james brady

James Scott “Jim” Brady (born August 29, 1940, Centralia, Illinois) is a former Assistant to the President and White House Press Secretary under President Ronald Reagan. After nearly being killed and becoming permanently disabled as a result of an assassination attempt on Reagan in 1981, Brady became an ardent supporter of gun control. Contents [hide] 1 Private life 2 Early career 3 White House press secretary 4 Shooting 5 Handgun control advocate 6 James S. Brady Press Briefing Room 7 References //

Private life

Brady was born in Centralia, Illinois and attended St. Mary Grade School in Centralia, which was across the street from his house. He joined the Boy Scouts, attained the rank of Eagle Scout, and is a recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award from the Boy Scouts of America. James Brady was a 1958 graduate of Centralia Township High School. On October 24, 2008, James Brady was named Distinguished Alumni of Centralia High with five others. They were the first to be named Distinguished Alumni from CHS.

Brady divorced his first wife and married Sarah Kemp in Arlington, Virginia on July 21, 1973. On December 29, 1978, their only son, James Scott Brady, Jr., was born.

Early career

In 1962, Brady graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a Bachelor of Science degree in political science. During his time at U of I he was initiated into the Sigma Chi fraternity. Brady began his career in public service as a staff member in the office of Illinois Senator Everett Dirksen. During the summer of 1962, he was an Honor Intern at the US Department of Justice Anti-Trust Division.

He held many positions in the private sector, including faculty member at Southern Illinois University (1964–1965), Assistant National Sales Manager and Executive Manager to the President of Lear-Seigler (1965–1966), Director of Legislation and Public Affairs for the Illinois State Medical Society (1966–1968), Whitaker and Baxter's Chicago Office Manager (1968–1969), and Executive and Vice President of James and Thomas Advertising and Public Relations (1969–1973).

Brady then moved to the public sector. In 1970 he was the campaign manager for Phyllis Schafly's run for congress in a southern Illinois district. In the next few years, he served as Special Assistant to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (1973–1975), Special Assistant to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (1975–1976), Assistant to the Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld[1](1976–1977), member of the staff of Senator William Roth (1976–1977). He also served as Press Secretary to then presidential candidate John Connally in 1980. Chaos outside the Washington Hilton Hotel after the assassination attempt on President Reagan. James Brady and police officer Thomas Delahanty lie wounded on the ground.

White House press secretary

After Connally's