17:
181:(NASA). He was a keen observer of atmospheric phenomena encouraging others to look skyward to see the optical effects of clouds, raindrops, and ice crystals. He painted still lives and landscapes. He wrote books and articles on topics ranging from Long Island Craftsmen to Shadow Bands and Searchlights. His lectures to local groups on these topics were very popular. In his eighties and nineties he embarked on an "uncollecting" program in which he gave antiques to the
20:
Preston R. Bassett, from a photo that depicted the final meeting of the
National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) on August 21, 1958. T. Keith Glennan (to the left of Bassett in the original) was sworn in as the first Administrator of NASA, and was seen here speaking to Preston R. Bassett
63:. He married Jeanne Reed Mordorf in 1919 and had four children. Jeanne Reed Mordorf was born November 1, 1893, in Trenton, NJ, graduated from Vassar College in 1915. They were married in Brooklyn May 24, 1919. Their home from 1925 to 1952 was 104 Broadway,
79:
for his whole career, where he rose from research engineer (1914) to Chief
Engineer (1929), Vice-President in Charge of Engineering (1932), General Manager (1944), and President (1945-1956). He was also Vice President of the merged
21:(center—cropped to show him only), member of the NACA Committee on Aerodynamics, and Charles J. McCarthy (who was on Bassett's right), Chairman of the Board of Chance Vought Aircraft, Inc. Original photo can be seen at
161:(1964-1975). He served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn (1952-1961). He was a director of Abilities, Inc., a company that employed the handicapped. He was a fellow of the
100:
use arc light and gyroscope technology to measure the speed of light at Mount Wilson in June, 1924. He also developed the first soundproofing systems for airplanes and worked closely with Sperry founder
166:
170:
387:
178:
174:
197:, Keeler Tavern, and others, always encouraging the museums to put his antiques into historical context. He died on April 30, 1992, at the age of 100.
382:
377:
372:
154:
367:
138:
56:
352:
153:(1968-1972). He served as Vice President of the Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities (1962-1972) and
247:
Early
Contributions to Aviation Online Course, including (in Session 3) Bassett's role in blind flying and searchlights
246:
59:
in 1913-1914. He received two honorary degrees, an M.A. and a D.Sc., from
Amherst College, and an honorary LLD from
162:
110:
76:
84:(1950-1957). He held 35 patents awarded between 1920 and 1937, including several for improved high-intensity
182:
150:
31:(March 20, 1892 – April 30, 1992) was an inventor, engineer, and pioneer in instruments for aviation.
158:
48:
362:
357:
190:
102:
64:
97:
16:
81:
194:
109:, crucial to flying safely at night and in bad weather. The first blind landing (now called an
186:
40:
93:
114:
60:
52:
251:
44:
22:
346:
270:
146:
252:
US Patent search page, search for
Preston and Bassett in Inventor name, 1790-present
142:
89:
134:
130:
106:
214:
279:
Bassett, Preston R with
Margaret F. Bartlett; illustrated by Jim Arnosky.
85:
126:
330:
The
Bulletin of the Antiquarian and Landmarks Society of Connecticut,
314:
Bassett, Preston R. Sperry's Forty Years in the
Progress of Science.
265:
Interview with
Preston R. Bassett on Motion Pictures and Blind Flying
105:
on several flight instruments based on gyroscopes, especially the
15:
173:, and Institute of Aeronautical Sciences. He was a member of the
300:
Bassett, Preston R. Passenger
Comfort in Air Transportation.
267:(24 pp, Columbia University: Oral History Project, July 1980)
274:
Michelson and the Speed of Light, Biography of a Scientist
141:(1947), Nassau Historical Society (1947-1954), Friends of
125:
Bassett's many interests in addition to aviation included
290:(244 pp, Uniondale, New York: Salisbury Printers, 1969)
321:
Bassett, Preston R. The Local Potters of Long Island.
307:
Bassett, Preston R. Long Island, Cradle of Aviation.
177:(NACA) from 1954 to 1958, when it became the present
23:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasa_appel/4525536545/
293:Bassett, Preston R. Shadow Bands and Searchlights.
167:
American Association for the Advancement of Science
171:American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
276:(197 pp, Garden City, New York: Doubleday, 1960)
241:The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography
179:National Aeronautics and Space Administration
129:collecting, early technology, and history of
8:
335:Bassett, Preston R. The Silver Betty Lamp.
175:National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics
339:Vol. XXXVI, No 1, pp 9–10, February, 1970.
283:(40 pp., New York: Four Winds Press, 1981)
328:Bassett, Preston R. Towns in the Ridges.
51:was his sister. He received an A.B. from
388:Fellows of the American Physical Society
311:Amityville, NY, pp 1–42, November, 1950.
297:Vol. XXXIII, No 4, pp 1–5, April, 1925.
206:
286:Bassett, Preston R; Arthur L. Hodges.
332:Vol. XVII, No 1, pp 6–10, July, 1965.
235:Life and Times of Preston R. Bassett.
155:New York State Historical Association
47:and Annie Preston Bassett. Geologist
7:
215:"History of the Bassett Planetarium"
325:Vol. 1, No 1, pp 1–14, March, 1965.
39:Preston Rogers Bassett was born in
316:Sperry Scope Corporate Newsletter,
237:(privately published, April, 1976)
139:Institute of Aeronautical Sciences
117:in 1929 using Sperry instruments.
14:
57:Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn
288:The History of Rockville Centre.
383:20th-century American inventors
378:20th-century American engineers
113:) was made by aviation pioneer
304:Vol. 2, pp 48–50, March, 1935.
243:(New York, J. T. White: 1892-)
1:
302:Journal Aeronautical Science,
373:American aerospace engineers
137:. He was President of the
404:
368:American men centenarians
163:American Physical Society
145:Village (1966-1970), and
55:in 1913 and attended the
323:The Long Island Courant,
193:, Old Bethpage Village,
149:Preservation Society in
77:Sperry Gyroscope Company
183:Smithsonian Institution
151:Ridgefield, Connecticut
75:Bassett worked for the
43:, son of urban planner
353:Amherst College alumni
88:used in anti-aircraft
29:Preston Rogers Bassett
25:
159:Cooperstown, New York
49:Isabel Bassett Wasson
45:Edward Murray Bassett
19:
233:Bassett, Preston R.
103:Elmer Ambrose Sperry
65:Rockville Centre, NY
121:Later life and work
98:Albert A. Michelson
309:Long Island Forum,
295:Popular Astronomy,
111:instrument landing
82:Sperry Corporation
26:
281:Raindrop stories.
217:. Amherst College
187:Henry Ford Museum
86:carbon arc lights
41:Buffalo, New York
395:
226:
225:
223:
222:
211:
94:movie projectors
71:Career at Sperry
403:
402:
398:
397:
396:
394:
393:
392:
343:
342:
263:Jessup, Peter.
260:
258:Further reading
230:
229:
220:
218:
213:
212:
208:
203:
195:Farmers' Museum
191:Mead Art Museum
123:
115:Jimmy Doolittle
73:
61:Adelphi College
53:Amherst College
37:
12:
11:
5:
401:
399:
391:
390:
385:
380:
375:
370:
365:
360:
355:
345:
344:
341:
340:
337:The Rushlight,
333:
326:
319:
312:
305:
298:
291:
284:
277:
271:Jaffe, Bernard
268:
259:
256:
255:
254:
249:
244:
238:
228:
227:
205:
204:
202:
199:
122:
119:
72:
69:
36:
33:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
400:
389:
386:
384:
381:
379:
376:
374:
371:
369:
366:
364:
361:
359:
356:
354:
351:
350:
348:
338:
334:
331:
327:
324:
320:
317:
313:
310:
306:
303:
299:
296:
292:
289:
285:
282:
278:
275:
272:
269:
266:
262:
261:
257:
253:
250:
248:
245:
242:
239:
236:
232:
231:
216:
210:
207:
200:
198:
196:
192:
188:
184:
180:
176:
172:
168:
164:
160:
156:
152:
148:
147:Keeler Tavern
144:
140:
136:
132:
128:
120:
118:
116:
112:
108:
104:
99:
95:
91:
87:
83:
78:
70:
68:
66:
62:
58:
54:
50:
46:
42:
34:
32:
30:
24:
18:
336:
329:
322:
315:
308:
301:
294:
287:
280:
273:
264:
240:
234:
219:. Retrieved
209:
143:Old Bethpage
124:
96:. He helped
90:searchlights
74:
38:
28:
27:
363:1992 deaths
358:1892 births
135:New England
131:Long Island
107:gyrocompass
347:Categories
221:2008-05-09
201:References
35:Biography
127:antique
318:1950.
133:and
92:and
157:in
349::
189:,
185:,
169:,
165:,
67:.
224:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
