Photo by Kevin Walker Marshall Bass signs a copy of his book Tuesday evening. A Full Life Marshall Bass recall ? highs, lows in autobiography BY T. KEVIN WALKER THE CHRONICLE On the cover of his new auto biography, Marshall Brent Bass is shown standing at the top of a long stretch of highway and look ing back at the road behind him. The picture is symbolic - used to show Bass's amazing journey from a child of the segregated South, to decorated military offi cer, to corporate trailblazer. But the book cover shows a nearly smooth, straight road, lined with beautiful trees and no traffic con gestion or roadblocks in sight. That has not been the road that Bass has traveled. His book. "The Path of My Pilgrimage," shows that his journey has not always been smooth. There have been potholes, head-on collisions - times V heti it was hard to keep steering. Three years ago, Bass thought it was time to chronicle the peaks and valleys of his life, not for fame or vanity but for posterity's sake. "1 wanted to leave some doc umentation of who 1 am and what I did for my children and my grandchildren and my lineage to come," he said. If others find strength and wisdom in Bass' story, he says so be it. A Goldsboro native. Bass grew up one of 1 1 children. His father passed away when Bass was a young boy. His strong willed mother instilled God-fear ing values in her children and the importance of education. Bass and all of his siblings graduated from college or trade school. "There was no question that I was going to go to college," he said. "That was just the way we were brought up." Bass graduated from the Uni versity of Maryland and was drafted into the Army, where he would spend nearly a quarter century. "I can't think of anything I could have done that would have prepared me for life like the mil itary," said Bass, who served in World War II. Korea and Viet nam. A good chunk of his book ? which was written with the help of freelance writer William Turn er - is devoted to his time in the military. He tells the storiespf^ people he met as if thejjjuetTngs took place yesterday. In one such story, Bass tells of meeting Sen. Strom Thurmond while Bass was commanding a combat team in the DMZ in Korea. Bass recalls Thurmond giving him a hall hearted handshake, and then Thurmond directed all of his questions to Bass white .intelli gence officer. Bass met Vice President Hubert Humphrey around that same time. It was a meeting that would change Bass' lite. Bass flew from Korea to the United States on the vice president's plane. Somewhere along the way Humphrey told Bass that it was time for him to get out of the mil itary and make some money. "1 think that he saw some thing in me.'" Bass said. The next year (1968), Bass was out of uni form and in a business suit. He came to Winston-Salem to work for R.J. Reynolds, becoming the company's first-ever black man ager. He worked at the company for more than two decades, retir ing in 1999 as senior vice presi dent of RJR Nabisco. In his book, he recalls-that being the first was not always easy: Subordinates tried to belit tle him. and many questioned if he belonged. On top of every thing else. Bass said, he had to deal with the fact that white RJR managers enjoyed privilege* out side of work in terms of housing loans and access that he did not. "Those were the challenges for me. It was not the work.'" he said. Today, Bass' years of work and community involvement have made him well-known and respected in this city, so much so that on Tuesday during his first book signing at the Old Salem Visitors Center, a who's who list of local businesspeople and dig nitaries showed up to support Bass. These days. Bass says he is grateful for the simple things that many people take for granted. He is spry at 77. He plays tennis every Saturday and can run and swim like a man hall his age. He is happily married to the love of his life. Celeste, and olten travels to Michigan and Califor Film legends expected for RiverRun Film Fest CHRONIC I I STAR REPORT The RiverRun Internationa] Film Festival has announced that Lucy Cabarga witl be a "guest of honor" at the festival, which kicks off tonight in Win ston-Salem. Cabarga. one of Mexico s most influential film industry veterans, will also partici pate in an open forum about Film making in Mexico at 1 1 a.m. on Sat urday at the Recording Stage at the N.C. School of the Arts (NCSA) School of Filmmaking. Cabarga has been involved with the film and television industry in Mexico for 40 years. For 25 years, Cabarga served as film commissioner for Cuernavaca, a historic city in the Mexican state of More los. Since 1998 she has been the Morelos general director of promotion of film and televi sion. RiverRun has also announced that Academy Award-winning actress sissy Spacek will be on hand for part of the festival. Spacek, who won an Oscar for her role in Spacek "Coal Miner's Daugh ter," will attend the Krispy Kreme Pre miere and Gala on Fri day. This year's pre miere. "Laws of Attraction," will be screened at 7 p.m. at the Stevens Center. The gala will follow the premiere at the nearby Millennium Center. Spacek's hus band. art director Jack Fisk, is also expected to attend. RiverRun is screening more than 110 new and independent dramatic, documentary, short, student and animated films dur ing the four-day festival. For ticket information, and titles and locations, visit www.river runfilm.com or call 724-1502. * nia to visit his two daughters and four grandchildren. Bass also practices what his mother preached to him many years ago. "She always told us 'to whom much is given much is required and to whom much more is given, much more is required." A few years ago Bass found ed the Marshall B. Bass Chil dren's Fund. whic)i provides grants to many agencies that help young people. The man who has worn the titles of officer and executive now is often called a philanthropist. It is a title that he doesn't mind, but Bass doesn't see himself in those terms. "The term philanthropist is OK, but I like to say 1 share. I like to share what I have with other people and the reason is. I was taught that." Marshall Bass will sign copies of his book on May I al the Can'er Library at J p.m. and at Special Occasions on May 15 from noon to 2 p.m. News Clips Conrad-Shrader running for N.C. House Debra Conrad-Shrader, a Forsyth County commissioner since 1 994, announced her candi dacy for the N.C. House District 74 at a news conference at the Forsyth County Board of Elec tions. "Raleigh needs a representa tive of local government," Con rad-Shrader said during her remarks. "Legislators need to understand the impact that their decisions have on local govern ing bodies, and the ability of local governments to provide for the needs of the people. "My 10 years as a county commissioner, my experiences in economic development, educa tion. and my experience in con servative fiscal management of public funics will provide that representation and understand ing." Conrad-Shrader is a lifelong Republican. > ' She is a graduate of Wake Forest University, and is a listing and buyers agent for Graham & Boles Properties. Republican candidates forum tonight The Forsyth County Republi can Women are hosting a con gressional forum for 12th and 5th District candidates tonight. The moderator will be WX11 reporter Angela Pellerano. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m.. and the forum will begin promptly at 6. The forum will take place at the Ramada Inn on University Park way. The event is free and open to all registered Republicans and independents. British cars at Reynolda House More than 150 British cars will grace the lawns of Reynolda House and Historic Reynolda Village on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p in. The 19th annual British Car Gathering, cosponsored by the Triumph Club of the Caroli nas and Reynolda Village, will feature Jaguars, MGs, Austin Healy, Triumphs, Bentley. Rolls Royce, TVRs, and Aston Mar tins. The featured marque on the Reynolda House lawn will be a TR-6. In addition to the gathering of cars, festival visitors can enjoy "wrench wracing" for all ages, beginning at 1 :30 p.m. Reynolda House will be open during its normal Sunday hours of 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the regular admission rates: Adults are $8. seniors are $7. students 18 and under and college students with an ID are free. A guided tour at 2 p.m. is included in the price of admission, or visitors are wel come to take a self-guided tour. Actress to speak at Salem commencement Actress Celia Weston will speak to Salem College's gradu ates May 22 at 10 a.m. in the May Dell, an outdoor amphithe ater on Salem's campus. Weston earned a bachelor of arts in att and psychology from Weston Salem College, where she was pres ident of the Pier rettes. the Salem College drama group, and Dansalems, Salem's modern dance society. After graduating from Salem. Weston studied theater arts at the N.C. School of the Arts and the Rose Bruford School in London. Weston first gained recogni tion as an actress in her role as Jolene Hunnicut on the CBS sit com "Alice." She has gone on to appear in dozens of films, televi sion shows and plays, both on and off Broadway. Old Salem Inc. receives $30,000 grant Old Salem Inc. has been " grant *30-000 by e Single Brothers Garden will be one of the largest garden projects in America. V* 8? ter race garden. The project is expected to be completed in fall 'The success of the Single GardenrcPresentswhat is nest in our community - neo to?"her to achieve great things, ' said Keves Williamson, director of horticul ture lor Old Salem. "The garden combines the support of local garden clubs, individuals, and the Winston-Salem Foundation, fcach is a key player, contributing to the eventual success of what is 'hL' mos? exciting landscape tion P^OjeC, a 8enera" AARP director to speak at I mted Metropolitan Baptist Church Bob Jackson, N.C. AARP ^ Helen Salvage. N.C. AAKP advocacy director, will speak and answer questions on dn. "Z /-lXilCarc Prescription drag benefits today at United Me iropolitan Missionary Baptist luirch, 450 Metropolitan Drive. Ihe program - sponsored by NoTr r'CeS Inc" AARP North Carolina and the Forsyth &AARP - W,U ?* from 10 a.m. to noon. State Reps^ Lairy Womble ^nd Panno" will also NAACPto hold monthly meeting The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County NAACP will hold its monthly meeting April 27 at 7 P-m. on the second floor of the c Mulua) Building, 1225 F'fth Street. The focus of the meeting will be Community Foot 9 uAe. ne+n&ihakle, new- ccuic&i tAedt*He*U teciuvolatjif, like thtee-ciUneH&umcd ^adiaiia*t lo- isfiaAe healthy tiiAue i* biecui ccuuxt patienti. Lisa Evans, M.D. Remarkable People. Remarkable Medicine. It's wtiy 7 out of 1 0 Forsyth County cancer patients and their physicians choose Forsyth Regional Cancer Center. If you or someone you care for has been diagnosed with cancer, we can help. Visit www.ForsythMedicalCenter.org. REGIONAL CANCER CENTER Remarkable People. Remarkable Medicine. What is your risk of cancer? Call 1-866-61 1-3722 i.oiif?) F