James E. “Ted” Bassett III welcomes Queen Elizabeth II to Keeneland in 1984. (Photo courtesy of Keeneland.)
James E. “Ted” Bassett III, the former president and chairman of Keeneland, has died at 103, the Lexington race track and Thoroughbred auction house announced Friday.
“Affectionately known as ‘Mr. B.,’ Mr. Bassett devoted his life to bettering the global Thoroughbred industry and his beloved Central Kentucky community, and his engaging demeanor and graciousness endeared him to everyone he met,” said the Keeneland release.
“Though he had no prior Thoroughbred industry experience, Bassett credited his Marine background for giving him the perseverance and resourcefulness to succeed at the helm of one of the industry’s foremost players on the global stage. He undertook a series of multimillion-dollar construction and capital projects at Keeneland that spanned a decade between the mid-1970s-1980s and improved every aspect of operations.”
KET will air its 2012 documentary “Ted Bassett: A Kentucky Gentleman.” The film examines the “extraordinary life of a native Kentuckian who was a decorated World War II Marine and former head of the state police. Through interviews with friends, colleagues and contemporaries, a picture emerges of a humble, self-effacing man who, believing in service to others, achieved great things,” said KET in a release.
The documentary will air on:
KET Monday, Jan. 27 at 4/3 pm
KET Wednesday, Jan. 29 at 10/9 pm
KET2 Thursday, Jan. 30 at 9/8 pm
Or watch on-demand at KET.org and the PBS app.