Stanley H. Bassett was born September 21, 1944 and grew up as the middle child, with three sisters and a brother, on a 30 acre family farm in the Green River Valley, located between Auburn and Kent. Stan became ill with polio when he was 6 years old and spent a year in the hospital. After he recovered, he used a wheel chair to assist with mobility.
Stan was well like growing up, with many friends and was well thought of by teachers. Schoolmates and school staff contributed to a penny drive when Stan was 8 and donated the funds to the hospital where he was recovering.
When he was 17, schoolmates and school staff once again raised funds for Stan, this time to help him purchase a new wheel chair, dubbed a 1962-Model “Stanley Steamer”. The new wheel chair replaced the one he had worn out driving on the family farm, fishing, hunting, and playing games with his family and friends.
Stan attended Green River Community College and eventually transferred to Central Washington State College (now Central Washington University), graduating with a degree in psychology and a minor in sociology.
During his time serving on the Ellensburg City Council, Stan played a major part in the acquisition of the property on Capitol Avenue where the Stan Bassett Youth Center is located, the creation of the skate park on Pearl Street, the acquisition of land for Rotary Park, among others.
In 2010 the Ellensburg City Council held a meeting at the then “Ellensburg Youth and Community Center” (EYCC), and surprised Stan by renaming the EYCC the “Stan Bassett Youth Center” (SBYC) in his honor. During the announcement, family members who had traveled from around the state, surprised Stan and joined him in the celebration. The City Council also declared May 3rd “Stan Bassett Day” to honor Stan for his decades of service as a city councilman, his support of the development of youth programs and his mentoring and guidance of youth, teens, college students, and adults.
