Celebrating 50 Years of Membership with Leland Bassett
Posted on Apr. 6, 2026 / Subscribe 0
For more than 50 years, Leland K. Bassett has viewed PRSA Detroit as both a launching point and an anchor for professional growth. With a strong belief that the organization provides the perfect “leg up” for anyone entering public relations, Bassett advocates for the essential connection PRSA Detroit brings in staying current and up to date within the profession.
Bassett’s interest in public relations began early, shaped by growing up in a small, mid-south-central Michigan city. His father was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives when Bassett was in kindergarten and held that seat until he reached college. From campaigning to attending community meetings, communication was entirely personal and face-to-face, as digital methods were not yet available. Through those experiences, Bassett observed that people from different backgrounds often responded very differently to the same messages, ultimately sparking his desire to understand why.
That curiosity led Bassett to the academic field of data-driven, human communication behavioral sciences at Michigan State University. The field was so new that Bassett became the first graduate student to pursue applied uses of the new knowledge, combining the “why” of behavioral sciences with the “how to” of traditional communication arts. This path ultimately led him to become a graduate faculty member, teaching the nation’s first strategic graduate-level program, now known as the CCAS Strategic Communication Management MA degree program at Michigan State University.
In 1972, Bassett made a defining career move when he was recruited to Detroit in his late 20s by Henry Ford II, five years after the civil unrest of 1967. He found himself running a national branding and image program for the city, anchored by the soon-to-be-built Renaissance Center. Reporting to the Detroit Communications Steering Committee, made up of chief communication officers from the Big Three and other major corporations still headquartered in Detroit, he was required to learn the lay of the land very quickly.
At that moment, PRSA Detroit became what Bassett described as a “Godsend.” As a young professional suddenly responsible for a national communications effort, he relied on the chapter for perspective and support as he navigated unfamiliar terrain. Joining PRSA Detroit proved to be a key and vital decision, accelerating his professional growth while connecting him with a diverse community of peers whose shared experiences and insights shaped both his work and his understanding of the profession.
More than 50 years later, Bassett credits his long-standing relationship with PRSA Detroit as foundational to his career, including the co-founding of Bassett & Bassett in 1986, a firm that continues to operate today. What began as a strategic decision during a pivotal moment became a lasting professional commitment that continues to shape his understanding of communication, leadership and service to the profession.
In 2025, Leland was recognized at PRSA Detroit’s Annual Meeting & Celebration in honor of his 50 continuous years of membership with the Chapter, a milestone reflecting his enduring commitment to professional growth and community impact.
If you are interested in joining or renewing your membership, learn more and take the next step here!
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