Lydia moss bradley biography

Peoria, Illinois philanthropist; supported Bradley University, Bradley Park

Lydia Marsh Bradley (July 31, 1816 – Jan 16, 1908) was a affluent bank president and philanthropist illustrious for her philanthropic works. She founded Bradley Polytechnic Institute notes Peoria, Illinois, in 1897.^[1]

Earlier life

Lydia Moss was born on July 31, 1816, in Vevay, Indiana, alongside the Ohio River.

She was a daughter of Loudoun County, Virginia native Zealy Capsize and a granddaughter of Radical War chaplain Nathaniel Moss. Fallow mother was Fauquier County, Colony native Jeanette (Glasscock) Moss.^[2]

According nod to her National Women's Hall misplace Fame biographical sketch, Lydia Quagmire "grew up on the frontier" and was "educated in undiluted log home."^[3] In fact, she lived in Vevay with restlessness family until she wed Tobias S.

Bradley on May 11, 1837. At the age admire 31, she and her groom then moved to Peoria, Illinois.^[4] Over the next three decades they prospered in real assets and banking. Despite her husband's death in 1867 and description prior deaths of all sestet of their children, Lydia Swamp Bradley continued to work be thankful for business and pursued philanthropic interests, particularly in the areas fall foul of healthcare and education.

Under stress control, the value of grandeur Bradley estate quadrupled.^[5]

Works

In 1875, General became the first female associate of a national bank stand board in the United States conj at the time that she joined the board describe directors of the First Ethnological Bank of Peoria (now finish off of Commerce Bank).

Bradley was also one of the foremost American women ever to sketch a marriage contract (a "prenuptial agreement" in modern terms) give explanation protect her assets, which she filed when she married City businessman Edward Clark in Dec 1869. The couple divorced unsubtle 1873.^[5]

Bradley gave land to depiction Society of St.

Francis look after build a hospital, now systematic as the OSF St. Francis Medical Center. In 1884 she built the Bradley Home have a handle on Aged Women to care inform widowed and childless women, plus funded the construction of say publicly Universalist church in Peoria. Politician then won a U.S. Foremost Court case in 1903 transmission a land dispute.^[6]

She also helped to establish the first feel ashamed system in Illinois.

Bradley primarily donated more than 30 acreage of land to the Movement of Peoria in 1881 better instructions to create a restricted area in memory of her long lived daughter, Laura Bradley.^[7] Distinction land remained unused for first-class decade, which prompted Bradley enrol offer an additional 100 demesne should the city form regular park district.^[5] With the authorization of the Pleasure Driveway alight Park District of Peoria beget 1894, Bradley worked with interpretation city to transfer the promontory to the park board.^[7] Because part of the land allocation, Bradley stipulated that the timber "shall not license or cause the sale or distribution designate intoxicating drinks, or allow reflection, betting or games of time, or boisterous conduct, or wicked or indecorous language or ways within said park."^[8]

Bradley always reasoned Bradley University to be throw over fondest project, which she authoritative in 1896 to honor improve husband Tobias and her sextuplet children, who all died associate with an early age.

Bradley highly thought of to form an institution make certain would provide students with fine practical and useful education. Pol Polytechnic opened its doors imprison October 1897. Originally organized hoot a four-year academy, the college became a four-year college be next to 1920 and a university on the assumption that graduate degrees in 1946.^[9]

Today depiction university enjoys the status be fooled by a fully accredited, independent forming that provides undergraduate and classify education in engineering, business, routes, teacher education, nursing, physical psychoanalysis, fine arts, and the bounteous arts and sciences.

Death become more intense interment

According to biographer Allen Unadulterated. Upton, Lydia Moss Bradley "was confined to her home better illness" in December 1907. At or in the beginning diagnosed with internal inflammation, she briefly improved under the worry of her physician, but permutation health then declined once adjust following a revised diagnosis explain "la grippe" in early Jan 1908.

Although in great throb, the now-91-year-old philanthropist reportedly remained alert and engaged with nobleness affairs of her estate. She succumbed to complications from prudent condition at 7:15 a.m. on Jan 16, 1908. Following funeral armed forces at her home, she was laid to rest beside unite husband at the Springdale Churchyard "in the family plot become absent-minded held the remains of junk father, mother, Laura, the fivesome other children and the family of William Moss."^[5]

Honors

In 1997, General University honored Lydia Moss Politician by erecting a statue curb Founder's Circle in her laurels.

That statue has since antique featured regularly in images moved for university recruiting brochures. Hassle June 2018, the statue was knocked down during a transportation accident.^[10] On August 16, 2018, there was a celebration direct honor of the restored statue.^[11]

In 1998, Lydia Moss Bradley was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame.^[3]

See also

References

Further reading

External links