Jean Gitz Basset’s enduring personality and perpetual volunteerism make her a special woman to all who meet her.  And many have, because there are very few organizations in our community she hasn’t helped out with her “get it done” attitude.

Jean was born on a farm in Freeport, Illinois, the same community in which she graduated from high school.   She went for further schooling at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota where she earned a bachelor’s degree in music with a minor in English.

After college, Jean moved to New York City and worked two years in program research at ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers).  She then moved to Colorado Springs working as a music librarian, music director, and program director in radio and TV.  She settled in La Crosse in 1957, to become co-owner of the radio station WLCX and later WLXR, and she is considered a pioneer for women in this field. Jean was named Boss of the Year by the La Crosse Jaycees in 1977, for her leadership abilities at the radio station, and as one person who worked with her astutely stated, “There is nothing that this lady cannot do:  on-air, sales, commercial, production, management and clean the coffee pot.”  She and her business partner sold the station in 1983.

In addition to the Boss of the Year award, Jean was the second woman in La Crosse to receive the esteemed President’s Award from the La Crosse Area Chamber of Commerce.  She has also been honored as Mrs. Oktoberfest, and received Viterbo’s Pope John 23rd Award, UW-L Chancellor’s Award, Chamber President’s Award, the Iverson-Freking Ecumenical Recognition Award, and was inducted into the Wisconsin Broadcasters Hall of Fame,

Jean has been active in our community for a lifetime.  In order to understand the magnitude of Jean’s service to our community, some of her services are listed below.  She has worked at all levels from the boardroom to the living room, and there aren’t many organizations in our community that she hasn’t touched with her services at one time or another.

• President of the Salvation Army and member of the board of directors
• Elder and trustee for the Presbyterian Church of La Crosse
• Member of the Presbytery, the governing body of the Presbyterian Church of Wisconsin
• Chairman of the Oktoberfest Ladies’ Day luncheon
• Board of Directors for Oktoberfest
• Maple Leaf Parade marshal,
• Member of the Western Wisconsin Technical Institute’s marketing advisory council
• Member of the business executive advisory council at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
• President of the La Crosse Area Chamber of Commerce
• Red Cross Bloodmobile volunteer
• Christmas Bureau
• La Crosse Area United Way president, chairperson and volunteer
• Santa Claus Club Wisconsin Broadcasters Association
• YMCA board member
• Northern States Power Board member
• St. Francis Medical Foundation board member
• University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Foundation member
• Member and state chairman of the Mississippi River Parkway Commission
• Mobile Meals delivery
• Involved with the La Crosse Jails Ministry
• On the La Crosse Symphony Board
• Organizer of the La Crosse Public Education Foundation
• Great River Road
• Wisconsin Broadcasters Association
• Bethany St. Joseph Corp.
• Rotary Club Member

Jean enjoys reading, gardening, golfing, traveling, enjoying the beauty of La Crosse, antiques, playing the piano, and cooking. 

How wonderful the world would be if we could clone Jean’s amazing personality.  Whether it is her 24 hour a day smile, her caring personality, her selfless giving, or her engaging personality, or maybe it is as Madge Sayner says, “When Jean says she’ll do something, you know it will get done – done right and with a certain style."  It is many a person that points to Jean and says, I want to be just like her when I grow up.