Preston Bradley
Preston Bradley
Dr. Preston Bradley (1888-1983) was a clergyman, author and lecturer. A civic leader who was on many boards, including the Chicago Public Library Board for 25 years(1 ency of chicago), he was also the founder and pastor of the Peoples Church in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago. Dr. Bradley believed that ethics, religion and economics could not be separated. As a follower of Henry George, he believed that as a minister he must be concerned about social justice, poverty, and civic wrongs. (2 american article) This liberal ideology guided his life.
The Chicago Cultural Center's Preston Bradley Hall is named for him.
Early Life and Religious Affiliations
Dr. Bradley was born and raised in Linden, MI, in a conservative Christian home. He attended Alma College and a Flint MI law school. He worked as a weekend pastor while a student. In 1911, he moved to Chicago to attend the Moody Bible Institute. (3 obit) After being ordained as a Presbyterian minister in 1912, he left the church saying, "I am not orthodox about anything. I am thoroughly, completely, adequately, gloriously and triumphantly a heretic." (3obit) He rejected Christian orthodoxy and developed his own form of liberal religious humanism called Christian Unitarianism. (4 chicago ency). From 1912 until the founding of the People's Church in 1922, Dr. Bradley conducted Sunday services at a number of Chicago theaters. (5 obit)
Peoples Church
Dr. Bradly founded the Peoples Church in 1922, basing it on the creed of "the Good, the True and the Beautiful" and affiliating with the Unitarian Conference (6 SPE) In 1926, the Church moved into its home at 941 W. Lawrence. Bradley built the Church into a major Chicago institution with four thousand members. His radio program reached millions of listeners. (8 ency of chicago) The Church contained to grow, adding new buildings. It was "one of the most largely attended liberal churches in the world" (9 peoples church web site). Dr Preston retired from the church in 1968, but continued to give sermons and radio programs until 1976. (10 obit)
Honors and Boards
In addition to the Chicago Public Library Board, Dr. Bradly also served on the Illinois State Teachers College and Normal School Boards. )SPE) He was a founder and president of the Izaack Walton League, a charter member of the Chicago Human Relations Commission 11(obit), and a trustee of the Municipal Art League (SPE)
Dr. Bradley was granted many honorary degrees: a D.C.L. from Hamilton College of Law [Chicago, Illinois], an L.L.D. from Lake Forest [Illinois] College, and a D.D. from Meadville Theological Seminary [Chicago, Illinois]. (SPE)
Personal Life
Dr Bradley married Grace Thayer in 1915. She died in 1950. Their adopted son, James, died in 1951. He married June Haslet in 1952. (11 SPE) He moved to Stowe, VT in 1976, where he died in 1983. (obit)