Douglas Bassett

Who is Douglas Bassett?

Douglas Anthony Bassett was a Welsh geologist, and one of the most distinguished directors of the National Museum of Wales in recent years.

Douglas Bassett was born in Llwynhendy, near Llanelli, in industrial Carmarthenshire as the son of a coal miner. He took a degree in Geology at Aberystwyth University in 1952, and after obtaining his doctorate in the same discipline, lectured in Geology at Glasgow University from 1952 to 1959. Having joined the National Museum of Wales as keeper of Geology in 1959, he was appointed in the role of Director in 1977 until 1985, when ill-health forced him to retire.