The Bradley Brothers
The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation in
Milwaukee is the philanthropic legacy of two entrepreneurial brothers,
Lynde and Harry Bradley. In 1901, while working for Milwaukee Electric, Lynde came up with what he thought was a better way to build the
controllers that regulate motor speed. He soon quit his job, secured a
small $1,000 investment from his lifelong friend and “father figure” Dr.
Stanton Allen, and co-founded the Allen-Bradley Company with his brother
in 1903.
Believing strongly in the dignity and worth of each human
being, the Bradley brothers were committed to preserving and defending
the institutions of free, representative government and private
enterprise that have enabled America and the entire Western world to
realize that dignity. The Bradleys believed that the good society is a
free society.
Spanning 80 years -- owing much to the brothers’ sound strategic
decisions, their hard work and that of their employees, and the
perseverance of all of them -- the business they created well-maximized
its opportunities and greatly expanded its market share. In 1985, its
value had skyrocketed to the point where Rockwell International bought
it for $1.65 billion. The sale, 20 years after Harry’s death, boosted
The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation’s assets from less than $14
million to more than $290 million, suddenly putting it among the largest
foundations in the United States. Since 1996, it has been headquartered
in the historic and architecturally significant Lion House on
Milwaukee’s East Side.
Steadfastly adhering to the Bradley brothers’ donor intent, the
Bradley Foundation remains dedicated to its
mission strengthening the institutions, principles, and values that
nurture and sustain the American Experiment and the West. Among other
things, our programs support limited, competent government and a dynamic
marketplace for economic, intellectual, and cultural activity. We also
recognize that responsible self-government depends on enlightened
citizens.
Since 1985, the Foundation has made more than $530 million in grant
awards to organizations that pursue its mission. With humane leadership,
a growing reputation for effective strategic philanthropy, and a
responsibly managed corpus, we are poised to continue furthering its
donors’ intent throughout the rest of this new millennium and beyond.
Looking forward to this future, as the Bradley brothers certainly
would have done, we are mindful of the challenges and opportunities
presented by our role among America’s philanthropies. And we are humbled
by them.
We are also prepared for them. The Foundation is consciously seeking
to lead by example – in our ongoing analyses of the general policy and
cultural contexts within which we are operating, in our consideration of
particular grantmaking options, and in our assessments of whether the
options we pursue are actually attaining their goals and objectives. As
well, we are actively seeking to encourage and work with other funders
that are pursuing many of the same aims to which Lynde and Harry Bradley
philanthropically dedicated the wealth generated by their company.
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