairman in 1978. Also in 1973, Tom served as County Commissioner until 1985, and worked hard for strong financial disclosure and ethics rules for all county officials; a redistricting that would allow the first minority to be elected to the commissioner's court. In 1983, Tom drafted, lobbied and the established the first 911 District in Harris County and from it's inception has served as Chairman of the Greater Harris County 911 Board. Because of extensive environmental efforts in 1985, the Tom Bass Regional Park on Clear Creek was named after him. In 1987 to 1992, Tom served on the Board of Directors Visiting Nurses Association. Then, in 1987 and in 1992, Tom authored the Texas portion of Magruders American Government; a text used in the majority of Texas high schools. In the summers of 1987 and 1988, Tom was granted fellowships on Congressional History at Rice University. In 1988, Tom wrote an unpublished study on the Speaker of the Texas House. Also in that same year, Tom served as Harris County Representative to Texas Silver Haired Legislation and Executive Director of the Houston Association of School Administrators. In 1990, he began volunteer service at Villa de Matel. In that same year, he became a reader and table leader for Educational Testing Services for advanced placement exams in government and politics. From 1993 to 2003, Tom became a Houston review instructor for EXCET which prepares teachers to take the Texas certification test. In the summer of 1994, Tom was a member of an AP workshop in a government Seminar for Texas and Oklahoma teachers. In 1995, 1997, and in 1999, Tom co-authored the new Texas Government textbook. In 1998, Tom was selected to St. Thomas High School Hall of Honor; an honor that goes to less than one-third of 1% of graduates. Tom has gone on to complete many other goals outside of education and community service. He is a three-time Boston Marathon runner, has completed over 40 marathons, has competed in the Senior Olympics at Regional, State, and National levels. He won medals at all levels. Tom has also received hundreds of age awards in track and road race events. He is still currently Professor Emeritus at the University of St. Thomas, Chairman of the Greater Harris County 911 Board, and volunteer to Villa de Matel. He and his wife, Mary, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2000. Sources: Biography information courtesy of Mary Ann King Bass.
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Bassett Family Association Database
1927 - 2019 (92 years)