Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / Jan. 19, 1989, edition 1 / Page 3
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Bass has made the best of his opportunities By ROBIN BARKSOALE Chfonld> Suft Writ* In two years, Marshall Bass Will retire from RJR Nabisco Inc. with the confidence that he has prode the very best of the opportu nities offered him. By his personal definition of success, he will have ^succeeded.* : His retirement has officially teen announced and will become effective Jan. 1, 1991. Until that time, Bass said he will serve in a ^Consulting" capacity and also will Continue with most of his current jluties as senior vice president of the Corporation. His retirement from Reynolds also will mean the con clusion of not one, but two careers. "I spent one career in the mili tary and have some very interesting experiences from that," said the 62 ?year-old Bass. "When I retire from "RJR, I shall have had 24 years here. Tve had two full careers and rather responsible positions in both." A native* of Goldsboro, Bass jwas commissioned as a second lieu ; tenant in the Army. By the age of ^34, he was lieutenant and conr .manded a battalion combat team ? during the Korean War. He became Chief of Army promotions at the Pentagon after he left Korea. Dur ing his tenure with the Army, Bass teamed a Legion of Merit, three Army commendation medals, the jPurple Heart and the Combat Infantryman's Badge. But after 23 years of military life, Bass decided to ply his talents in the corporate arena. Business, he said, was not nec essarily a foreign territory for him. Although it's somehow difficult to imagine the corporate giant in any thing other than an executive envi ronment, Bass said he remembers clearly his very first occupation. "I sold Afro-Americans (news papers). I sold newspapers when I was eight years old. That's the first job I ever had," he said. "The papers sold for 10 cents each and I made 2 cents off every paper I .sold." Bass had a client list of 100 cugt^mersanil saidjkfe "Quickly; teamed that he could earn more by selling other papers and expanded his product line. Bass came to RJR in 1968 '?when he accepted a position as manager of personnel development. _? The first Afro-American manager at the company, he was responsible for the company's federal contract com pliance program, the EEO career development and general personnel management. In 1970, he was promoted to manager of personnel development for the newly-formed R J. Reynolds Photo by Charmane Delaverson Marshall Bass Is a successful man, not only byjhe standards of society, but ? more Importantly - by his own personal definition of success. said, is not based on setting long range goals and then either meeting, them or falling short. Bass said he defines success in more immediate terms. "To be the very best I could, in the job I was assigned to do at the time. That's my definition of suc cess," he said. "That's significant and important to my whole way of thinking. Being able to perform effectively in the tasks or job one is currently assigned. I don't look at - the next job. If one is doing well in what he or she is doing, then deci sions are made about how one will . perform at a higher level. Do well in whatever you're doing and gener- ? ally one will be rewarded for what one does." But Bass said success doesn't just fall into an individual's lap. It depends on an important quality. "Success means being able to recognize an opportunity when it presents itself, "saidBass, a mem ber of several boards of directors. . "That's important Timing is so very important. If one is not able to know when it is time to take advan tage of an opportunity, one is a fail ure." And knowing when the time is right, Bass said, depends on the ^sum total of one's life's experi ences," but mostly on faith. "I believe very strongly in a prayerful approach to life," said Bass, a licensed lay leader and chal ice bearer in the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina. "One must have a relationship, in my case, with God or Jesus Christ, but something big do the best jofr I could I have had^ that opportunity with RJR/^said Bass. "Of course, there have been other things such as superior man agement and other things that I could have -gotten witfr someone else. I could sit here and say any number of things. But it has not faeen such things as 'I like Winston Salem' or 'I like this town,1 or 'I dicR n't have opportunities elsewhere.' It - has been that this company has given me theopportunityAosuc ? ceed." "Success means being able to recognize an opport u ? riity when it presents itself. That's important. Timing : is so very important. If one is not able to know when it is time to take advantage of an opportunity, one is a failure." ? : , ? Marshall Bass industries. He was elected vice ; president in 1982 and, in 1986, was named senior vice president With his retirement now on the horizon, Bass said that it naturally will be difficult to leave the work that he has done for nearly a quarter of a century. But his presence will still be felt at the company despite his official retirement "It's difficult to walk away - from an occupation if one has com mitted himself or herself to it for a period of time," said Bass, who received his bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland. "I sup pose that when I formally retire, there will be an adjustment period. But I don't intend to stop being a : part of a lot of the things I am cur > rently involved with." Bass plans to be anything but idle after his official retirement. I Among his plans are establishing a relationship with Winston-Salem State University, "because I believe that I want to share, in a college environment, some of the things I have learned over the years. I also plan to play as much tenni*er I can. *? Tennis is something I enjoy. I love the game. I don't expect to become inactive as long as I am blessed with good health." Bass said that he would term : his career "successful/ because he has his own definition of success by - which he measures. Succeeding, he ger than him or herself. You have to have faith and you have to have expectations that this is the right thing to do. Faith without expecta tions is not a good experience. You must have a sense of preparedness to move on and you have to believe it is time for it" Bass said that it would be easy for him to say that his motivation to be the best stems from his experi ences in corporate America, from his years in college or from having pulled combat duties in the Korean War. But it would also be false, he said. The source of his inspiration is much closer to home. "My father died when I was four years old. I think of my mother in very reverent terms," said Bass, one of 11 children. "If I had to look at any one person in terms of defin ing what life is all abodt, it would certainly have to be my mother." Although offered many other opportunities during his career, Bass turned them all down to^ remain with Reynolds. The compa ny, he said, provided him the oppor tunity to succeed, and he never wanted anything more. "What kept me here was the opportunity to Succeed. I'd really have to say it was the opportunity to Thursday, January 19, 1989 Wimta^Sk *r- Hirmrfc Page A3 COOK'S FLEA MARKET The Triad's Largest In-Ooor Flea Market OVER 300 Dealers Restaurant or\ Premises Sat. 8:00 am - 5:00 pm Sun. 9:00 am - 5:00 pm Hwy 52 N. & Hwy 8 Winston-Salem 767-4113 or 969-5897 BRING THIS AD' 'ffWlN C . v ^.CLEANERS, o/ yfc4tv\*Jio/cl* <f test Fijr*- * ? " 612 West Fourth Street Winston-Salem, NC 271 C1 919-722-7106 1 . - ? 25% OFF ALL DRY CLEANING NEXT DAY SERVICE <D '? 1 H' CLEANERS The Complete Carment Care Center 411 Peters Creek Parkway Winston-Salem, NC 27101 (919) 7?4-908O ?BRING THIS AD 37 BRADLEES DISCOUNT STORES CLOSE FOREVER J 37 BRADLEES STORES IN 4 STATES ARE CLOSING FOREVER AV ALL THE BEST BRANDS! LOOK! Lee, Wrangler, Manhattan, Spauldlng, Wilson, Hoover, Seiko, Jordache, Cape Cod, GE, Gitano, Sunbeam, Sergio Valente, Sharp, Sony, Sanyo, Yorx, Brother, AT&T, Tlmex, Casio, Cannon, St. Mary's, Clairol, Conalr, Yamaha, Proctor-SHex, Wear Ever, Presto, Black & Decker, Hamilton Beach, Norelco, Remington, Regina, Revere Ware, & More! NOTHING WILL BE SPARED Clothing for Men, Women and Children, toys, hardware, housewares, domestics, bicycles, photo, footwear, small appliances, vacuums, Jewelry, televisions, vcr's, stereos, disc players, telephones, sporting goods, china & glass, keyboard, cookware, tableware, lamps, gifts, baby needs, health and beauty aids, luggage, ?ujto supplies, & More! We regret: No checks. No Bradlees charges! Not all items in all stores. # Our leased service and shoe departments are not going out of business, but are offering equally outstanding values. Delaware Wilmington (3), Newark Maryland Randallstown, Frederick, Rockville, Ft. Washington, Camp Springs, Hyattsvllle, Greenbelt, Columbia, Catonsville, Dundalk, Bladensburg, Bowie, Laurel Virginia Charlottesville, Woodbrldge, Fredericksburg, Richmond (4), Reston, - Fairfax, Alexandria (2), Burke, Virginia Beach (2), Petersburg, Norfolk, Hampton, North Carolina Durham, Greensboro (2) Not a sale on selected Items, not a clearance or EndOf-Seaaon mark down, but current merchandise In our vast Inventory marked with current price tags and now at ( even greater discounts. Appropriate licenses for this sale, where required, are pending or are on file. Only Bradlees regular stock is included. Fixtures and store equipment for sale in selected stores. See manager foxtails. AVAILABLE AT THE LISTED LOCATION ONLY Greensboro Stones Throw Crossing Shopping Center end Westrldge Squsre Shopping Center # # [AIL SALES FINAL. ALL ITEMS SUBJECT TO PRIOR SALE. AMERICAN EXPRESS, DISCOVER. MASTERCARD. VISA ft CASH WEIQPMFJ
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
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Jan. 19, 1989, edition 1
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