Frederick Van Ness Bradley (April 12, 1898 – May 24, 1947) was an American politician who served as the

U.S. representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

for

Michigan's 11th congressional district Michigan's 11th congressional district is a United States congressional district north of Detroit, comprising most of urbanized central Oakland County, Michigan, Oakland County. Until 1993, the district covered the state's Upper Peninsula of Mi ...

from 1939 until his death in 1947. He was a member of the Republican Party.

Early life and career

Bradley was born in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

and moved to

Rogers City, Michigan Rogers City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of and largest city in Presque Isle County, Michigan, Presque Isle County. The city had a population of 2,850 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, a slight increa ...

, in 1910 where he attended the public schools and graduated from Rogers City High School.

World War I

He attended Montclair Academy in

Montclair, New Jersey Montclair is a Township (New Jersey), township in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Situated on the cliffs of the Watchung Mountains, Montclair is a commercial and cultural hub of North Jersey and a diverse ...

, and in 1918 joined the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

for

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. Bradley served in the

Student Army Training Corps The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC; or ) is a group of college- and university-based officer-training programs for training commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces. While ROTC graduate officers serve in all branches o ...

Plattsburgh Barracks The "Old Stone Barracks" is the last remaining structure of a proposed quadrangle of early U.S. Army barracks built at Plattsburgh, New York in 1838. Of the four main buildings initially planned for the Plattsburgh post, only two were ever co ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

Business career

He graduated from

Cornell University Cornell University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson W ...

in 1921. His father was president of the Michigan Limestone and Chemical Company, and Bradley worked for the company as a salesman in

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is a Administrative divisions of New York (state), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and county seat of Erie County, New York, Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of ...

, from 1921 to 1923. He was a purchasing agent with Bradley Transportation Company in Rogers City, Michigan from 1924 to 1938.

Congress

In 1938, Bradley was the successful Republican nominee to represent

, defeating incumbent

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

John Luecke John Frederick Luecke (July 4, 1889 – March 21, 1952) was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. Luecke was born in Escanaba, Michigan to German immigrants and attended the public elementary schools. He was employed as a commercial a ...

. He was reelected four times and served from January 3, 1939, until his death. He was chairman of the

Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries The United States House Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries is a defunct committee of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries was created on December 21, 1887, replacing the Select Committee on Ameri ...

in the

80th Congress The 80th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from January 3, 1947 ...

. With his longtime interest in Great Lakes shipping, Bradley was the legislative sponsor behind the construction of the Round Island Passage Light.

Death and burial

Bradley died in

New London, Connecticut New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States, located at the outlet of the Thames River (Connecticut), Thames River in New London County, Connecticut, which empties into Long Island Sound. The cit ...

, on May 24, 1947, while there to attend a meeting of the

United States Coast Guard Academy The United States Coast Guard Academy (USCGA), located in New London, Connecticut, is the United States service academies, U.S. service academy specifically for the United States Coast Guard. Founded in 1876, the academy provides education t ...

board of visitors. He was interred at Rogers City Memorial Park.

Family

In 1922, Bradley married Marcia Marie Hillidge of

Front Royal, Virginia Front Royal is the only incorporated town in Warren County, Virginia, United States. The population was estimated at 15,400 as of 2023. It is the county seat of Warren County. History The entire Shenandoah Valley including the area to beco ...

. They were the parents of a son, Carl, who died in 1938 at the age of two.

References

The Political Graveyard
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bradley, Frederick Van Ness 1898 births 1947 deaths Cornell University alumni Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Michigan 20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives