Exhibit 31.1

            CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

    PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002


I, ROBERT E. WILLIAMS, certify that:

1.  I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-K of
J.R. BASSETT OPTICAL, INC.;

2.  Based on my knowledge, this quarterly report does not contain
any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a
material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of
the circumstances made, not misleading with respect to the period
covered by this quarterly report;

3.  Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other
financial information included in this quarterly report, fairly
present in all material respects the financial condition, results
of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for,
the periods presented in this quarterly report;

4.  The registrant's other certifying officers and I are
responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls
and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and
15d-15(e)) for the registrant and we have:

a)  Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused
such disclosure controls and procedures to be designated under
our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to
the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made
known to us by others within those entities, particularly during
the period in which this quarterly report is being prepared;

b)  Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure
controls and procedures and presented in this report our
conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls
and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this
quarterly report based on such evaluation; and

c) Disclosed in this quarterly report any changes in the
registrant's internal control over financial reporting that
occurred during the registrant's most recent fiscal quarter (the
registrant's fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual
report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to
materially affect, the registrant's internal control over
financial reporting; and

5.  The registrant's other certifying officers and I have
disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of the internal
controls over financial reporting, to the registrant's auditors
and the audit committee of the registrant's board of directors
(or persons performing the equivalent functions):

a)  All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the
design or operation of internal controls over financial reporting
which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's
ability to record, process, summarize and report financial data
and have identified for the registrant's auditors any material
weaknesses in internal controls; and

b)  Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management
or other employees who have a significant role in the
registrant's internal controls over financial reporting.



     March 23, 2004
                                   By: /s/ Robert E. Williams
                                      -----------------------------
                                      Robert E. Williams, President
                                      Chief Executive Officer