James Brady

James Scott “Jim” Brady (born August 29, 1940, Centralia, Illinois) is a former Assistant to the President and White House Press Secretary under President Ronald Reagan. After nearly being killed and becoming permanently disabled as a result of an assassination attempt on Reagan in 1981, Brady became an ardent supporter of gun control.

Private life

Brady was born in Centralia, Illinois and attended St. Mary Grade School in Centralia, which was across the street from his house. He joined the Boy Scouts, attained the rank of Eagle Scout, and is a recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award from the Boy Scouts of America.

Brady divorced his first wife and married Sarah Kemp in Arlington, Virginia on July 21, 1973. On December 29, 1978, their only son, James Scott Brady, Jr., was born.

Early career

In 1962, Brady graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a Bachelor of Science degree in political science. During his time at U of I he was initiated into the Sigma Chi fraternity. Brady began his career in public service as a staff member in the office of Illinois Senator Everett Dirksen. During the summer of 1962, he was an Honor Intern at the US Department of Justice Anti-Trust Division.

He held many positions in the private sector, including faculty member at Southern Illinois University (1964–1965), Assistant National Sales Manager and Executive Manager to the President of Lear-Seigler (1965–1966), Director of Legislation and Public Affairs for the Illinois State Medical Society (1966–1968), Whitaker and Baxter's Chicago Office Manager (1968–1969), Executive and Vice President of James and Thomas Advertising and Public Relations (1969–1973).

He then moved to the public sector. In the next few years, he served as Special Assistant to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (1973–1975), Special Assistant to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (1975–1976), Assistant to the Secretary of Defense (1976–1977), member of the staff of Senator William Roth (1976–1977). He also served as Press Secretary to then presidential candidate John Connally.

White House Press Secretary

U.S. President Ronald Reagan appointed Brady as his press secretary on January 20, 1981. Although Brady never worked as press secretary after the shooting, he kept the title for the remainder of Reagan's presidency and those who actually performed the function of press secretary were styled "deputy press secretary."

hooting

Brady was among those shot during John Hinckley, Jr.'s March 30, 1981, assassination attempt on Reagan, suffering a serious head wound. During the confusion that followed after the shooting, Dan Rather of CBS News erroneously reported that Brady had died. [ [http://cytowic.net/Selected_Articles/Brady/brady.html The Long Ordeal of James Brady] ] . Although he survived, the wound left Brady partially paralyzed for life; he is a full-time wheelchair user.

Handgun control advocate

Brady subsequently led lobbying efforts for stricter handgun control and is in the leadership of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, also known simply as the Brady Bill, was named in his honor.

He and his wife, Sarah, have founded the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence.Sarah and James Brady were each awarded a doctorate degree (of Humane Letters) by Drexel University in 1993.

In 1996, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Bill Clinton, the highest civilian award in the United States. [ [http://www.bradycenter.org/about/jimandsarahbio.php About Jim and Sarah Brady at Bradycenter.com] ]

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

In 2000, the Press Briefing Room at the White House was renamed after Brady as the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room.

References