Eli Bassett, U of Maryland faculty member in Europe from 1961 to 2006 died in Frankfurt in mid August 2011 at age 83 after a long illness.

Eli taught courses in Government/Politics and Business Law, especially in the Frankfurt area when that region was one of the major centers of the U.S. military presence in Europe..   He earned his B.A. from West Virginia University and held three graduate degrees, from Yale and New York University (both in law) and another from West Virginia University. 

Eli was known for his interest in  music and was a pianist himself. He   donated a large number of records, books, and other material  to  the Jazz Institute in Darmstadt, Germany  where the collection carries his name in memoriam.  He was also one of the intrepid European Division faculty members who didn’t own a car and commuted for decades by train, street car, and bus.

He will be remembered by faculty in Europe on the one hand as an irreverent wit but also one of those who provided stability, continuity, and academic rigor to the U of Maryland program in Europe over many decades and whose presence certainly will be greatly missed.

————————

Submitted by

Ron Schlundt
Thanks to Stephen Richards, Bill Kerr, and Robert Scott who contributed suggestions for this message

Sept 2011