Emmett W. Bassett and Priscilla Tietjen Bassett oral history interview conducted by Joseph Mosnier in Grahamsville, New York, 2011-07-21.

Priscilla Tietjen Bassett recalls growing up in Plainfield, New Jersey, and attending Smith College, and Emmett W. Bassett remembers growing up in Henry County, Virginia, serving in World War II, and attending Tuskegee Institute, where he assisted George Washington Carver with research. They tell how they met at a protest of a segregated restaurant in Massachusetts, raising money for Emmett Till's mother, their involvement in many civil rights groups in New York, and attending the March on Washington. They also discuss Emmett's career as a professor of dairy science, Priscilla's career as a librarian, and their struggles as an interracial married couple.
Summary: Priscilla Tietjen Bassett recalls growing up in Plainfield, New Jersey, and attending Smith College, and Emmett W. Bassett remembers growing up in Henry County, Virginia, serving in World War II, and attending Tuskegee Institute, where he assisted George Washington Carver with research. They tell how they met at a protest of a segregated restaurant in Massachusetts, raising money for Emmett Till's mother, their involvement in many civil rights groups in New York, and attending the March on Washington. They also discuss Emmett's career as a professor of dairy science, Priscilla's career as a librarian, and their struggles as an interracial married couple.
Biographical History: Emmett W. Bassett was born in 1921 in Henry County, Virginia, attended Tuskegee Institute, University of Massachusetts, and Ohio State University, and worked as a microbiologist. Priscilla Tietjen Bassett was born in 1928 in Plainfield, New Jersey, attended Smith College and Queens College and worked as a librarian. The Bassetts married in 1950, had three children, and were civil rights activists in New York.
Biographical History: Priscilla Tietjen Bassett was born on May 25, 1928 in Plainfield, New Jersey. She married Emmett Bassett in 1950 and had three children, Mitzi, Jonathan and Lydia. She attended Smith College, AB; Queens College, New York, MLS and worked as a librarian.
Acquisition Note: The Civil Rights History Project is a joint project of the American Folklife Center, Library of Congress and the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of African American History and Culture to collect video and audio recordings of personal histories and testimonials of individuals who participated in the Civil Rights movement.
Existence and Location of Copies: Copies of items are also held at the National Museum of African American History and Culture (U.S.).
Conditions Governing Access: Collection is open for research. Access to recordings may be restricted. To request materials, please contact the Folklife Reading Room at http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.afc/folklife.contact.
Related Archival Materials: Artifacts associated with the interview are at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.