Bissette, Samuel D.
Sam had two principal lifetime careers. One was a 50 year term of affiliation with People Saving and Loan Association of Wilmington where he served as an employee, director, president and chairman of the board, retiring in 1989. The other was an art career that began in 1970 and continued for the rest of his life. He served as a civic leader, filling director and officer positions with more than a dozen prominent Wilmington organizations. He served at both the state and national levels in the trade organizations of the savings and loan industry. He was president of the Cape Fear Club, St. John’s Museum of Art and the Wilmington Lions Club, and chairman of the board of deacons of First Baptist Church. He served in leadership positions as well at the Cape Fear Country Club, the YMCA, United Fund, Committee of 100, and Foundation of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. In connections with his art career, he served as trustee of the North Carolina Museum of Art, director of the North Carolina Art Society, and vice president and director of the North Carolina Watercolor Society.
His interest in astronomy led him into a 15 year period of telescopic observing, astrophotography and research and the discovery of an unconventional method of observing the night sky that is recognized nationally and internationally. His 60 painting exhibition of astronomy hangs permanently in Dobo Hall at UNC-Wilmington.
As an historian, he pursued a number of projects that currently reside in the New Hanover County Library and Randall Library at UNC-Wilmington. As an artist, he specialized in watercolor, producing more than 1,500 pieces of work. Among art projects were the mosaics for the Belk Store at Independence Mall, A Portrait of North Carolina for Wachovia Bank, “North Carolina circa 1900 and Images from the Microworld, owned by UNC-Wilmington.
He has publicly been recognized at the local, state, national and international levels by a number of organizations and publications and has exhibited at more than 50 one-man exhibitions. He served as a judge for art exhibitions, including the North Carolina Watercolor Society statewide exhibition of 1976 after he won the state competition in 1975.
Accolades: President-Chairman of the Board Peoples Savings and Loan, Artist, Astronomy