James Cowdon Bradford Sr.

James Cowdon Bradford Sr. (November 24, 1892 - December 14, 1981) was an American businessman. He was the chairman of Piggly Wiggly from 1924 to 1926, and of chairman of the Life and Casualty Insurance Company of Tennessee from 1934 to 1951. He was the founder of J.C. Bradford & Co. in 1927, and remained a senior partner at the investment bank.

James Cowdon Bradford Sr.
BornNovember 24, 1892
Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
DiedDecember 14, 1981
Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
EducationMontgomery Bell Academy
Alma materVanderbilt University
OccupationBusinessman
Spouse(s)Eleanor Avent
Children1 son, 1 daughter

Early life

Bradford was born on November 24, 1892 in Nashville, Tennessee.[1][2] He grew up in Houma, Louisiana from the age of 10 to live with his mother, née Leonora Bisland, after his father, Alexander Bradford, had died.[1]

Bradford returned to Nashville as a teenager, where he attended Montgomery Bell Academy. He graduated from Vanderbilt University, where he joined the Phi Delta Theta fraternity and played football.[1]

Career

Bradford began his career in 1912, when he worked in insurance for Paul M. Davis. During World War I, he taught service members how to shoot guns at Fort Sill.[1]

Bradford was appointed as the president of Piggly Wiggly in 1923. He served as its chairman from 1924 to 1926. During his tenure, he oversaw over 360 stores all across the U.S., and turned the company around.[1]

Bradford founded J.C. Bradford & Co., an investment bank based in Nashville, in 1927.[3] It was headquartered in Nashville's first skyscraper, the Courtyard Nashville Downtown. Bradford was a senior partner at the firm.[1] He was the first Tennessean to buy a seat on the New York Stock Exchange in 1930, for $400,000.[3] In 1941, he encouraged the management at the NYSE to hire non-New Yorkers in what became known as the "Bradford Plan."[1]

Bradford was the chairman of the Life and Casualty Insurance Company of Tennessee from 1934 to 1951.[3]

Personal life, death and legacy

Bradford married Eleanor Avent.[2] They resided at 530 Belle Meade Boulevard in Belle Meade near Nashville.[1] They had a son, James Cowden Bradford Jr., and a daughter, Mrs F. Crittendon Currie.[2]

Bradford died of cancer on December 14, 1981 at Parkview Hospital in Nashville. His funeral was held at St. George's Episcopal Church in Belle Meade.[1][2]

J.C. Bradford & Co. was acquired by PaineWebber in 2000, followed by UBS AG.[4]

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References
  1. "J.C. Braford, 89, Dies of Cancer; Rites Slated". The Tennessean. December 15, 1981. pp. 1, 6. Retrieved June 10, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. "J.C. Bradford Dead At 89". The Leaf-Chronicle. Clarksville, Tennessee. December 15, 1981. p. 9. Retrieved June 10, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "An Investment Pioneer". The Tennessean. October 19, 1999. p. 9. Retrieved June 10, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. Colvin, Fred (December 25, 2009). "J. C. Bradford & Company". The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture. Tennessee Historical Society & University of Tennessee Press. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
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