Henry B. Bass, known to his friends as “Heinie,” was born and raised in Enid in the home of his parents, who were pioneer settlers. Bass attended the University of Missouri, where he was also a member of the football team. Upon graduation, he returned to his father’s construction firm in Enid and became its chief contractor and director throughout his life. His company, D.C. Bass & Sons, constructed many of Enid’s major buildings including the Bass Building, the Champlin home, and the Phillips University Administration Building and Library. The company also built the Kay County Courthouse, Ponca City’s First Christian Church, and structures throughout the Southwestern United States. Bass was also a nationally known authority on the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln and was the author of three books.